| The state of Rugby Union 10:02 - Sep 29 with 1120 views | onehunglow |
Just been reading Martin Bayfield' comment about hi concern for the game in its current state.
With Worcester going pop and Wasps in deep doodoo ,crowds falling and less playing ,the game is at a cross roads. Add in the possible compensation for players affected by dementia and it's a perfect storm.
I love the game but it's different to when I played when ,if quick,like me,you could avoid the rough boys and let them sort themselves out.
I looked at a photo yesterday of the All Whites 1935 team who were the first club side to beat a touring All Blacks outfit.Claude Davey looked about 10stone maximum and the forwards looked no bigger than an average sixth form line up. The physicality is the issue and it's really a Victorian game played in the 21t Century.
I hope it survives.
I d be happier for siblings of one to play Rugby League as ,I think much of Union's injury problems lie on rucks and mauls . League a more honest honest game.
Opinions welcome
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| The state of Rugby Union on 10:19 - Sep 29 with 1095 views | Catullus |
The game was much better back in the 70's before it became about bulk, about muscle machines and power.
Merve the Swerve, Gravell, dawes, Price, Allan Martin....these guys were often big but not slabs of muscle who could do 100m in close on Olympic qualifying times. Merve indded was tall but gangly. What great players they were though, they had the skill, they had the guts but they entertained.
Modern rugby has become a boring slugfest where the result is deemed the most important thing. As we have seen with football, people want to be entertained too. A constant borefest drives fans away eventually.
I loved watching Wales in the 70's, as a young boy it excited me, as an adult I just go...meh! | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 10:25 - Sep 29 with 1093 views | onehunglow |
| The state of Rugby Union on 10:19 - Sep 29 by Catullus |
The game was much better back in the 70's before it became about bulk, about muscle machines and power.
Merve the Swerve, Gravell, dawes, Price, Allan Martin....these guys were often big but not slabs of muscle who could do 100m in close on Olympic qualifying times. Merve indded was tall but gangly. What great players they were though, they had the skill, they had the guts but they entertained.
Modern rugby has become a boring slugfest where the result is deemed the most important thing. As we have seen with football, people want to be entertained too. A constant borefest drives fans away eventually.
I loved watching Wales in the 70's, as a young boy it excited me, as an adult I just go...meh! |
We were spoilt and it wasnt just Wales.My favourite player was actually Mike Gibson,just a joy to watch and only BOD matches him.Just glorious and beautiful.
It was far worse for thuggery but more chance of getting away with it.
Remember the French...
Paparemborde,Esteve,Palmie--crazy nutters but there was the balance of Boniface ,Maso ,Rives .
Great days | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 10:45 - Sep 29 with 1076 views | Catullus |
| The state of Rugby Union on 10:25 - Sep 29 by onehunglow |
We were spoilt and it wasnt just Wales.My favourite player was actually Mike Gibson,just a joy to watch and only BOD matches him.Just glorious and beautiful.
It was far worse for thuggery but more chance of getting away with it.
Remember the French...
Paparemborde,Esteve,Palmie--crazy nutters but there was the balance of Boniface ,Maso ,Rives .
Great days |
JP Rives, a great player, he had to be for me to remember him. My favourite player down the Whites was Tony Clement, not just because he was good but because he was good wherever he played. I heard it said he'd have got more caps if he'd only played in one position but because he could do Centre, wing, full back and even outside half he never tied an international place down because he was so good to have on the bench.
I used to go to the Whites quite often, I enjoyed it. The Ospreys though, not a patch on them. There's no real club feel, its been forced on is and many old regulars down St Helens andthe Gnoll don't go, or so I've been told by people who used to go. Neath people especially seem to prefer watching the amateur team because they refuse to go into Swansea saying it's a Swansea side, not their team. | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 10:58 - Sep 29 with 1058 views | onehunglow |
Yep
We used to alternate between whites and swans.
As for joining with Neath,Might as well join with the Turks . A laughable idea. That would see Llanelli people supporting athecJacks 
We ve been blessed Cat ,clearly. | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 11:03 - Sep 29 with 1055 views | Catullus |
| The state of Rugby Union on 10:58 - Sep 29 by onehunglow |
Yep
We used to alternate between whites and swans.
As for joining with Neath,Might as well join with the Turks . A laughable idea. That would see Llanelli people supporting athecJacks
We ve been blessed Cat ,clearly. |
I reckon so, I really enjoyed the rebel season!
Right, off to work now, 12-8, I hate this shift  | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 11:08 - Sep 29 with 1054 views | KeithHaynes |
| The state of Rugby Union on 10:19 - Sep 29 by Catullus |
The game was much better back in the 70's before it became about bulk, about muscle machines and power.
Merve the Swerve, Gravell, dawes, Price, Allan Martin....these guys were often big but not slabs of muscle who could do 100m in close on Olympic qualifying times. Merve indded was tall but gangly. What great players they were though, they had the skill, they had the guts but they entertained.
Modern rugby has become a boring slugfest where the result is deemed the most important thing. As we have seen with football, people want to be entertained too. A constant borefest drives fans away eventually.
I loved watching Wales in the 70's, as a young boy it excited me, as an adult I just go...meh! |
As soon as rugby tried to be like football. It lost. |  |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 14:42 - Sep 29 with 973 views | Thrasher6 |
It's not very entertaining. Scrums are a joke...who honestly wants to see this pantomine every time...and then maybe a reset scrum...and the clock still ticking. Fans are being short changed. As soon as a try is scored they should stop the clock and restart it when the game kicks off. |  |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 15:06 - Sep 29 with 952 views | builthjack |
Extend the 6 Nations to two or even three divisions. Get promotion and relegation going.
The same 6 teams playing the same teams every single year bores the ass off people.
Perhaps they won't do that, as they would be scared of being relegated. SHORT SIGHTED AND GREEDY. |  |
| Swansea Indepenent Poster Of The Year 2021. Dr P / Mart66 / Roathie / Parlay / E20/ Duffle was 2nd, but he is deluded and thinks in his little twisted brain that he won. Poor sod. We let him win this year, as he has cried for a whole year. His 14 usernames, bless his cotton socks.
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| The state of Rugby Union on 15:19 - Sep 29 with 951 views | onehunglow |
| The state of Rugby Union on 14:42 - Sep 29 by Thrasher6 |
It's not very entertaining. Scrums are a joke...who honestly wants to see this pantomine every time...and then maybe a reset scrum...and the clock still ticking. Fans are being short changed. As soon as a try is scored they should stop the clock and restart it when the game kicks off. |
Absolutely | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 15:49 - Sep 29 with 940 views | jojaca |
| The state of Rugby Union on 15:19 - Sep 29 by onehunglow |
Absolutely |
I've completely lost interest in the game even the internationals. I have had season tickets in the past and used to love the internationals out on the town.
Since Premier Sports got the rights, I've barely watched a game. No way I would pay subscription to watch Rugby. The only way the could pull me back if they had British and Ireland league, I have no interest in current format with South African teams in the league etc. When the internationals are in town, the teams then field second XI's. Can you imagine watching the Swans and every few weeks you were watching the second string team. |  |
| Even when you know, you never know? |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 16:46 - Sep 29 with 908 views | Sirjohnalot |
| The state of Rugby Union on 10:45 - Sep 29 by Catullus |
JP Rives, a great player, he had to be for me to remember him. My favourite player down the Whites was Tony Clement, not just because he was good but because he was good wherever he played. I heard it said he'd have got more caps if he'd only played in one position but because he could do Centre, wing, full back and even outside half he never tied an international place down because he was so good to have on the bench.
I used to go to the Whites quite often, I enjoyed it. The Ospreys though, not a patch on them. There's no real club feel, its been forced on is and many old regulars down St Helens andthe Gnoll don't go, or so I've been told by people who used to go. Neath people especially seem to prefer watching the amateur team because they refuse to go into Swansea saying it's a Swansea side, not their team. |
I was brought up in the 80s watching Neath home and away, with mum and dad, loved it. If I was still at home, I’d be watching Neath not the ospreys |  | | |
| The state of Rugby Union on 17:31 - Sep 29 with 894 views | onehunglow |
| The state of Rugby Union on 16:46 - Sep 29 by Sirjohnalot |
I was brought up in the 80s watching Neath home and away, with mum and dad, loved it. If I was still at home, I’d be watching Neath not the ospreys |
And you would be right to.
Swansea people are different to those over the bridges | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 18:06 - Sep 29 with 872 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
Simple solutions:
1: make the pitches wider. More space for a running game which ultimately is what the fans want.
2: More points for a try, less points for a penalty. Too many teams seem content to kick their way to victory, it’s very effective. England won the World Cup doing it but by god they were boring. |  |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 19:26 - Sep 29 with 830 views | britferry |
the village clubs are struggling too, many villages would have 3 senior teams out on a Saturday and a youth team, now they struggle for a XV
but then I see the Swansea Senior football league has also shrunk and the Sunday league folded a few seasons back | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 21:03 - Sep 29 with 801 views | Catullus |
| The state of Rugby Union on 19:26 - Sep 29 by britferry |
the village clubs are struggling too, many villages would have 3 senior teams out on a Saturday and a youth team, now they struggle for a XV
but then I see the Swansea Senior football league has also shrunk and the Sunday league folded a few seasons back |
A lot of kids are too busy being superstars on consoles instead of actually playing.
When I was playing in Swansea, at one point there were 5 senior divisions, 7 reserve divisions and 5 divisions on a Sunday. Mumbles Rangers had 4 teams and we had a team called Mumbles Celtic on a Sunday and despite having 5 Mumbles first teamers in and a couple of other really good players we couldn't get past Div 2. The competition was fierce.
Now there's no Sunday league, 3 saturday divs with 4 reserve divs (strangely I can't see a Mumbles team in the senior divs but they have a reserve team AND Ragged are in Div 2!) and a few age group divs. It's gone really poor. 26 Senior teams in total where there was once aboutt 60. | |
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| The state of Rugby Union on 00:15 - Sep 30 with 772 views | britferry |
| The state of Rugby Union on 21:03 - Sep 29 by Catullus |
A lot of kids are too busy being superstars on consoles instead of actually playing.
When I was playing in Swansea, at one point there were 5 senior divisions, 7 reserve divisions and 5 divisions on a Sunday. Mumbles Rangers had 4 teams and we had a team called Mumbles Celtic on a Sunday and despite having 5 Mumbles first teamers in and a couple of other really good players we couldn't get past Div 2. The competition was fierce.
Now there's no Sunday league, 3 saturday divs with 4 reserve divs (strangely I can't see a Mumbles team in the senior divs but they have a reserve team AND Ragged are in Div 2!) and a few age group divs. It's gone really poor. 26 Senior teams in total where there was once aboutt 60. |
football have created a top tier between Swansea, Neath & Llanelli, which a few teams have gone up in to but no Mumbles in that either
https://www.allwalessport.co.uk/football.aspx?cid=11485
I think kids play too much when they are young these days, when they get to senior ages, they can't be bothered to carry on. I'm sure I remember the Sunday League having 7 divisions? | |
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| The state of Rugby Union (n/t) on 15:38 - Oct 7 with 579 views | howenjack |
Interesting documentary on BBC I player currently - " Steve Thompson Dementia and me ". very sobering to see the affects of this disease on close family members . I would recommend it to anyone who has played the game or currently playing . A friend of mine who used to box and play rugby has developed vascular dementia and I have witnessed first hand his condition worsening -there is no cure . He reckons that rugby not boxing was the cause of his condition.
Also Ruck Stars on BBC I player is worth a watch especially in light of Thompsons documentary. [Post edited 7 Oct 2022 15:52]
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