Rugby

[opsmonkey]

Now i dont get it.. never played it at school, never really watched it.. just not my bag, which may mean i dont understand a few things but:

London Irish play in Reading, thats in Berkshire
London Wasps play in Wycombe, thats in Buckinghamshire

why dont they play in london..?
if they are in the 'premier league' why dont they have their own grounds..?

[.: JaCkPoT :.]

Cant afford it....

[opsmonkey]

why dont they play in London..?

there are 17 grounds in london..?

how can they be London.. whatever, if they dont play there.?

[.: JaCkPoT :.]

Dunno... Its pistaking too.. Especially for away fans..

[opsmonkey]

why is it bad for away fans..? they travel anyway so it doesnt matter where the ground is to them..

if i go se Liverpool play away i dont care where it is..

its not like the away fans would turn up in London then go "Where is London Wasp's ground..?"

i think they may know at what ground their team is playing away at before they leave..

surely you mean its bad for London Wasp fans who have to travel outside of London to see their team play a 'home' game..??????

[chunder]

Now i dont get it.. never played it at school, never really watched it.. just not my bag, which may mean i dont understand a few things but:

London Irish play in Reading, thats in Berkshire
London Wasps play in Wycombe, thats in Buckinghamshire

why dont they play in london..?
if they are in the 'premier league' why dont they have their own grounds..?

MK Dons might help you to understand. If you recall, the original Sam Hamman plan was to relocate Wimbledon to Dublin ffs. If he had got his way, I suspect you would have seen other migrations/ franchises a la American model.

The background to the rugby union issue is that the game only became professionalised about ten years ago. There were very few grounds that could accommodate the growing numbers of fans and those that could were often seriously inadequate in health & safety terms. Some clubs decided to sell up their valuable land to developers and move elsewhere. Wasps was one of those, as were London Irish. Newcastle was a new creation and some others - Worcester and Gloucester for example - benefited from massive cash injections from new investors. A bit like the American/ Asian takeover of EPL clubs in some respects.

The English RFU were very close to winning the civil war between them and the clubs . Had they done so, their stated plan was to "franchise" fifteen or so clubs with a geographical spread which would have seen Leicester Tigers, for example, consigned to oblivion.

Just as with football, there have been many casualties along the way as the changes happened. For example, Blackheath has provided the biggest number of England internationals; I very much doubt that they will ever provide another. Similarly, there have been a number of previously big football clubs which simply went to the wall or were absorbed by another. I think this was the case with Man United?

And the mighty Arsenal moved from Woolwich to Highbury on a purely commercial basis. That move was not dissimilar to Wasps moving to Wycombe in itsday.Result? A new franchise, a new fan base.

As to rugby clubs building their own grounds, that is happening to some extent. Certainly there has been massive infrastructural spend at certain clubs e.g. Leicester, Worcester, Gloucester, Northampton to name a few. Others like Bath and Bristol will follow in due course.

I wonder what Evertonians have to say about the move to Speke or wherever? I know a lot of them are reet pissed off as it is not remotely Everton.

[opsmonkey]

thanks for that.. that is just the answer i was after..!

As for everton
They want to move to Kirkby, which is in Knowsley Borough, outside the City of Liverpool..

peoples club.. my arse

[Danril]

Just to add in as well that it's not rugby, it's rugby union.

There are two types of rugby; league and union.

And I'm a league man, all the way.

[chunder]

Just to add in as well that it's not rugby, it's rugby union.

There are two types of rugby; league and union.

And I'm a league man, all the way.

I quite like RL, Danril. But my preference is for RU. It is a more tactical game IMO whereas in RL there does not appear to be any differentiation between backs and forwards. Just thirteen battering rams. With union there is more subtlety in the way a game can develop. The piano movers and the ballet dancers all have a role.

IIRC it was Mickey Skinner who described the backs as "the girls", the front row as the "fat boys" and the second row as "the boys". Guess where he played!

[raiders1481]

Is anyone looking forward to 6th Feb start of super league season

[chunder]

Looking forward to it for sure, mate. But just as enthused about the later stages of the Heineken Cup now and the prospect of the Lions tour to Seth Efrika in the summer. Bring it on!

Who do you fancy fr the big RL prizes this year?

[caveman_nige]

I am an RU fan myself, although more at an international level... Love going to watch a game, stadiums where the fans do not need to be separated and beers can be drunk in the stands/seats..

[chunder]

England were awful today. If they play like that against the remaining Six Nations teams I can see them finishing bottpm, paerticularly if Italy manage to nick a game against eg Scotland.

Ireland, on the other hand, looked the dogs. Good to see Brian O'Driscoll back to something like his best. I had a tenner on Ireland at 16/1 last September. Still not overly confident but at least we ae off to a good start. I fancy the game versus Wales on the last Saturday could well be the decider.

[caveman_nige]

agreed, was disappointed also, you cannot guage them 100% by that win... not sure how they will do.. I am going to the france game so i hope they pull it together and get their discipline sorted...

[chunder]

Looks like Wales are the team to beat given their display agin Scotland this afternoon.

I still think Ireland can nick the Triple Crown/ Grand Slam all the same. Hope springs eternal.