Wigan v Richmond - 1996 Middlesex Sevens Round 1

[@DayDoDoeDontDayDoe]

That Wigan Team coming out , lol, Edwards,Paul,Quinnell,Farrell,Robinson,Offiah,Tuigamala,Connelly . Good luck with that!! Richmond did well to get in Wigans half

[@robicenco1]

I think Richmond can be quite proud to have got on the scoreboard, considering the quality they were up against.

[@neildisley7779]

Total destruction of a top RU side, by a great Wigan RL side 💥

[@lapalad]

Wigan should have declared much earlier.

[@georgemacpherson1992]

Why have they not done this since the early 2000’s

[@merrickforrester5238]

Same reason the codes split 100+ years ago. The chappies at Twickers couldn't bear the thought of being battered and humiliated by big rough Northerners.

[@robertcottam8824]

​@@merrickforrester5238
I like both codes.
I'm from the North (League town). I watched the 7s in one of the poshest areas of London with lads from my Union club.
I was definitely supporting Wigan because I had become tired of the snobbery exhibited by people - fellow rugby players - who ought to have known better. Some of my friends actually thought that Richmond win because they would 'out think' Wigan, northerners being thick... This was 'banter' but it really wasn't funny.
We know what happened and it was great.
But having said all that, I think you're wrong to say that the RFU are scared. Incompetent maybe. I believe an open invitation exists for League clubs to participate in the Middlesex 7s.
That the invite hasn't been taken up maybe down to the rescheduling of the League season more than anything else.
In my experience, too, there are a lot of very hard union players who don't worry overmuch about 'physicality'.
The gap has closed. I can't see a league club winning the 7s in the immediate future even if they take up the invite.
Time for both sides of the schism to 'let go of the past'. As I said, one can like both codes. It's allowed.
Best wishes.

[@countycricklewood]

They should do this now. With Union now gone professional and the strength-speed of the Union players? It wouldn’t be so one sided

[@bangtidymill3525]

Shows how shite union is

[@jakeclough8090]

Imagine using a game room 30 years ago, when one was amateur and one was professional, as a judgement of them now 😭🤦‍♂️ union has caught up and gone way past league now, and all those league idols in that team switched to the proper code eventually 😂😂

[@countycricklewood]

Amateurs versus professionals. What do you expect?

[@DarwinNorth]

Semi pro and playing a different code

[@parttroll1]

Oh the shamateurism of Union lol!

[@funkyjimbob]

The Richmond Union team in 1996 was hardly going to be the peak of professionalism was it you imbecile. And 7s hardly showcases how good a league player will be at union. Saying that, most of that Wigan team escaped League as soon as they could. So fucking boring.

[@parttroll1]

@@funkyjimbob Bradford Bulls in 2002 say otherwise hammered the union lot and after 6 years of the Union code turning pro.

[@funkyjimbob]

@@parttroll1 18 years ago... 😂 Not really proved your point has it?

[@funkyjimbob]

Also, Sale vs St Helens one half of each code in 2003 ended up with a win for sale. Cherry picking results at will is easy to do.
I like league. I have played both but and enjoy playing league but it's so fucking boring to watch. Thus why Union is so much more popular. The stats don't lie. I don't know why people like you get so upset about it.

[@parttroll1]

@@funkyjimbob because no invitation has been sent to RL since so not to humble your lot

[@spritbong5285]

Exon Valdez Seagull, Love it.

[@wobblertv8083]

Martin Ofiah played for Richmond in the 88 finals ..had a great duel with Andrew Harriman when they played Harlequins .

[@homeone4054]

People forget half of that Wigan team had played proper 7s RL which had pretty much the same laws save for the tackle/ruck/lineout e.g. in 1992 in Australia. It wasn't that alien to them.

[@TheQ-Continuum]

Have some of this you Southern softies ! Not used to this kind of speed and power !

[@funkyjimbob]

Funny that pretty much all of that Wigan team escaped League as soon as they could. A boring, boring sport.

[@michaelmoran9399]

@@funkyjimbob you won't get a league match won by penalties union teams would take a penalty from their changeing room if rules let them .😂

[@funkyjimbob]

@@michaelmoran9399 whats your point? 😂

[@michaelmoran9399]

@@funkyjimbob simple I go to watch league so I'm not watching a team playing for penalties

[@funkyjimbob]

Oh look, there goes another! 😊 www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/52722795

[@stevejones4235]

"Needed to be on drugs" says Barnes. Most rugby players are nowadays.

[@spritbong5285]

Offiah's arrogance was the thing that made me dislike him. His defence was suspect and as in this game, clueless when surrounded and put under pressure.

[@Lickmabumbum]

Why did they play so much union back then?

[@tombratcher6938]

hilariously sanctimonious commentary when offiah tries to make the conversion easier

[@robertcottam8824]

No. Offiah was rude. Shaun Edwards bollocked him for it.

[@pseudapollodorus]

This is hilarious to watch. Richmond just have no answer for the speed and strength.
20 years on, however, the fitness and skill gap has closed, as we saw when Sam Burgess tried to play XV-a-side.

[@EvanescentGames]

haha you're having a laugh

[@terrortorn]

And the other 14 players did so well...... Sam Burgess came back from Union wealthier, slower and fatter.

[@Andrew-wv6fy]

Burgess was never as good after rugby and he drilled a few blokes who ran at him.

[@grahamlowe7388]

burgess was a prop in rugby but in rugger he played centre, such is the slowness of rah rah.

[@simont9562]

Burgess switched codes and played in a World Cup within 9 months. In which England weren't losing at any point he was on the pitch. Hardly an indictment of Rugby League is it?
The gap in skill and athleticism between international RU and super league may have closed, but it's there and there and the NRL is worlds apart from both.

[@josephjohnston8573]

Stuart Barnes: "You needed to be on drugs ... ". Now players of both codes are on heavy doping programs. Modern sports are a joke.