85,000 to watch a league game...of RUGBY

[Fitzcarraldo]

Eh fair enough so they're giving them away. Still not a viable business plan on a week to week basis is it?

I don't think anyone is under any illusion that it is. I suspect that the clubs see it mainly as a good payday but also as an opportunity to get people watching rugby regularly who otherwise wouldn't.

 

[Jbanged]

For any football club to play at wembley, it will attract large amounts of support. It's the same in rugby. A day out at the national stadium. I think the real idea is to try and raise more ticket sales and interest for the rest of the games.

 

[Mr Smggles]

Pretty much this. The sport isn't ever going to take off because it has such a small imprint at the working/middle class level. The people who actually go to these big matches are your typical west london corporate who look down their noses at football fans for being common thugs. They will go a couple of times a year and use it as yet another excuse to dress like cu*ts and post a load of pictures up on Facebook. It's a day out and nothing more, they have little interest in the fortunes of either team in the long run.

You only have to take a glance at the ticket prices for these matches to quickly realize it's never about to take off and certainly isn't 'family friendly' to all but the most out of touch businessmen when viewed as a weekly event.

I'm sorry, the sport "Isn't ever going to take off"?

The second most popular sport in England. Typical narrow minded pr*ck. "I don't like it, therefor it's shit and no one can like it"

 

[Husty]

I'm sorry, the sport "Isn't ever going to take off"?

The second most popular sport in England. Typical narrow minded pr*ck. "I don't like it, therefor it's shit and no one can like it"

Err, I'm responding to the bloke quoted in the opening post. So why don't you f*ck off, read that and then come back and have another go at contributing something.

 

[atfc village]

A Sport that hosts a World Cup ,but doesn't have the Stadia to hold it baffling.

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

What a strange thread. Football is huge and always will be - but rugby is also a major sport that has its place.

Where I live, the local rugby team (Northampton Saints) plays in a packed (and very high quality) stadium every home game - as do Leicester Tigers up the road. Rugby is a huge part of people's lives round here - both watching and playing - the local rugby clubs have youth teams and structures that most football clubs could only dream of. And its not a class thing - families from all backgrounds come together at rugby.

 

[Husty]

What a strange thread. Football is huge and always will be - but rugby is also a major sport that has its place.

Where I live, the local rugby team (Northampton Saints) plays in a packed (and very high quality) stadium every home game - as do Leicester Tigers up the road. Rugby is a huge part of people's lives round here - both watching and playing - the local rugby clubs have youth teams and structures that most football clubs could only dream of. And its not a class thing - families from all backgrounds come together at rugby.

Only around a few cities that have rugby ingrained, go anywhere else especially London and it's a different story.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Only around a few cities that have rugby ingrained, go anywhere else especially London and it's a different story.

There are large areas within London with rugby ingrained in the make-up though.

 

[Questions]

I'm going to go to more rugby games in the coming years mainly at Worthing and I oh so hope it makes me posh and middle class.








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You c.unts.

 

[paul wickens]

What a strange thread. Football is huge and always will be - but rugby is also a major sport that has its place.

Where I live, the local rugby team (Northampton Saints) plays in a packed (and very high quality) stadium every home game - as do Leicester Tigers up the road. Rugby is a huge part of people's lives round here - both watching and playing - the local rugby clubs have youth teams and structures that most football clubs could only dream of. And its not a class thing - families from all backgrounds come together at rugby.

Where I live, the local Rugby team, Bath, plays in a packed but dilapidated stadium ( but it's set in an iconic city centre location) Its a big Rugby area and definitely has a middle / upper middle class feel. The crowds are generally knowledgeable, polite and enjoy the 'experience'. However, there does seem to be a lack of 'edge' and the game itself tends to attract 'spectators' rather than 'fans'. Bath Rugby have been trying for ages to get the crowd going with a team song but it hasn't really worked. Incidentally I saw Bath City FC today who play in the Conference South (same league as Eastbourne and Whitehawk) and with a community day and 'pay what you want' to watch, the crowd rose from a previous average of about 550 to over 1300; might be worth a go for the Sussex non-league teams?!

 

[Questions]

I don't think rugby has that sort of tribalism that football has. Slightly different when it comes to the internationals maybe in its partisan outlook.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I don't think rugby has that sort of tribalism that football has. Slightly different when it comes to the internationals maybe in its partisan outlook.

That's very true.

I do wonder why there are a proportion of people (certainly on here) who scoff at the game. Non-segregation and a lack of arrests doesn't mean that it is a passionless sport.