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Rugby Union


kiwififer

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Superb.

Went to double-header at Coventry last week where we played very well. Very few Scottish fans though.

In terms of building interest I do feel it's opportunities wasted. Playing tonight v England-Scotland in football; no game up here (nor during RLWC 2013); even played our warm-up game, and one of our 2 home games in 2014 European Cup, in Cumbria.


Would have made sense to play at a place like bridgehaugh or at a push Scotstoun
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I was fully expecting them to take one of the Australia or New Zealand ties to a venue in Edinburgh or Glasgow - something like Easter Road or Firhill (I'd be guessing the SRU would have resisted Scotstoun being used)... Instead tonight's tie (which was also ludicrously scheduled such that I imagine hardly anyone in Scotland watched it!) was played at what looks from photos like a fairly unremarkable and perhaps even run-down ground in Workington. That venue was also chosen for 2 of our 3 pool games at the World Cup in 2013 and - quite incredibly IMO - 1 of our 2 home games in the 2014 European Cup. There have actually been twice as many Scotland games held in Workington in the last 3 years, than held in all of Scotland. Plus a game has been played in Barrow-in-Furness, too.

I don't follow rugby league at all but got a bit caught-up in the whole "journey" of the Scotland team over the last few years, and it has been remarkable... Saw them play Wales at Old Anniesland in European Cup 2010; USA at Salford in WC 2013; France at Netherdale in EC 2014; Ireland at Netherdale in EC 2015; and ties at Coventry last week in Four Nations.

It's just a shame so little attempt has been made to capitalise on it. Games at Galashiels drew credible 1,200-1,500 but even they weren't well-publicised.

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Superb.

Went to double-header at Coventry last week where we played very well. Very few Scottish fans though.

In terms of building interest I do feel it's opportunities wasted. Playing tonight v England-Scotland in football; no game up here (nor during RLWC 2013); even played our warm-up game, and one of our 2 home games in 2014 European Cup, in Cumbria.


I've posted agreeing with you....but on further thoughts I kinda get (if not agree ) with their thinking. There's few if any actually born / bred scots in scotland rl team they're mostly parents / gran qualified. They're trying appeal to those lads family / friends interested.....wrong tactic imo. There's nothing about that Scotland rl team which will inspire scottish rl......n I say that as someone who played in inaugural scottish rl challenge cup final. Still a minter for France n Wales that we have done so well lol.
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I don't agree with it, but maybe the thinking among the English authorities is that they can boost the game in Cumbria (probably a more realistic future home for a Super League team than Scotland) while having the games close enough to the border to attract a few Scots.

I don't know if the English do get to decide the Four Nations venues though, and I've no idea why they decided to schedule the game against England v Scotland on terrestrial television.

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I was fully expecting them to take one of the Australia or New Zealand ties to a venue in Edinburgh or Glasgow - something like Easter Road or Firhill (I'd be guessing the SRU would have resisted Scotstoun being used)... Instead tonight's tie (which was also ludicrously scheduled such that I imagine hardly anyone in Scotland watched it!) was played at what looks from photos like a fairly unremarkable and perhaps even run-down ground in Workington. That venue was also chosen for 2 of our 3 pool games at the World Cup in 2013 and - quite incredibly IMO - 1 of our 2 home games in the 2014 European Cup. There have actually been twice as many Scotland games held in Workington in the last 3 years, than held in all of Scotland. Plus a game has been played in Barrow-in-Furness, too.

I don't follow rugby league at all but got a bit caught-up in the whole "journey" of the Scotland team over the last few years, and it has been remarkable... Saw them play Wales at Old Anniesland in European Cup 2010; USA at Salford in WC 2013; France at Netherdale in EC 2014; Ireland at Netherdale in EC 2015; and ties at Coventry last week in Four Nations.

It's just a shame so little attempt has been made to capitalise on it. Games at Galashiels drew credible 1,200-1,500 but even they weren't well-publicised.


Workington is a minor venue even for English rl. When I was playing Scottish rl in 90s idea was to play summer months so they could get union players to play as well. All kinda collapsed tho.
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I don't agree with it, but maybe the thinking among the English authorities is that they can boost the game in Cumbria (probably a more realistic future home for a Super League team than Scotland) while having the games close enough to the border to attract a few Scots.

I don't know if the English do get to decide the Four Nations venues though, and I've no idea why they decided to schedule the game against England v Scotland on terrestrial television.

Sru thought borders was a cert for a pro district but population was too small to disparate n too keen on own village side. Same would be true of a cumbria rl side.

Eta I'd agree with your thinking as it goes but cumbria will never be a realistic franchise.

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Could've given us something.

In 2009 Four Nations the French played NZ in Toulouse, and Australia in Paris. In 2011 Four Nations the Welsh played Australia in Wrexham... In 2013 Rugby League World Cup the Irish played Australia in Limerick; the French played NZ in Avignon, and Samoa in Perpignan; the Welsh played Italy in Cardiff, the USA in Wrexham, and the Cook Islands in Neath - Cardiff also hosted England-Australia and Wrexham hosted a QF. In 2017 Papua New Guinea have all 3 pool games in Port Moresby.

So to have played in WC 2013 and Four Nations 2016 and have no home games is very disappointing.

Having 1 of 2 home games in European Cup 2014 in England too was just ridiculous.

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Absolutely stunning result for Scotland.

Agree that playing in Workington isn't ideal. They could've had the game at Boroughmuir or one of the smaller grounds in Edinburgh surely? Perhaps the New Zealand side didn't fancy the extra travelling though.

It's a huge job to build any sort of following for league in Scotland, hard enough for rugby union here. Although they did have the Magic weekend at Murrayfield a few years back.

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I was also at the Wales game at Old Anniesland IIRC - it was the one where if we won we qualified for the World Cup? Iestyn Harris was playing for Wales I think and we had a few Scots who were actually Scots playing (mostly students) and still won. I was at Murrayfield Magic too which was good day out but they should have done more to promote the game off the back of it. I tried to go to a Fife Lions game not long after and trying to find out when and where the game was being played was almost impossible. I can only assume the scheduled kick off time last night was to suit New Zealand and Australian TV as it certainly didn't suit anyone who would want to watch it in the Northern Hemisphere (France were also playing in a qualifier last night).

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