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Bristol in the running for the Rugby league fixtures


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8 minutes ago, bcfcshorey said:

I get that Rugby League's audience is mostly north. But to not have at least one South West/South Coast venue is disappointing.

Isn't next season the franchise for a rugby league team is coming to Bristol? 

Obviously no announcements yet but would be very surprised if Bristol sport were not the owners 

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Poor this. 

Rugby league have been talking about wanting to grow the sport, surely the best way of doing this is making the most of the world cup being on home soil and spreading venues out. 

They could have had games at sandy Park (exeter), ashton gate, the madjeski, kingsholm (Gloucester) and really spread the sport. 

Instead they put all bar two venues in the North with 6(!) in Yorkshire. 

I'm not a rugby league fan as such but the last world cup was really interesting and I found myself getting really drawn in to it, so to now have to travel at least 3 hours to see a game is disappointing to say the least... 

Compare this to rugby union, too many a southern based sport, that had games in Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle at the last world cup, much better way of spreading the sport. 

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They will get small attendances in the majority of matches up north unless England are playing, so the spectacle of Canada versus Papua New Guinea at AG in front of 2,000 spectators would be embarrassing.

Bearing that in mind, if a SW ground was needed they would have been better off picking Kingsholm although the crowd would be rattling in there too.

Surprised they haven't chucked a few over the bridge and make sure their boyos are playing which is what happened in the past with the Union tournament.

Rugby league will never take off in the south as evidenced by the London experience, and union has always been played in the north, which has produced hundreds of internationals, so the comparison of union world cup games played there isn't valid with respect as each northern city you cite had a top flight union team at the time the stadia was selected.

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Bristol withdrew its bid for a game last year. My understanding is it was a financial decision by the council not to proceed. 

The Bristol franchise is dead. There were rumours that Bristol Sport were involved but I suspect nothing actually went further than some initial meetings. 

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44 minutes ago, Loon plage said:

They will get small attendances in the majority of matches up north unless England are playing, so the spectacle of Canada versus Papua New Guinea at AG in front of 2,000 spectators would be embarrassing.

Bearing that in mind, if a SW ground was needed they would have been better off picking Kingsholm although the crowd would be rattling in there too.

Surprised they haven't chucked a few over the bridge and make sure their boyos are playing which is what happened in the past with the Union tournament.

Rugby league will never take off in the south as evidenced by the London experience, and union has always been played in the north, which has produced hundreds of internationals, so the comparison of union world cup games played there isn't valid with respect as each northern city you cite had a top flight union team at the time the stadia was selected.

They had 7.5k at the mem in the last world cup for the USA v the cook Islands. 

That was on a Friday night iirc and hardly the biggest draw of a match. 

A game at AG would get 10k plus, probably nearer 20 for Australia orNZ and a sell out if it was England. Why not at least give it a go and spread the sport? 

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1 minute ago, JBFC II said:

They had 7.5k at the mem in the last world cup for the USA v the cook Islands. 

That was on a Friday night iirc and hardly the biggest draw of a match. 

A game at AG would get 10k plus, probably nearer 20 for Australia orNZ and a sell out if it was England. Why not at least give it a go and spread the sport? 

Do you seriously think Bristol would get a game involving NZ or Australia ? It appears those considering a bid didn't think it likely did they.

Bristol Sport, which clearly backs sports with limited appeal hasn't jumped in either and I daresay they have given it some thought also.

I repeat, the crowds will be crap unless England play, and it seems that it isn't getting any better for League either.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11990417

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8 minutes ago, Loon plage said:

Do you seriously think Bristol would get a game involving NZ or Australia ? It appears those considering a bid didn't think it likely did they.

Bristol Sport, which clearly backs sports with limited appeal hasn't jumped in either and I daresay they have given it some thought also.

I repeat, the crowds will be crap unless England play, and it seems that it isn't getting any better for League either.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11990417

I doubt they would but it would have still been an opportunity to grow the sport. 10000 people watching a game in Bristol is going to do more for rugby league than 8000 people watching one in Rotherham. 

Nobody knows what bristol sports reasons were behind not going ahead with it, but personally I think they've missed a trick here

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4 minutes ago, JBFC II said:

I doubt they would but it would have still been an opportunity to grow the sport. 10000 people watching a game in Bristol is going to do more for rugby league than 8000 people watching one in Rotherham. 

Nobody knows what bristol sports reasons were behind not going ahead with it, but personally I think they've missed a trick here

Agree to disagree.

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1 hour ago, Loon plage said:

They will get small attendances in the majority of matches up north unless England are playing, so the spectacle of Canada versus Papua New Guinea at AG in front of 2,000 spectators would be embarrassing.

Bearing that in mind, if a SW ground was needed they would have been better off picking Kingsholm although the crowd would be rattling in there too.

Surprised they haven't chucked a few over the bridge and make sure their boyos are playing which is what happened in the past with the Union tournament.

Rugby league will never take off in the south as evidenced by the London experience, and union has always been played in the north, which has produced hundreds of internationals, so the comparison of union world cup games played there isn't valid with respect as each northern city you cite had a top flight union team at the time the stadia was selected.

I will not allow this game for Northeners on our wonderful ground

Keep them up North. We should build a bloody bridge

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1 hour ago, Loon plage said:

Good lord

There isn't going to be anything left we can banter about soon, is there? I do prefer 'go take one in the ass' to 'Cardiff's a shithole, I want to go home'

One for the S82 team to work into our regular match-day routine!

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17 minutes ago, Woodsy said:

Good lord

There isn't going to be anything left we can banter about soon, is there? I do prefer 'go take one in the ass' to 'Cardiff's a shithole, I want to go home'

One for the S82 team to work into our regular match-day routine!

Does sound better in Italian though and I know there's a few of that heritage mooching about that area of the ground !

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7 hours ago, Loon plage said:

Rugby league will never take off in the south as evidenced by the London experience,

Agreed. The RL really encouraged Kent (they lasted two seasons), then Fulham (ditto) then Harlequins adopted a team, but that didn't fare too well. Many Northern clubs would rather the RL spent the money supporting Northern clubs. Bradford were strong, then they went bust and some of the others are in a financially perilous state.

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