NRL is now the best weekly rugby quality you can watch in the world imho. Sure it's different to Union but it's got the basics of rugby and has been refined over decades whereas Union is a mess now. Personally I like to see players with talent play where they can exhibit their skills the most and imho that's League or NRL over Union.
Interested in your thoughts on the AFL's impact on Australian RU as well. Publicly AFL has been going after RL but in reality the ground AFL has made in Sydney and Brisbane has all been in traditional RU areas. In Sydney AFL strongholds are the East and Northern suburbs. You go to a Swans game and it's like a Waratahs game from the 00s, it's where the missing 15-20k has disappeared to. Also where all the RM Williams have migrated to.
I think the ground union lost in the afl heartlands is where their downfall began. I lived in Perth and Melbourne in the 80’s and 90s and the wallabies were extremely popular there and most afl fans actually followed the team where as none of them even watched league .
Eastern Sydney which was a union stronghold is very much tilting towards AFL these days, that said NRL is making a comeback, Roosters had the highest average attendance of any Sydney team in 2023, I don't think that has ever happened in history.
@stevvvvveperry I wouldn't really say that is the case. Sure AFL is definitely gaining ground and these schools but 3 quarters of people consider it a joke, gayfl is still thrown around a fair bit
This is a great video man. Here in the NH it was clear that this loss will have huge implications for rugby in Australia but learned so much from this about the relationship between RL and RU. God I hope Australia somehow pull it out the bag
Australia is the land of the duopoly and when it comes to contact sport the AFL and NRL are just that. Other sports, be they rugby, football/soccer, netball, basketball etc will struggle to get air in this environment, especially with news providers trimming their journalist payrolls to bare bones.
@@seanwoods5943 Maybe in Australia but for most of the rest of the world, League is just another version of the game and not that well followed. Reckon you would have the same amount of viewers of a Rugby League World Cup as we saw for Union? I really don't know but I highly doubt it.
@@Karma-qt4ji RL arnt targeting the RU international game and whilst RU murders RL at that level that’s not how RL rolls . They attack at the bottom of the pyramid, That’s how they won Aus and the dispora pacifica community’s . They are now doing that in NZ and have started in Fiji . Another huge thing people need to realise is the NRL don’t care abo,ut RL they care about the NRL brand Big difference, They are pushing the brand “NRL” They are trying to be the NBA of Rugby .
I think Rugby union in general world wide has a Club game identity issue, the game is far too international heavy to be balanced and it can effect engagement with fans when they are not attached fully to a club first.
The spelling contest line was hilarious!!!! Well researched & presented info. It's a nice thing now, being in a new year with new leadership in Oz rugby, easier to move fwd a fresh (to a degree)
Great video - from a RL fan. Glad to see a (mostly) Union fan dispelling the myth of League stealing Union juniors because they happened to go to a certain school. I was very much ok with the peaceful coexistence between the two codes but maybe that was because it was so far in League's favour. The arguments from both sides are fairly stupid. The scrums are a non issue - maybe it was valid in the 90s when RL still pretended to care - RL made a decision based on the flow of the game as scrums were too messy and detracted from the spectacle. Likewise the RL quip about the athleticism and defence of RU players is incredibly outdated.
I do think international RU fans underestimate the size and strength of the NRL. As far as club rugby I'm not sure if any leagues can match the NRL for revenue (I say this with no real context so please let me know if I'm way off here) and maybe only France and Japan can match the salaries, even with the strictly enforced NRL salary cap. Obviously centralised contracts to the various national bodies helps boost the earning potential in Union.
Thank you for fill us in who aren't from down under. Eddy Jones was talking about there being issues with rugby Australia, it would be nice to have an explanation on what he's chatting about.
Rugby Australia too busy discriminating against Folau to set up youth systems for King Eddie to use bro Eddie Jones is the best coach ever and the rugby version of my idol Donald Trump
Fan of both codes. Union can survive in Australia if they do exactly the opposite of what they think they have to do. Don’t compete with NRL - work with NRL. Don’t expand - contract the pro teams to 2. Don’t worry about the club game - make it all about the international squad. Don’t run away from schoolboy rugby - completely run into it, embrace it. Whatever you think the solution is, do the opposite, and then Australia rugby union will be on top once again.
After watching the NRL grand final and then the horror of Englnd getting to the semi finals and seeing South Africa winning I lost a lot of faith in the way Rugby Union has become.@@MichaeldeSousaCruz
Hello Uggy. I am old enough to remember Max Boyce's comedy warnings of Bradford Northern spies. My schools during this time were producing RL players for Northern, now Bulls. Since I am from Manningham, Bradford, home of the very first RL champions, they were definitely not posh private schools.
From the outside, it's really sad seeing all that is happening to Rugby Union in Australia, The Southern hemisphere needs a strong Australian team and I hope things do work out for you guys again.
I don't think there will be a mass exodus to NRL at least over the next few years as the Lions tour and the home World Cup will keep a lot of players keen to represent the Wallabies. Marky Mark is only on a two year contract with the Roosters so there is still even a chance we will see him back in Wallaby gold in time for the RWC in 2027.
Things for RA to seriously consider: better marketing and advertising, affordability on tickets, and above all relooking at the grassroots development. At least McClownen out of the picture is a start even though having some former Tahs in charge of RA leaves alot to be desired with better players in ACT and QLD ironically. But still the newly appointed coaching director may help avoid another defection beyond Nawaqanitawase IMO.
NRL and Rugby scouts must be tripping over one another in the Pacific - what an incredible treasure trove of tough, fast players who just want to play footy. If Rugby brings someone up to the level where they can play for the Wallabies, of course the NRL is going to be interested.
Thanks for this video, it's kind interesting to see that rugby union is going through a crisis in some countries, while in my country France everything is going very well I really hope wallabies will be back
Honestly i feel like the two codes should merge. Not under the same game but within the same worldwide organization and promote two versions of the sport or maybe three if you include sevens. A bit like cricket has 20/20, one day, and test cricket if that makes sense. You could have athletes that specialize in one version but you could have others that excel in both? And you could promote both worlds cups and if a country wins both its called the Rugby Double or something like that? Just a thought?
There is 0 reasons for World Rugby to do this. League is tiny compared to union and Autralia Rugby union is only a small portion of Rugby's total market. Apart from this union is in a much better position to grow worldwide than league is because it has a strong foothold in a lot of countries. Tier 2 has added a whole bunch of competitive countries in the past 20 years. RA has to fix this not the rest of the rugby world.
@stevvvvveperry I dont really agree with this. Why is rugby growing so much internationally then? There are new pro leagues popping up all over the place and the 23 world cup had over 1 billion in cumulative viewership. Its not like the sport is struggling. I think people dont understand because theres no content surrounding the sport from a strategic perspective. And I really dont think its that hard to watch for a casual. In SA there are many people who will only follow the boks for example who dont necessarily care about domestic rugby.
So odd to see you lot prefer League. I like and have played both, but there's nothing like the eb and flow of Union. Union is the bigger code internationally too, Rugby needs a decent Wallaby side.
No, Union is bigger internationally because it started off as an upper class sport, and those who played it got into power and did their best to cripple League. Both codes probably would've benefitted greatly if this didn't happen.
Super rugby just needs to advertise to attract more money so they can keep there players but honestly I think it would be cool if they could do a code vs code match like brumbies vs raiders or broncos vs reds because especially in Canberra both codes are pretty much just seen as rugby
That’d be epic, I’m all for it. Definitely agree - they just advertised a new super rugby pacific chief executive. Was tempted to throw my hand up with zero business experience just because I think I could whip up something better then what’s in place 🤣
There just seems to be a lot of hate for union in Australia. For example on reddit there will be people calling union the most boring sport in the world because its slower than league... But then these same people will be following test match cricket which is among the slowest sports in the world. Its like theres this anti union bias going around and its baffling to me. I think union is still trying to find its identity in a lot of ways. Since professionalism the sport has changed drastically and is continuing to change between cycles. A game from 1990 is unrecognisable to someone who has only been following the sport for a few years etc. We keep talking about how we should speed up the game or be safer, less or more ref involvement etc. And I think we are missing the core aspect that makes Union truly unique as a sport: Diversity. Both in athleticism and strategy. There are more different body types in rugby than any other sport and because it is a truly continuous game with constant competition there is no other sport that can match the creativity teams have at their disposal to win a match. Even individual aspects like the lineout and scrums are more complex than most other sports in terms of rules and approaches... And thats not a bad thing! There are a million different things that people can talk about from each game, but unfortunately instead of talking qbout attacking structures, defensive philosophies, game management and control, systems vs tactics our commentators and pundits talk about vague concepts like "NZ will use flair" or " SA will use their forwards". Like its actually interesting if you dig a little deeper than that ffs. Thats why I started this channel in the first place because nobody had anything interesting to contribute to these discussions. Ramble over. I hope that the 2027 world cup can reignite some interest there. And i hope that NRL fans can see that it is a really exciting and awesome sport. Just in a different way👍
Speaking as a fan of both rugby codes in Australia, by far, the biggest issue with union is the perception of elitism in the sport - any kid growing up on the east coast of Australia can work their way up through their junior club, into a senior club and potentially into the state based leagues into the NRL; while in union, it really does seem like you have to go to the right private schools or know the right people to progress to the professional level. Paired with the fact that traditionally Australia has viewed itself as a very egalitarian society (even if it seems less so in reality), a code such as rugby union, that seems to take pride in its upper class nature, was always destined to play second fiddle to league’s more everyman origins. In saying that though, I do want to see union do well, I don’t think there needs to be a code war between the NRL and Rugby Australia, but RA really does need to find a way to appeal to more of a working class audience if they want to revive the code in Australia.
5 seconds in and that photo was a sign of things to come. since then carter gordon has switched..ironically both of the new recruits are flanked by former rugby league stars. Its just the beginning folks
RU and RL fan here ! Bigger RL fan ! But for all the other RL people here the Union guys do such a good job on UA-cam, Uggy ,two cents and egg chasers are all balanced and honest dudes and are a great watch , P.s those particpation numbers for RL are way down on the true amount RL only put out club RL numbers and not schools , tournaments,confo and all blacks tournaments RU put every participant including school and club rugby together. RL participation is pro my 3 to 4 times bigger when everying is added up and that’s not including touch and TRL , The NRL owns both organisations. I hope union can bounce back and we can get back to the peace between the code’s because it’s dire on RU end atm .
Bro I thought the numbers were off, feels like it should be double that at least. && definitely read where union milked the numbers with 7’s. Only problem with data, you can make it look however you want. Cheers for the kind words - really appreciate it bro!
@@uggykeep in mind often with private school rugby players it’s the same people playing club footy. I know as this was me and all my friends were the same, so even if it’s excluded, there’s 100% duplication. Clubs in Sydney are folding or fielding way less teams than they used to even just 10 years ago. I think the more indicative number is the trend down more so than the absolute number right
@@VibronicCow You might know ! I’ve heard the GPS and CAS schools used to have up to 7 teams per age at the big schools and that’s dropped right off until maybe 3 teams per age . Have you heard similar stuff ?
Peter valandys is a massive reason league is now gaining on other codes and is on the rise only 4 years ago league was on the decline under Greenberg Look what he’s done for racing nsw also
What i find interesting with the whole sualli thing is that it shows young rugby talent that maybe a path to a big pay day and a huge profile is through the nrl. I doubt if sualli stayed in rugby he goes anywhere near 1.6 mil
The conversion from one sport to another is easily the simplest between these 2 rugby codes. All the main physical and skill req'ts are in both. So playing either at the junior level is no roadblock to moving to the pro level of the other, if you have the ability. What most Australian juniors coming out of school want, is to continue a career in the sport with remuneration that allows them to do that. In this area, league is a mile ahead, and so a very attractive option to every junior from either code. Union needs to find a way to combat this, and so far they are failing. And this issue is somewhat Australia-specific. In NZ, juniors are force-fed that becoming an All Black trumps every other code or career benefit. Being a Wallaby does not have that pedestal, and I don't think they ever will. So money is the next best option...
Very true. I have watched rugby league for ten years. I recently started playing it, than a few weeks later without ever even watching a full game I managed to get the hang of and play union. I don't mind playing it still prefer league but have to play union for school. Still can't bare to watch it.
Both Rugby codes with always have the big international advantage over AFL. AFL could'nt even crack NZ, exhibition matches flopped there and they cancelled the contract early.
Until the 2023 World Cup, the only thing Australian Rugby administrators cared about, was that no-one dare quote the Bible in public. Well, if you piss off your feeder schools and feeder islands in the South Pacific - well you end up being a joke. Congratulations Rugby Australia.
As a Kiwi i've always had respect for Rugby Australia but in the last 15 to 20 years they have been run by some very stupid people and still are, the proof is where they are right now. There have been a few All Blacks that have switched to League Mathew Ridge, John Schuster John Kerwin just to name a few and a few league stars to switch as well Brad Thorne SBW, RTS. Great show. Subbed.
Remarkable how much focus private schools now have on Soccer...This is an issue as its by far Australia's largest sport... ( players ) Union needs to leverage the fact it HAS a international comp .. that AFL & league dont
The fact that signing (pilfering) star NRL players is considered a legitimate strategy tells you all you need to know about Rugby Australia. Why bother developing your own talent, and improving rugby union at the grass roots in AUS, when you can just throw money at players that the NRL has developed? It's a long term losing strategy. Honestly, from time to time it has helped the Wallabies to produce better sides than they should be able to produce (considering the lack of AUS talent in the domestic union competitions). But this facade all fell apart during the RWC.
Big into league but not so much union, but union feels a bit stale to me. You mentioned lack of characters in the game which I think is one part of it, alongside what feels like constant penalties and stoppages make for some boring viewing at times. The domestic comp (if it still exists I honestly don't know) is bringing nothing to the table and needs to be properly revamped.
Sorry mate...watching a team crash it up for 4-5 phases before the opposition are literally given the ball is the most redundant shit going. Penalties, scrums and line outs are all part and parcel of what makes rugby, rugby. The bigger issue was that ARU gave the TV rights of union to satellite TV yonks ago and they've been stagnant Where's the NRL has been savvy. It's by no means a better product.
As a South African I get irritated when World Rugby gets dragged into the kerfuffle between Rugby Aus and the NRL. Trying to change Union in order to appeal to League fans is similar to telling Tarantino to make Marvel movies imo. If you find scrums, lineouts etc boring, so be it, you have your sport. I'd say educate the public about the intricacies of Union, rather than try to change the game into what will at best be a watered down version of League that will still not compete for viewership in any case.
@@rothnieoosthuizen3728 not interested in changing your sport but scrums collapsing 5 times isn’t great watching is it ? Nothing wrong with lineouts but referees could do with putting the whistle away a bit.
@@sambingham1196 you’re entitled to your opinion as am I. I enjoy the pace of league , I don’t think your game is redundant just not what I enjoy from a sport. I do think aus union’s management of the local comp is a fair criticism.
@@chris07081 Am I not interested in changing "my sport"? Seems like a loaded question. I am in favour of tweaks to make it safer, fairer, more competitive, etc. Removing/de-emphasising a core component so the sport can maybe appeal to some League fans in Aus? No, I'm not down for that. Are you interested in changing "your sport" so it might appeal to Union fans in South Africa? You have a point about scrums. I think very few people enjoy watching collapsing scrums and resets, I'm certainly not one of them. That being said, I don't recall the last time I saw a scrum collapsing five times. Generally there will be one reset, maybe two, before the referee will award a penalty or free kick. If scrums collapse 5 times in Aus Union, that explains a lot. It's not happening over here.
People need to stop with this garbage narrative that 'Rugby' is raiding the NRL or 'Rugby' is in trouble. The only ones raiding Rugby League and in trouble, is Australian Rugby. Mark Nawaqanitawase is from Austrlaian Rugby. We couldn't care less what happens to Australian Rugby. Our ALL BLACKS is the biggest international draw, we have a National Competition, a Secondary Schools National Division competition, National Provincial Teams and Super Rugby teams, 7s Teams and depth in NZ Rugby. If anything, the NRL raid our Junior teams.
Stop it. If rugby was number 1 in australia the wallabies would waste the ABs and anyone in the world for that matter. The wallabies punch above their weight in world rugby, imagine if all the best athletes in australia played rugby instead of league and aussie rules.
Two of our greatest Wallabies in Michael Lynagh and John Eales both played cricket at school. Noddy played in the First XV for three years and First XI for four years. Like the Ella Brothers they were naturals at everything they chose to play eg tennis, table tennis, golf, snooker/billiards, put put too no doubt. The skill levels in Rugby Union have diminished especially in the forwards. How do I know? I played with two of the greatest schoolboy second rowers in a pack where every player bar one had all the skills including kicking skills better than our five-eighth and fullback. All came about from all of us playing multiple sports and especially the before and after training rituals of touch and force and backs. Ball in hand, moving left and right with no spin and never letting the ball bounce. Worked real well. Five premierships in a row says so. Back to basics and a whole lot of fun
@@lungabiyela9081 that’s not what you said though hahaha NZ cares about it so much it was the back page whilst the All blacks played the exact same day at the RWC , Tonga ,Samoa ,cook island ,Fiji care about it France has a area that cares about it , PNG a country with 10-15million people see it as a religion. Union people that say that are just showing their ignorance and bias. I like both . I play both and I’ll tell you one thing at RL trainings RU is never spoken about it isn’t even a thought , At RU training 80% of people talk RL not union .
Union is a dying game. The 2023 World Cup put people to sleep. It was a great game prior to 2005, but since then too many new rules have slowed it down and complicated what should be a simple game. League on the other hand is thriving. Although the big hits are less common, it's still a faster, more exciting game, which can hook you in for a full 80 mins.
Australian Rugby will bounce back, we have an army of South Africans living here now and many more migrating. In 10years time the wallabies will be made up of du Toits and Bothas with an "occa" accent. 2023 RWC was the wallabies nadir, we will be champions again.
Both of rugby's codes are in big trouble long-term. The head injury issue is convincing parents not to let their kids play, and they are right to do so. You simply can't make the game safe as the hundreds of lawsuits attest to.
Fair point but the same issue applies to AFL. My son (now 16) played both Rugby and AFL from 7 years old. The stand out for me was that from the youngest age Rugby players are taught to tackle and be tackled whereas AFL did not allow tackling until they were 12 years old.
Maybe this will smarten Union up but it think this is a lot of bother. League was supposed to destroy union since like 1895 and it hasn’t. I predict Marky Mark comes back to the tahs in time for the RWC, frankly probably alll the better for it.
Great vid. I think that Union in AUS is done, the road back is too long. I also don’t think the AB’s would go to league, I think TJ and Ardie were just trying to increase interest and demand as they were at the end of their contracts, it was seen as tactical.
I mean they aren't wrong about rugby league scrums being dumb lol. A bunch of guys huddling and throwing the ball through their legs for what reason? No contest in it. Just seems pointless to me
I do agree that rugby league could destroy union if it wanted to but let’s not forget that union is a global sport. So if it rlly wanted to the french super clubs coild buy out loads of the NRL stars. Same with Japan clubs. Coming from a league supporter but we don’t want to go up against union on a global stage. They do dwarf us globally but not in Aus
Do you understand how much Some NRL clubs are making a year ?, we are taking 100-150milion a year in revenue….. a couple could be more, The only reason union has a chance at league players is the NRL has a salary cap , If the NRL flicked the salary cap the NRL would double its wage bill and take its pick from union . NH people have no idea how strong the NRL and the clubs are financially
NRL makes more Revenue than French Top 14, as in NRL is the biggest club competition of both codes, the only reason players earn less is because of the salary cap but it keeps all the clubs financially healthy. Brisbane Broncos have the highest Average Attendance of any Club from both codes World Wide.
As a Kiwi fan .... not concerned. If NZRFU start having issues, it will be overseas. Union has more money. Look at Piutau as an example. The money he was paid, and he wasn't even a starting AB, was more than League would offer a player with no background in the game. Smart Union players would go overseas, not league. Would be interesting to see if the comments about trying League as an option were around the time of new contracts. That's what usually happens. The ARU made a huge mistake with offering ridiculous money on an untested youngster. They need a forward pack. Idiots runnng the shop
This was before the huge increases in the NRL salary cap. France and Japan are the only countries with domestic competitions that can still compete financially with the NRL.
My comments still stand. Japan is a better option for Union players. More money, less physical stresses as I'm sure their season is far smaller, which means a longer and healthier career. France less so, their season is probably worse than the NRL season, with multiple comps. Still, as I suggested, the NZRU would be more concerned with overseas, as union comps would pay more for union players than a league comp would. The very TOP players in NZ would get more money from French and Japanese comps than League would realistically pay out for untested players.@@jakewhitehead2851
I would agree with you that yes Rugby League is paying more in Australia but is it paying more English Frence or Japanese Rugby even New Zealand rugby would have more money than Australian Rugby. So it may take you 5 years to get there but you can earn more playing Rugby union overseas than League. The other Disadvantage Rugby had was Travel up until now Super 14 you had to travel to South Africa so if you wanted to travel why your younger it is great but it is something you may not wish to do. And the Stupidity of Eddie Jones has not help Australian Rugby what so either. I am a rugby union Fan don't watch league anymore and have not followed league for 30 years and played rugby union for 28 years. So I am a rugby Union head and would have done a better job than what Eddie Jones did. I don't think Rugby Australia should be trying to compete with Rugby League just keeping the players they have and onething Cheika said is they have to get more better coaches comming from Australia the first priority. And yes it was mistake to signing Joseph for that kind of money that was the biggest mistake. We need to get a national competition up between the best teams of Sydney, Qld and maybe Canberra although they done badly over the past few years although still has the best franchise out of all rugby teams add teams Melbourne Adelaide and Perth later which will give coaches and players a start. 12 teams is all they need.
Hasn't the NRL been signing school boy rugby union stars for decades, though? The ARU has dropped the ball with these up and coming wizz kids forever saying go play first grade club rugby and work on your craft then the NRL just swoops in, offers them a half decent contract to start ASAP and you can't blame the little buggers for jumping at the chance to play professionally regardless of the code. We have to secure the future before they get poached.
Australian rugby has been diabolical since they fkd over izzy. He was by far the best player in our squad at the time. If he was muslim n posted the same thing u know he would still be playing for Australia.
While you are definitely correct, it should be remembered that league does need union, if only to keep the spotlight on the NRL. If it succeeds in killing off rugby, the NRL will become increasingly isolated and outside the purview of most sports fans. Remember, Australia has a rapidly ageing population, and even Polynesian countries have small populations. This may shock you, but the RFU is already focusing on other areas of the world. West Africa is considered by many to be the next big thing in rugby. Look at all the players of Nigerian, Cameroonian or Ghanaian descent in the Top 14. South Africa has a growing crop of West-African expats that are tearing up the scene. I hate to be dismissive here, but when it comes to sheer numbers, league cannot compete. Union may be struggling in the Pacific, but outside that, union has nothing to fear. League is essentially a "big-ish" fish in a small pond. Union is absolutely massive in Europe and Africa. So rugby is going to have nearly all the best athletes in the coming decades.
All great points , But the NRL isn’t gonna sit still . They are now moving into Fiji and America . What’s next ? English RL is seeing a renaissance for some unknown reason and will see another attendance increase this year if season tickets are anything to go by . The NRL are the biggest rugby competition in the world and if you don’t fear that , that’s fine . They will be a billion a year (aus) company by the end of the decade .
@@vicophysco8885 The NRL has been surpassed by the French Top 14. Games have bigger crowds there. And while league may have a "resurgence" in England, as you say, the overall trend is downward. The NRL's biggest impediment is geography. While it may make inroads in Fiji, it will definitely struggle growing outside the Pacific region. Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands have a combined population of less than a million, and even then, most of the pacific islanders representing their respective countries were born in Australia. The same can be said of others, like Lebanon. The truth is, the so-called international growth of league is a pipe dream. Australians have a complex about union because they feel that Australia is the last bastion of league, and they must defend it to the bitter end. So they're lashing out in anger... But ultimately, union is playing the long game. It's investing in Africa, where the game will yield far more athletes than the Pacific. And America? It's too far away from Australia to care about league. And Americans are fixated on strength and size - something that union has in abundance. League is more about out and out speed (like a bunch of backs playing touchies), so the game will never appeal to that crowd. In conclusion, league players are too small for American fans.
@@n-tertainmentx-tended4760 The NRL average 19.6k per game in 2023 Top 14 14.8k average per game 2023 Not even close the NRL makes more money and has bigger crowds over the top 14 . The average player is the highest in the world also . I agree international RL is a pipe dream and I think the NRL knows that . Australians do have a complex about union and rightfully so , the history is pretty savage . I’m not so sure about Americans preferring RU over RL because RL an isn’t even a thing in America . But they are talking 20k tickets sold and for me for a sport that is literally probably known by 100k people is pretty bloody good .
@@vicophysco8885 I'm guessing you included the NSW vs Queensland crowd attendances in your stats, because that makes a big difference. Even then, Top 14 crowds were much bigger during later rounds. But let's say you are correct about the crowds. The growth trajectory in the Top 14 is impossible to ignore. Even at conservative estimates, it's on track to totally overtake the NRL in the coming years. And you might say: "Well, France has a much bigger population than Australia, so it should." But that's exactly it. Australia's population is mostly sustained by immigration from third-world countries. And these countries have a soccer culture - meaning, league will have to select from a diminishing pool of players in the future. Soccer is going to be the biggest game in your country. Compare that to France, where rugby is still integral to their culture. And West Africans are really into rugby union. Just look at the modern French international team and see how many were born in West Africa. That's where future talent is going to come from. And coming back to America - you guys are basically throwing wet toilet paper on the wall and seeing what sticks. Remember, it costs money to grow a sport in any country. The NRL may have enough to sustain itself for the foreseeable future, but it's not THAT wealthy. It has limits. And it's pointless promoting a sport unless it gets adopted in a wide scale at youth level. How will the NRL do it? Schools will have to start league programs. Universities will have to follow up as well. You can't imagine how much money will be required to grow the sport from zero at sustainable levels. It's almost not worthwhile to try.
@@n-tertainmentx-tended4760 it’s hard to disagree with a lot of that France has huge and great potential, France just dropped the salary cap , it’s not all sunshine over there , Growing leagues don’t drop salary caps they increase them . RL is the most ethnically diverse sport in Australia including football , So we haven’t ever seen RL attract immigrants, Australia is literally a immigration colony , It’s history is born out of the working class and have never struggled to attract new immigrants to its game . I’m definitely in your corner about America’s and RL , I’m holding my judgment until the 5 year deal has been completed.
League can pay players a million as well. You union fans are in this fantasy that your leagues way more money than the NRL. The truth is the NRL has the highest revenue of any rugby code league in the world.
Lets be real, what happens in Australia with Union and league will not make much difference impact to Union, gone are the days where Australia are a major player in Union. Union is a ever growing sport and money will ultimately keep the players coming globally.
Union will continue to decline because it doesn't want to be world champions in Union. Its just happy to try to feel socially superior to NRL followers. They always rave on about their scrums are so good compared to league but the Australian /wallaby scrum has always been crap on the world stage. like forever. Its easier but less productive to start arguments in pubs about how intelligent and holy union scrums are .. wallabies still perform poorly and lose
Agree 💯 bro on your thoughts but i see it expanding the game of union and league in a way. Trading players etc from All Blacks Will Warbrick to Melbourne Storm in 2023. And the many more. But a lot of aussie players are over seas to former and current playing and coaching in japan and usa, france and england etc. you have ardie savea and aaron smith from all blacks going to japan rugby in 2024. Adam ashley cooper of australian wallabies has been in Los Angeles coaching the L.A Gilintines and theres another at their national USA team the Eagles. And so many more players are swapping and trading and coaching. But as for Rugby Union itself. We all know Australia is massive on Rugby League more than Union and New Zealand is massive on Rugby Union than League. So we can all see why league has so much more money. Until Australia can claim back no1 spot in the world and keep it with wins and championships then the money will start flowing more and bigger contracts and more money. Sponsors, endorsements etc. but another thing is everytime we have a headline boxing match in australia. Who are the undercards. Rugby league and rugby union players. Because none of the big names wanna come down to aus and fight. So we are seeing majority of our league boys stepping in the ring. Love your insight bro. Bring us more of this. All the best in 2024 mah G. Lesgo Storm!.
I played from U9s until U18s at my local rugby club then 1st grade colts @ manly marlins for a couple years. Played with guys such as Michael Hooper, Luke Jones, Will Hopoate (junior reps), Dave Porecki etc used to live rugby All my high school mates were the same, all junior rugby guys, but we literally never talk rugby anymore. Only rugba leeg it’s just such a better product. Union is just trash to watch and if I am not then target demographic then who is? Sad state 😢
Agree 100%. World Rugby is in no danger of being taken over by League, but in Australia Rugby is in big big trouble. Surely the posters here like NZTF can see the benefit to World Rugby of having a powerful or at least competitive Australian side. I used to play at school, and go to Ballymore to watch games. Now I don't even bother watching it on TV. I think a good part of the reason was Rugby went for the easy money by having exclusive access except for Bledisloe etc on Pay TV. Most people in Australia dont have Pay TV so they stopped watching it, if they stop watching it they stop talking about it, if they stop talking about it they dont go to games, if they dont see it they dont enroll their kids in it. Less people watching means less advertising and less money. Hitching Australian Rugby up to QANTAS with the second and third order effects that bought with the "Go Woke Go Broke" effect was not particularly helpful either over time. Australian Rugby have made their bed and now they can sleep in it. It will soon be as relevant to the Australian public as Lacrosse or Lawn Bowls the way its going.
This is an Australian problem. I honestly don't know anyone in Europe and SA or even the states that even care about League. Poor Australia, once world champs.
It's very well a NZ problem as well as and the All Blacks are rugby unions only global brand so that will hurt union. NRL is now doing to NZ rugby what is has been doing to Australian rugby and they now pretty now have 1st dibs on NZ schoolboy rugbys best talents. You should see Uggys other video on how rugby league is destroying rugby union in the Pacific. The pacific rugby league revolution in centered in NZ. Also Im in the states and there are many people here that love league ;)
@@tinasherusike7458the All Blacks isn't the only global brand in rugby, that is an insane thing to say. Also I lived in the USA, no one who I met knew anything about league, they did know something about rugby (or union to you).
@@christoduplessis8177 Tell me any other rugby team that would qualify to be a global brand? To be a global brand you have to be able to take your team to large non-rugby markets and be able to sellout a large stadium eg. All Blacks in Chicago. So tell me which other rugby team has done that before because the All Blacks are the only rugby team that can do that?
@@tinasherusike7458 I don't believe any rugby team qualifies to be a global brand. Also, if selling out Soldier Field is your claim to fame (there was a lot more going on than just the ABs showing up) then you really need to rethink your point 😂😂😂
Australia should pull out of Super Rugby and start a domestic league. Australia needs an annual champion to help bring fans back. You could also have an end-of-season Champions Cup style event with clubs from NZ, Japan etc.
Yeah i agree mate, some dark times ahead for RU in Australia. I think how dark depemds on how well or poor the wallaby performances the next couple years. If the wallabies continue their poor performances, poor winning record, and not show any impovment, i think it could start the floodgates opening. See more and more junior rugby talent to leaving RA, Signing with an NRL club or staying in Union but going overseas and not bothering with wallaby eligibility. Money is the big lure for young players, but success and the fame that comes it is an important factor. Having an increasingly less interested Australian public towards RU definitely wouldn't be helping the code. And if the wallabies continue being less succesful, it will not only be the signing and keeping of talent in rugby thatn it will be affected by, but a couple more years of poor wallabies could snow ball the decline of professional rugby in Australia. I think we are only a couple years of poor wallabies away from there neing unrepairable damage to its brand. And its basically game set match for rugby in Australia. Rugby NEEDS the wallabies to be performing to survive. The wallabies need a competant and functional RA to survive...
All Blacks won't leave for NRL, this isn't the 90's. League is a niche sport in 2 states of Australia, the All Blacks have worldwide appeal. Wallabies might be shot but NZ rugby is fine.
With a rugby world cup like the last. World rugby is in trouble. Too many stoppages, silly penalties, not enough ball in play, etc. Rugby League is a far simpler game (which works for and against it) and the ball is in play much more.
@@drh02 yeah it did lol you just vote Biden so don’t get it lol all I watch are Trump rallies rugby games and Uggy’s videos now that TBJ and Hakatime retired Uggy the only good rugby youtuber
They took union off free to air television decades ago. It was always going to happen. But league is a great product in Australia, a great fucking game that makes going back to Union hard to watch to be honest.
@@RugbyLover86 That's considered a lot? In the NRL finals series every game had more than 50mins and some games had over 60mins. Also the ruck does not count as in play, you can't see the ball.
This whole League compensation thing is a major flaw. Whats stoping NRL teams passing their youngsters off to Union clubs at 17-18 and then buying them back as a Union player for cap relief? won't happen. Also theres been heaps of Pro Union players moving to League and been successful i.e Semi Radradra, Andrew Walker, Toby Rudolf, Will Warbrick, Junior Tupou and Sam Harris
And then he’ll realise that the Daley cap In league stops you earning sponsorship deals so his earning will be a quarter of what he can earn playing internationally rugby…
NRL is now the best weekly rugby quality you can watch in the world imho. Sure it's different to Union but it's got the basics of rugby and has been refined over decades whereas Union is a mess now. Personally I like to see players with talent play where they can exhibit their skills the most and imho that's League or NRL over Union.
Interested in your thoughts on the AFL's impact on Australian RU as well. Publicly AFL has been going after RL but in reality the ground AFL has made in Sydney and Brisbane has all been in traditional RU areas. In Sydney AFL strongholds are the East and Northern suburbs. You go to a Swans game and it's like a Waratahs game from the 00s, it's where the missing 15-20k has disappeared to. Also where all the RM Williams have migrated to.
I think the ground union lost in the afl heartlands is where their downfall began.
I lived in Perth and Melbourne in the 80’s and 90s and the wallabies were extremely popular there and most afl fans actually followed the team where as none of them even watched league .
Eastern Sydney which was a union stronghold is very much tilting towards AFL these days, that said NRL is making a comeback, Roosters had the highest average attendance of any Sydney team in 2023, I don't think that has ever happened in history.
@stevvvvveperry I wouldn't really say that is the case. Sure AFL is definitely gaining ground and these schools but 3 quarters of people consider it a joke, gayfl is still thrown around a fair bit
This is a great video man. Here in the NH it was clear that this loss will have huge implications for rugby in Australia but learned so much from this about the relationship between RL and RU. God I hope Australia somehow pull it out the bag
Australia is and will always be NRL country . Add the AFL and rugby is non existent .
Go away Squidge Uggy far better at UA-cam
@@RugbyLover86 hahahahahaha
Australia is the land of the duopoly and when it comes to contact sport the AFL and NRL are just that. Other sports, be they rugby, football/soccer, netball, basketball etc will struggle to get air in this environment, especially with news providers trimming their journalist payrolls to bare bones.
@@WillOwen9 it a fact bro Uggy supports Folau
Rugby union really needs to get its act together before it falls in on itself completely and it is sad to see it happen in such a proud nation
Union in no danger aside from Lostralia lol league is a joke bro no international interest
@@RugbyLover86cope
@@seanwoods5943 Maybe in Australia but for most of the rest of the world, League is just another version of the game and not that well followed. Reckon you would have the same amount of viewers of a Rugby League World Cup as we saw for Union? I really don't know but I highly doubt it.
@@seanwoods5943 nah just facts g Lostralia trash as
@@Karma-qt4ji
RL arnt targeting the RU international game and whilst RU murders RL at that level that’s not how RL rolls .
They attack at the bottom of the pyramid,
That’s how they won Aus and the dispora pacifica community’s .
They are now doing that in NZ and have started in Fiji .
Another huge thing people need to realise is the NRL don’t care abo,ut RL they care about the NRL brand
Big difference,
They are pushing the brand “NRL”
They are trying to be the NBA of Rugby .
I think Rugby union in general world wide has a Club game identity issue, the game is far too international heavy to be balanced and it can effect engagement with fans when they are not attached fully to a club first.
Jordy Petaia trained with the Manly Sea Eagles last year, Caleb Clarke the same with the Bunnies recently.
Both overrated lol won’t be missed if they go to league
Honestly dont care about any players that are not white
petaia is mud tbf
@@gus-qj2mp absolutely rubbish
@@Researchthejoos No it aint hes the most mid player and has shown no sign of development he's just a poor mans tapuai
The spelling contest line was hilarious!!!!
Well researched & presented info.
It's a nice thing now, being in a new year with new leadership in Oz rugby, easier to move fwd a fresh (to a degree)
H McLennan = the best thing to happen to NRL since .... ever.
McLennan should be the next Aussie PM did everyone a favour by sacking Rennie
Great video - from a RL fan. Glad to see a (mostly) Union fan dispelling the myth of League stealing Union juniors because they happened to go to a certain school.
I was very much ok with the peaceful coexistence between the two codes but maybe that was because it was so far in League's favour. The arguments from both sides are fairly stupid. The scrums are a non issue - maybe it was valid in the 90s when RL still pretended to care - RL made a decision based on the flow of the game as scrums were too messy and detracted from the spectacle. Likewise the RL quip about the athleticism and defence of RU players is incredibly outdated.
I do think international RU fans underestimate the size and strength of the NRL. As far as club rugby I'm not sure if any leagues can match the NRL for revenue (I say this with no real context so please let me know if I'm way off here) and maybe only France and Japan can match the salaries, even with the strictly enforced NRL salary cap. Obviously centralised contracts to the various national bodies helps boost the earning potential in Union.
@@holcable Yes searched it up the NRL has the 26th highest revenue for any league in the world, higher than any union league.
Thank you for fill us in who aren't from down under. Eddy Jones was talking about there being issues with rugby Australia, it would be nice to have an explanation on what he's chatting about.
Seriously?
Rugby Australia too busy discriminating against Folau to set up youth systems for King Eddie to use bro Eddie Jones is the best coach ever and the rugby version of my idol Donald Trump
@@RugbyLover86 thanks for that
@@canadiancontent352 Eddie Jones is the greatest rugby coach ever bro
Spot on. The NRL is a great competition.
Semi Radradra and Marika Koroibete were first Rugby Union players who went to the NRL and then came back 👌
Fan of both codes. Union can survive in Australia if they do exactly the opposite of what they think they have to do.
Don’t compete with NRL - work with NRL.
Don’t expand - contract the pro teams to 2.
Don’t worry about the club game - make it all about the international squad.
Don’t run away from schoolboy rugby - completely run into it, embrace it.
Whatever you think the solution is, do the opposite, and then Australia rugby union will be on top once again.
I like to see a merger in the future.
@@chrisr5499 now that would be something!!! That’s a solution completely out of the box that would completely go against the grain. It would work!
After watching the NRL grand final and then the horror of Englnd getting to the semi finals and seeing South Africa winning I lost a lot of faith in the way Rugby Union has become.@@MichaeldeSousaCruz
na, Australia rugby union went woke, going broke. NRL need to watch that they don't follow suite, Manly showed us they are keen to go that route.
The George Costanza
Hello Uggy. I am old enough to remember Max Boyce's comedy warnings of Bradford Northern spies. My schools during this time were producing RL players for Northern, now Bulls. Since I am from Manningham, Bradford, home of the very first RL champions, they were definitely not posh private schools.
Happy new year bro
Happy new year! Hope you sent it last night
@@uggy can’t remember bro just glad all my boxes got finished
Thank for the information, hope for the best.
Great effort man 💥
From the outside, it's really sad seeing all that is happening to Rugby Union in Australia, The Southern hemisphere needs a strong Australian team and I hope things do work out for you guys again.
Mark will be back for Rugby World Cup 2027, I don't think a single australian player wants to miss the tournament at home.
I don't think there will be a mass exodus to NRL at least over the next few years as the Lions tour and the home World Cup will keep a lot of players keen to represent the Wallabies. Marky Mark is only on a two year contract with the Roosters so there is still even a chance we will see him back in Wallaby gold in time for the RWC in 2027.
I'm a league fan, and I can't name one Aussie Union player atm. Back in the day, there were many big household union names like Campese etc.
Things for RA to seriously consider: better marketing and advertising, affordability on tickets, and above all relooking at the grassroots development.
At least McClownen out of the picture is a start even though having some former Tahs in charge of RA leaves alot to be desired with better players in ACT and QLD ironically.
But still the newly appointed coaching director may help avoid another defection beyond Nawaqanitawase IMO.
Mcclownen 🤣🤣
Couldn’t agree more, marketing is dead & there’s a reason why so many businesses are investing in it.
NRL and Rugby scouts must be tripping over one another in the Pacific - what an incredible treasure trove of tough, fast players who just want to play footy. If Rugby brings someone up to the level where they can play for the Wallabies, of course the NRL is going to be interested.
Thanks for this video, it's kind interesting to see that rugby union is going through a crisis in some countries, while in my country France everything is going very well
I really hope wallabies will be back
Great video. I watch an enormous amount of both codes.
Don’t bother watching any trash league anymore bro no rucks too boring
@@RugbyLover86 😂 there is absolutely nothing exciting about a ruck, nor a penalty goal for that matter.
Honestly i feel like the two codes should merge. Not under the same game but within the same worldwide organization and promote two versions of the sport or maybe three if you include sevens. A bit like cricket has 20/20, one day, and test cricket if that makes sense. You could have athletes that specialize in one version but you could have others that excel in both? And you could promote both worlds cups and if a country wins both its called the Rugby Double or something like that? Just a thought?
There is 0 reasons for World Rugby to do this. League is tiny compared to union and Autralia Rugby union is only a small portion of Rugby's total market.
Apart from this union is in a much better position to grow worldwide than league is because it has a strong foothold in a lot of countries. Tier 2 has added a whole bunch of competitive countries in the past 20 years. RA has to fix this not the rest of the rugby world.
@stevvvvveperry I dont really agree with this. Why is rugby growing so much internationally then?
There are new pro leagues popping up all over the place and the 23 world cup had over 1 billion in cumulative viewership. Its not like the sport is struggling.
I think people dont understand because theres no content surrounding the sport from a strategic perspective. And I really dont think its that hard to watch for a casual. In SA there are many people who will only follow the boks for example who dont necessarily care about domestic rugby.
So odd to see you lot prefer League. I like and have played both, but there's nothing like the eb and flow of Union. Union is the bigger code internationally too, Rugby needs a decent Wallaby side.
No, Union is bigger internationally because it started off as an upper class sport, and those who played it got into power and did their best to cripple League. Both codes probably would've benefitted greatly if this didn't happen.
Love to see a merger for the good of both games.@@icefarrow7959
Rugby puts people to sleep.
@@porthard5951rugby league put people to sleep..union has flow ..the world cup France was a stunner.
@@relevantbrother8964😂 the union world cup in France was a penalty goal fest. A stunning way to cure insomnia.
Super rugby just needs to advertise to attract more money so they can keep there players but honestly I think it would be cool if they could do a code vs code match like brumbies vs raiders or broncos vs reds because especially in Canberra both codes are pretty much just seen as rugby
That’d be epic, I’m all for it.
Definitely agree - they just advertised a new super rugby pacific chief executive. Was tempted to throw my hand up with zero business experience just because I think I could whip up something better then what’s in place 🤣
I would love to see the 6 Nations one year played under League rules.
Their biggest mistake was to alienate South Africa
There just seems to be a lot of hate for union in Australia. For example on reddit there will be people calling union the most boring sport in the world because its slower than league... But then these same people will be following test match cricket which is among the slowest sports in the world. Its like theres this anti union bias going around and its baffling to me.
I think union is still trying to find its identity in a lot of ways. Since professionalism the sport has changed drastically and is continuing to change between cycles. A game from 1990 is unrecognisable to someone who has only been following the sport for a few years etc.
We keep talking about how we should speed up the game or be safer, less or more ref involvement etc. And I think we are missing the core aspect that makes Union truly unique as a sport: Diversity.
Both in athleticism and strategy. There are more different body types in rugby than any other sport and because it is a truly continuous game with constant competition there is no other sport that can match the creativity teams have at their disposal to win a match. Even individual aspects like the lineout and scrums are more complex than most other sports in terms of rules and approaches... And thats not a bad thing!
There are a million different things that people can talk about from each game, but unfortunately instead of talking qbout attacking structures, defensive philosophies, game management and control, systems vs tactics our commentators and pundits talk about vague concepts like "NZ will use flair" or " SA will use their forwards". Like its actually interesting if you dig a little deeper than that ffs. Thats why I started this channel in the first place because nobody had anything interesting to contribute to these discussions.
Ramble over. I hope that the 2027 world cup can reignite some interest there. And i hope that NRL fans can see that it is a really exciting and awesome sport. Just in a different way👍
Speaking as a fan of both rugby codes in Australia, by far, the biggest issue with union is the perception of elitism in the sport - any kid growing up on the east coast of Australia can work their way up through their junior club, into a senior club and potentially into the state based leagues into the NRL; while in union, it really does seem like you have to go to the right private schools or know the right people to progress to the professional level. Paired with the fact that traditionally Australia has viewed itself as a very egalitarian society (even if it seems less so in reality), a code such as rugby union, that seems to take pride in its upper class nature, was always destined to play second fiddle to league’s more everyman origins.
In saying that though, I do want to see union do well, I don’t think there needs to be a code war between the NRL and Rugby Australia, but RA really does need to find a way to appeal to more of a working class audience if they want to revive the code in Australia.
Enjoy your video's that discuss NRL.
Go The Cow's.
5 seconds in and that photo was a sign of things to come. since then carter gordon has switched..ironically both of the new recruits are flanked by former rugby league stars. Its just the beginning folks
RU and RL fan here !
Bigger RL fan ! But for all the other RL people here the Union guys do such a good job on UA-cam,
Uggy ,two cents and egg chasers are all balanced and honest dudes and are a great watch ,
P.s those particpation numbers for RL are way down on the true amount
RL only put out club RL numbers and not schools , tournaments,confo and all blacks tournaments
RU put every participant including school and club rugby together.
RL participation is pro my 3 to 4 times bigger when everying is added up and that’s not including touch and TRL ,
The NRL owns both organisations.
I hope union can bounce back and we can get back to the peace between the code’s because it’s dire on RU end atm .
Two Cents and Eggchasers are trash bro boring old men in their 40s who can’t edit
Uggy is the only rugby youtuber good enough to coach
Bro I thought the numbers were off, feels like it should be double that at least. && definitely read where union milked the numbers with 7’s. Only problem with data, you can make it look however you want.
Cheers for the kind words - really appreciate it bro!
@@uggykeep in mind often with private school rugby players it’s the same people playing club footy. I know as this was me and all my friends were the same, so even if it’s excluded, there’s 100% duplication. Clubs in Sydney are folding or fielding way less teams than they used to even just 10 years ago. I think the more indicative number is the trend down more so than the absolute number right
@@VibronicCow
You might know !
I’ve heard the GPS and CAS schools used to have up to 7 teams per age at the big schools and that’s dropped right off until maybe 3 teams per age .
Have you heard similar stuff ?
Peter valandys is a massive reason league is now gaining on other codes and is on the rise only 4 years ago league was on the decline under Greenberg
Look what he’s done for racing nsw also
The beginning of the end of rugby !
What i find interesting with the whole sualli thing is that it shows young rugby talent that maybe a path to a big pay day and a huge profile is through the nrl.
I doubt if sualli stayed in rugby he goes anywhere near 1.6 mil
Depends if he plays in France
nice vid mate, cheers
Thanks legend
The conversion from one sport to another is easily the simplest between these 2 rugby codes. All the main physical and skill req'ts are in both. So playing either at the junior level is no roadblock to moving to the pro level of the other, if you have the ability. What most Australian juniors coming out of school want, is to continue a career in the sport with remuneration that allows them to do that. In this area, league is a mile ahead, and so a very attractive option to every junior from either code. Union needs to find a way to combat this, and so far they are failing.
And this issue is somewhat Australia-specific. In NZ, juniors are force-fed that becoming an All Black trumps every other code or career benefit. Being a Wallaby does not have that pedestal, and I don't think they ever will. So money is the next best option...
Very true. I have watched rugby league for ten years. I recently started playing it, than a few weeks later without ever even watching a full game I managed to get the hang of and play union. I don't mind playing it still prefer league but have to play union for school. Still can't bare to watch it.
As an All Black fan I was impressed by this guy thanks NRL
Both Rugby codes with always have the big international advantage over AFL.
AFL could'nt even crack NZ, exhibition matches flopped there and they cancelled the contract early.
Until the 2023 World Cup, the only thing Australian Rugby administrators cared about, was that no-one dare quote the Bible in public. Well, if you piss off your feeder schools and feeder islands in the South Pacific - well you end up being a joke. Congratulations Rugby Australia.
As a Kiwi i've always had respect for Rugby Australia but in the last 15 to 20 years they have been run by some very stupid people and still are, the proof is where they are right now. There have been a few All Blacks that have switched to League Mathew Ridge, John Schuster John Kerwin just to name a few and a few league stars to switch as well Brad Thorne SBW, RTS. Great show. Subbed.
Maybe the NRL can take over RA and field teams for big tournaments. Like the NBA does with olympic basketball which have different rules.
Remarkable how much focus private schools now have on Soccer...This is an issue as its by far Australia's largest sport... ( players )
Union needs to leverage the fact it HAS a international comp .. that AFL & league dont
The problem for league is there is nothing worth poaching from union . Most of the Wallabies team wouldn't make first grade in league
League in NZ in same position with the Waz.
You forget both of them are gone thank god both given the boot. And will need sometime to rebuild.
The fact that signing (pilfering) star NRL players is considered a legitimate strategy tells you all you need to know about Rugby Australia. Why bother developing your own talent, and improving rugby union at the grass roots in AUS, when you can just throw money at players that the NRL has developed? It's a long term losing strategy. Honestly, from time to time it has helped the Wallabies to produce better sides than they should be able to produce (considering the lack of AUS talent in the domestic union competitions). But this facade all fell apart during the RWC.
Big into league but not so much union, but union feels a bit stale to me. You mentioned lack of characters in the game which I think is one part of it, alongside what feels like constant penalties and stoppages make for some boring viewing at times. The domestic comp (if it still exists I honestly don't know) is bringing nothing to the table and needs to be properly revamped.
Sorry mate...watching a team crash it up for 4-5 phases before the opposition are literally given the ball is the most redundant shit going. Penalties, scrums and line outs are all part and parcel of what makes rugby, rugby. The bigger issue was that ARU gave the TV rights of union to satellite TV yonks ago and they've been stagnant Where's the NRL has been savvy. It's by no means a better product.
As a South African I get irritated when World Rugby gets dragged into the kerfuffle between Rugby Aus and the NRL. Trying to change Union in order to appeal to League fans is similar to telling Tarantino to make Marvel movies imo.
If you find scrums, lineouts etc boring, so be it, you have your sport. I'd say educate the public about the intricacies of Union, rather than try to change the game into what will at best be a watered down version of League that will still not compete for viewership in any case.
@@rothnieoosthuizen3728 not interested in changing your sport but scrums collapsing 5 times isn’t great watching is it ? Nothing wrong with lineouts but referees could do with putting the whistle away a bit.
@@sambingham1196 you’re entitled to your opinion as am I. I enjoy the pace of league , I don’t think your game is redundant just not what I enjoy from a sport. I do think aus union’s management of the local comp is a fair criticism.
@@chris07081 Am I not interested in changing "my sport"? Seems like a loaded question. I am in favour of tweaks to make it safer, fairer, more competitive, etc. Removing/de-emphasising a core component so the sport can maybe appeal to some League fans in Aus? No, I'm not down for that. Are you interested in changing "your sport" so it might appeal to Union fans in South Africa?
You have a point about scrums. I think very few people enjoy watching collapsing scrums and resets, I'm certainly not one of them. That being said, I don't recall the last time I saw a scrum collapsing five times. Generally there will be one reset, maybe two, before the referee will award a penalty or free kick. If scrums collapse 5 times in Aus Union, that explains a lot. It's not happening over here.
Rugby made it's bed, now enjoy watching it in real time become a semi-professional sport in Australia
Fiji gonna be ranked 4th in the world at the end of this year and Ireland gonna win another grand slam up the Irish
@@RugbyLover86 Yeah it's a great time to be an NRL fan!
@@justinhollis5579 haha but union is still bigger world wide.
@@jarradmorgan8549 Which explains why it has so much money right?
@@justinhollis5579 yeah I am right about that.
People need to stop with this garbage narrative that 'Rugby' is raiding the NRL or 'Rugby' is in trouble. The only ones raiding Rugby League and in trouble, is Australian Rugby. Mark Nawaqanitawase is from Austrlaian Rugby. We couldn't care less what happens to Australian Rugby. Our ALL BLACKS is the biggest international draw, we have a National Competition, a Secondary Schools National Division competition, National Provincial Teams and Super Rugby teams, 7s Teams and depth in NZ Rugby. If anything, the NRL raid our Junior teams.
No one watches Super Rugby or the NPC in the past 20 years.
@@chrisr5499 facts bro not gonna watch any games unless the mighty Landers play
@@chrisr5499 Highlanders would destroy Foster’s imposters by 50 if Grooter captains tbe Landers
Stop it. If rugby was number 1 in australia the wallabies would waste the ABs and anyone in the world for that matter. The wallabies punch above their weight in world rugby, imagine if all the best athletes in australia played rugby instead of league and aussie rules.
@@davidtaliai996 we know they never will cause Lostralia are a tier 2 nation g TbJ said so
Which nrl club is signing this bloke ??
Two of our greatest Wallabies in Michael Lynagh and John Eales both played cricket at school. Noddy played in the First XV for three years and First XI for four years. Like the Ella Brothers they were naturals at everything they chose to play eg tennis, table tennis, golf, snooker/billiards, put put too no doubt. The skill levels in Rugby Union have diminished especially in the forwards. How do I know? I played with two of the greatest schoolboy second rowers in a pack where every player bar one had all the skills including kicking skills better than our five-eighth and fullback. All came about from all of us playing multiple sports and especially the before and after training rituals of touch and force and backs. Ball in hand, moving left and right with no spin and never letting the ball bounce. Worked real well. Five premierships in a row says so. Back to basics and a whole lot of fun
League have a lot of things but a the Union World Cup is more then the League World Cup
The two need to work together
Sounds like a classic example of FAFO by ARU
🤣
Will Warbrick say's "hi".
It's insane how a sport played in two countries across the globe can be so loud in attempting to destabalise one played everywhere.
Wow that’s the most ignorant thing I’ve read in a while 😂😂😂😂
RL is played in heaps of countries.
@@vicophysco8885 But apart from Australia and the UK, who else cares about it?
@@lungabiyela9081 that’s not what you said though hahaha
NZ cares about it so much it was the back page whilst the All blacks played the exact same day at the RWC ,
Tonga ,Samoa ,cook island ,Fiji care about it
France has a area that cares about it ,
PNG a country with 10-15million people see it as a religion.
Union people that say that are just showing their ignorance and bias.
I like both .
I play both and I’ll tell you one thing at RL trainings RU is never spoken about it isn’t even a thought ,
At RU training 80% of people talk RL not union .
@@vicophysco8885 Yeah, New Zealand cares so much about rugby league they don't have their own national competition.
@@lungabiyela9081 hahaha neither does RU brains . Super rugby isn’t a national competition.
Union is a dying game. The 2023 World Cup put people to sleep. It was a great game prior to 2005, but since then too many new rules have slowed it down and complicated what should be a simple game.
League on the other hand is thriving. Although the big hits are less common, it's still a faster, more exciting game, which can hook you in for a full 80 mins.
Australian Rugby will bounce back, we have an army of South Africans living here now and many more migrating. In 10years time the wallabies will be made up of du Toits and Bothas with an "occa" accent. 2023 RWC was the wallabies nadir, we will be champions again.
Owen Farrell would be good to see give NRL a go.
I don't know if anyone outside of Sydney knows what League is?
Everywhere in Queensland worships league
@@jasonh7085 that's what I mean no one outside of Sydney cares about League.
@thomastimms88 I'm just pointing out the obvious. League is a very obscure sport, and it's only seriously played in a small tiny pocket of Australia.
@thomastimms88 Rugby has the third biggest World Cup in the world and I heard the League "World Cup" final couldn't even half-fill the stadium.
Rugby might be the second biggest World Cup It's close between cricket and Rugby. But C'mon League outside of Sydney is a joke, even in Australia.
Both of rugby's codes are in big trouble long-term. The head injury issue is convincing parents not to let their kids play, and they are right to do so. You simply can't make the game safe as the hundreds of lawsuits attest to.
Fair point but the same issue applies to AFL. My son (now 16) played both Rugby and AFL from 7 years old. The stand out for me was that from the youngest age Rugby players are taught to tackle and be tackled whereas AFL did not allow tackling until they were 12 years old.
@@chrisruff7803plenty of players in NRL are coming through a touch background only moving to the full game around the age of 15.
Maybe this will smarten Union up but it think this is a lot of bother. League was supposed to destroy union since like 1895 and it hasn’t.
I predict Marky Mark comes back to the tahs in time for the RWC, frankly probably alll the better for it.
Nah g he can stay in league can’t defend
Great vid. I think that Union in AUS is done, the road back is too long.
I also don’t think the AB’s would go to league, I think TJ and Ardie were just trying to increase interest and demand as they were at the end of their contracts, it was seen as tactical.
Rugby shot itself in the foot, nepotism,snobbery and arrogance turned the game into who you know not if your good.
You mean rugby Australian haha. Everywhere else union kills nrl sorry to burst your bubble.
I mean they aren't wrong about rugby league scrums being dumb lol. A bunch of guys huddling and throwing the ball through their legs for what reason? No contest in it. Just seems pointless to me
To concentrate all the forwards in the middle of the field so the backs run plays.
I do agree that rugby league could destroy union if it wanted to but let’s not forget that union is a global sport. So if it rlly wanted to the french super clubs coild buy out loads of the NRL stars. Same with Japan clubs. Coming from a league supporter but we don’t want to go up against union on a global stage. They do dwarf us globally but not in Aus
Haha if it wanted to laugh much.
Do you understand how much Some NRL clubs are making a year ?, we are taking 100-150milion a year in revenue….. a couple could be more,
The only reason union has a chance at league players is the NRL has a salary cap ,
If the NRL flicked the salary cap the NRL would double its wage bill and take its pick from union .
NH people have no idea how strong the NRL and the clubs are financially
@@vicophysco8885 that’s why they fill stadiums don’t they haha. Not
@@jarradmorgan8549 it’s the most attended rugby competition in the world be a mile 😂😂😂
They averaged 19.5k 😂
R
NRL makes more Revenue than French Top 14, as in NRL is the biggest club competition of both codes, the only reason players earn less is because of the salary cap but it keeps all the clubs financially healthy.
Brisbane Broncos have the highest Average Attendance of any Club from both codes World Wide.
Eddie Jones will be remembered as the guy who wrecked Australian rugby union, twice.
The ARU did that when they sacked Rennie . They added 3 new teams for what who knows . Eddie just helped push it over the edge .
Nah bro Eddie was right cause he sacked Hooper the most carded ever player
Nah mate. Aussie rugby was wrecked before Eddie turned up. He gapped it because he soon understood the mess it was in
@@DonovanErica facts g
hopefully all the AUs biased refs also follow suit. and any other country that tours there gets a fair shot
As a Kiwi fan .... not concerned. If NZRFU start having issues, it will be overseas. Union has more money. Look at Piutau as an example. The money he was paid, and he wasn't even a starting AB, was more than League would offer a player with no background in the game. Smart Union players would go overseas, not league. Would be interesting to see if the comments about trying League as an option were around the time of new contracts. That's what usually happens.
The ARU made a huge mistake with offering ridiculous money on an untested youngster. They need a forward pack. Idiots runnng the shop
This was before the huge increases in the NRL salary cap. France and Japan are the only countries with domestic competitions that can still compete financially with the NRL.
My comments still stand. Japan is a better option for Union players. More money, less physical stresses as I'm sure their season is far smaller, which means a longer and healthier career. France less so, their season is probably worse than the NRL season, with multiple comps.
Still, as I suggested, the NZRU would be more concerned with overseas, as union comps would pay more for union players than a league comp would. The very TOP players in NZ would get more money from French and Japanese comps than League would realistically pay out for untested players.@@jakewhitehead2851
I would agree with you that yes Rugby League is paying more in Australia but is it paying more English Frence or Japanese Rugby even New Zealand rugby would have more money than Australian Rugby. So it may take you 5 years to get there but you can earn more playing Rugby union overseas than League. The other Disadvantage Rugby had was Travel up until now Super 14 you had to travel to South Africa so if you wanted to travel why your younger it is great but it is something you may not wish to do. And the Stupidity of Eddie Jones has not help Australian Rugby what so either. I am a rugby union Fan don't watch league anymore and have not followed league for 30 years and played rugby union for 28 years. So I am a rugby Union head and would have done a better job than what Eddie Jones did. I don't think Rugby Australia should be trying to compete with Rugby League just keeping the players they have and onething Cheika said is they have to get more better coaches comming from Australia the first priority. And yes it was mistake to signing Joseph for that kind of money that was the biggest mistake. We need to get a national competition up between the best teams of Sydney, Qld and maybe Canberra although they done badly over the past few years although still has the best franchise out of all rugby teams add teams Melbourne Adelaide and Perth later which will give coaches and players a start. 12 teams is all they need.
League is the better little brother
League is stuck in the shadow of rugby
Hasn't the NRL been signing school boy rugby union stars for decades, though? The ARU has dropped the ball with these up and coming wizz kids forever saying go play first grade club rugby and work on your craft then the NRL just swoops in, offers them a half decent contract to start ASAP and you can't blame the little buggers for jumping at the chance to play professionally regardless of the code. We have to secure the future before they get poached.
He addressed that in the video, you did not pay attn.
Keep peddling the myth i am sure it will make it true some day.
Australian rugby has been diabolical since they fkd over izzy. He was by far the best player in our squad at the time. If he was muslim n posted the same thing u know he would still be playing for Australia.
While you are definitely correct, it should be remembered that league does need union, if only to keep the spotlight on the NRL. If it succeeds in killing off rugby, the NRL will become increasingly isolated and outside the purview of most sports fans. Remember, Australia has a rapidly ageing population, and even Polynesian countries have small populations.
This may shock you, but the RFU is already focusing on other areas of the world. West Africa is considered by many to be the next big thing in rugby. Look at all the players of Nigerian, Cameroonian or Ghanaian descent in the Top 14. South Africa has a growing crop of West-African expats that are tearing up the scene.
I hate to be dismissive here, but when it comes to sheer numbers, league cannot compete. Union may be struggling in the Pacific, but outside that, union has nothing to fear. League is essentially a "big-ish" fish in a small pond. Union is absolutely massive in Europe and Africa. So rugby is going to have nearly all the best athletes in the coming decades.
All great points ,
But the NRL isn’t gonna sit still .
They are now moving into Fiji and America .
What’s next ?
English RL is seeing a renaissance for some unknown reason and will see another attendance increase this year if season tickets are anything to go by .
The NRL are the biggest rugby competition in the world and if you don’t fear that , that’s fine .
They will be a billion a year (aus) company by the end of the decade .
@@vicophysco8885 The NRL has been surpassed by the French Top 14. Games have bigger crowds there. And while league may have a "resurgence" in England, as you say, the overall trend is downward.
The NRL's biggest impediment is geography. While it may make inroads in Fiji, it will definitely struggle growing outside the Pacific region. Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands have a combined population of less than a million, and even then, most of the pacific islanders representing their respective countries were born in Australia. The same can be said of others, like Lebanon.
The truth is, the so-called international growth of league is a pipe dream. Australians have a complex about union because they feel that Australia is the last bastion of league, and they must defend it to the bitter end. So they're lashing out in anger...
But ultimately, union is playing the long game. It's investing in Africa, where the game will yield far more athletes than the Pacific. And America? It's too far away from Australia to care about league. And Americans are fixated on strength and size - something that union has in abundance. League is more about out and out speed (like a bunch of backs playing touchies), so the game will never appeal to that crowd.
In conclusion, league players are too small for American fans.
@@n-tertainmentx-tended4760
The NRL average 19.6k per game in 2023
Top 14 14.8k average per game 2023
Not even close the NRL makes more money and has bigger crowds over the top 14 .
The average player is the highest in the world also .
I agree international RL is a pipe dream and I think the NRL knows that .
Australians do have a complex about union and rightfully so , the history is pretty savage .
I’m not so sure about Americans preferring RU over RL because RL an isn’t even a thing in America . But they are talking 20k tickets sold and for me for a sport that is literally probably known by 100k people is pretty bloody good .
@@vicophysco8885 I'm guessing you included the NSW vs Queensland crowd attendances in your stats, because that makes a big difference. Even then, Top 14 crowds were much bigger during later rounds.
But let's say you are correct about the crowds. The growth trajectory in the Top 14 is impossible to ignore. Even at conservative estimates, it's on track to totally overtake the NRL in the coming years.
And you might say: "Well, France has a much bigger population than Australia, so it should."
But that's exactly it. Australia's population is mostly sustained by immigration from third-world countries. And these countries have a soccer culture - meaning, league will have to select from a diminishing pool of players in the future. Soccer is going to be the biggest game in your country.
Compare that to France, where rugby is still integral to their culture. And West Africans are really into rugby union. Just look at the modern French international team and see how many were born in West Africa. That's where future talent is going to come from.
And coming back to America - you guys are basically throwing wet toilet paper on the wall and seeing what sticks. Remember, it costs money to grow a sport in any country. The NRL may have enough to sustain itself for the foreseeable future, but it's not THAT wealthy. It has limits.
And it's pointless promoting a sport unless it gets adopted in a wide scale at youth level. How will the NRL do it? Schools will have to start league programs. Universities will have to follow up as well. You can't imagine how much money will be required to grow the sport from zero at sustainable levels. It's almost not worthwhile to try.
@@n-tertainmentx-tended4760 it’s hard to disagree with a lot of that France has huge and great potential,
France just dropped the salary cap , it’s not all sunshine over there ,
Growing leagues don’t drop salary caps they increase them .
RL is the most ethnically diverse sport in Australia including football ,
So we haven’t ever seen RL attract immigrants,
Australia is literally a immigration colony ,
It’s history is born out of the working class and have never struggled to attract new immigrants to its game .
I’m definitely in your corner about America’s and RL ,
I’m holding my judgment until the 5 year deal has been completed.
Why would a AB go to league when France and Japan would pay them a Million 😂😂
Oath bro league is irrelevant and gonna go extinct
I know bruh but league people can live in there fantasy world haha.
@@jarradmorgan8549 league irrelevant g
League can pay players a million as well. You union fans are in this fantasy that your leagues way more money than the NRL. The truth is the NRL has the highest revenue of any rugby code league in the world.
@@mitchellsmith300 you league fans are the delusional ones with ya weird little World Cup.
hamish and eddie jones are gone daniel herbit is in
Lets be real, what happens in Australia with Union and league will not make much difference impact to Union, gone are the days where Australia are a major player in Union. Union is a ever growing sport and money will ultimately keep the players coming globally.
Union will continue to decline because it doesn't want to be world champions in Union. Its just happy to try to feel socially superior to NRL followers. They always rave on about their scrums are so good compared to league but the Australian /wallaby scrum has always been crap on the world stage. like forever. Its easier but less productive to start arguments in pubs about how intelligent and holy union scrums are .. wallabies still perform poorly and lose
Union's been poaching NRL players for years. About time the NRL made a move. Keep it up.
Nah bro league players been coming to union against the will of the fans we don’t want anymore arrogant league players coming over
@@RugbyLover86it doesn't matter, league players are like Boomerangs, they always come back to the better game.
Agree 💯 bro on your thoughts but i see it expanding the game of union and league in a way. Trading players etc from All Blacks Will Warbrick to Melbourne Storm in 2023. And the many more. But a lot of aussie players are over seas to former and current playing and coaching in japan and usa, france and england etc. you have ardie savea and aaron smith from all blacks going to japan rugby in 2024. Adam ashley cooper of australian wallabies has been in Los Angeles coaching the L.A Gilintines and theres another at their national USA team the Eagles. And so many more players are swapping and trading and coaching. But as for Rugby Union itself. We all know Australia is massive on Rugby League more than Union and New Zealand is massive on Rugby Union than League. So we can all see why league has so much more money. Until Australia can claim back no1 spot in the world and keep it with wins and championships then the money will start flowing more and bigger contracts and more money. Sponsors, endorsements etc. but another thing is everytime we have a headline boxing match in australia. Who are the undercards. Rugby league and rugby union players. Because none of the big names wanna come down to aus and fight. So we are seeing majority of our league boys stepping in the ring. Love your insight bro. Bring us more of this. All the best in 2024 mah G. Lesgo Storm!.
I played from U9s until U18s at my local rugby club then 1st grade colts @ manly marlins for a couple years. Played with guys such as Michael Hooper, Luke Jones, Will Hopoate (junior reps), Dave Porecki etc used to live rugby
All my high school mates were the same, all junior rugby guys, but we literally never talk rugby anymore. Only rugba leeg it’s just such a better product. Union is just trash to watch and if I am not then target demographic then who is? Sad state 😢
Agree 100%. World Rugby is in no danger of being taken over by League, but in Australia Rugby is in big big trouble. Surely the posters here like NZTF can see the benefit to World Rugby of having a powerful or at least competitive Australian side. I used to play at school, and go to Ballymore to watch games. Now I don't even bother watching it on TV. I think a good part of the reason was Rugby went for the easy money by having exclusive access except for Bledisloe etc on Pay TV. Most people in Australia dont have Pay TV so they stopped watching it, if they stop watching it they stop talking about it, if they stop talking about it they dont go to games, if they dont see it they dont enroll their kids in it. Less people watching means less advertising and less money. Hitching Australian Rugby up to QANTAS with the second and third order effects that bought with the "Go Woke Go Broke" effect was not particularly helpful either over time. Australian Rugby have made their bed and now they can sleep in it. It will soon be as relevant to the Australian public as Lacrosse or Lawn Bowls the way its going.
@@martinreinhold211 fully agree.
IMO do not see a way back to relevance for Aus rugby. It’s a dead man walking
This is an Australian problem. I honestly don't know anyone in Europe and SA or even the states that even care about League. Poor Australia, once world champs.
It's very well a NZ problem as well as and the All Blacks are rugby unions only global brand so that will hurt union. NRL is now doing to NZ rugby what is has been doing to Australian rugby and they now pretty now have 1st dibs on NZ schoolboy rugbys best talents. You should see Uggys other video on how rugby league is destroying rugby union in the Pacific. The pacific rugby league revolution in centered in NZ. Also Im in the states and there are many people here that love league ;)
@@tinasherusike7458the All Blacks isn't the only global brand in rugby, that is an insane thing to say. Also I lived in the USA, no one who I met knew anything about league, they did know something about rugby (or union to you).
@@christoduplessis8177 Tell me any other rugby team that would qualify to be a global brand? To be a global brand you have to be able to take your team to large non-rugby markets and be able to sellout a large stadium eg. All Blacks in Chicago. So tell me which other rugby team has done that before because the All Blacks are the only rugby team that can do that?
We’re rare yet we’re here. 🇺🇸🏉
@@tinasherusike7458 I don't believe any rugby team qualifies to be a global brand. Also, if selling out Soldier Field is your claim to fame (there was a lot more going on than just the ABs showing up) then you really need to rethink your point 😂😂😂
Not Marky Mark 🥲
Australia should pull out of Super Rugby and start a domestic league. Australia needs an annual champion to help bring fans back. You could also have an end-of-season Champions Cup style event with clubs from NZ, Japan etc.
Union is done no club Rugby on free to air some clubs will fold
u forgot ngani laumape :) best league convert
Laumape 🤤 I wonder how many pure league fans know he was with the warriors once upon a time
Laumape overrated bro couldn’t pass send him back to league
Just another example of how the Australian public school system is failing. Every thing is dumbed down, even sport.
Wales lost a generation to rugby league in the 90s nobody batted an eyelid.
Well the players chose to turn pro. As for nobody batting an eyelid, there was constant handwringing and lamenting.
@@carpusbarsum it helped usher in pro rugby.
Wales players were going to League from 1890's to 1995 and it caused a lot of damage for the Welsh national Union teams parts of histroy.
@@chrisr5499yeah and still wales is only known for union.
Yeah i agree mate, some dark times ahead for RU in Australia. I think how dark depemds on how well or poor the wallaby performances the next couple years.
If the wallabies continue their poor performances, poor winning record, and not show any impovment, i think it could start the floodgates opening.
See more and more junior rugby talent to leaving RA, Signing with an NRL club or staying in Union but going overseas and not bothering with wallaby eligibility.
Money is the big lure for young players, but success and the fame that comes it is an important factor. Having an increasingly less interested Australian public towards RU definitely wouldn't be helping the code.
And if the wallabies continue being less succesful, it will not only be the signing and keeping of talent in rugby thatn it will be affected by, but a couple more years of poor wallabies could snow ball the decline of professional rugby in Australia.
I think we are only a couple years of poor wallabies away from there neing unrepairable damage to its brand. And its basically game set match for rugby in Australia.
Rugby NEEDS the wallabies to be performing to survive. The wallabies need a competant and functional RA to survive...
League not doing any damage to union unless it’s Aussie bro union forever gonna dominate for sure league sucks cause there’s no jackal
Definitely an Australian problem. League will never come close to Union anywhere else.
@thomastimms88 Trump is much better than the woke DemonRats starting all the proxy wars bro
Can't stand the term Jackal.
@@chrisr5499 keep crying league boy lol leave the real sport to the real men
I like both codes even NFL/CFL@@RugbyLover86
All Blacks won't leave for NRL, this isn't the 90's. League is a niche sport in 2 states of Australia, the All Blacks have worldwide appeal. Wallabies might be shot but NZ rugby is fine.
Niche sport that generates 3 times the revenue of NZRU. hahaha
If Mark can count to 6 he should do really well in league
Bro rubbish … marina and semi were rugby players first and went back to the game they preferred
With a rugby world cup like the last. World rugby is in trouble. Too many stoppages, silly penalties, not enough ball in play, etc. Rugby League is a far simpler game (which works for and against it) and the ball is in play much more.
Bro clearly does no research lol compare the RWC to a game of woke basketball way less stopping way more action
@@RugbyLover86 what you just wrote made no sense.
@@drh02 yeah it did lol you just vote Biden so don’t get it lol all I watch are Trump rallies rugby games and Uggy’s videos now that TBJ and Hakatime retired Uggy the only good rugby youtuber
Rugby league doesn’t have World Cup. No matter what you say. Haha
@@jarradmorgan8549 It does
Everything is truly upside down in Australia. How on earth is league more popular than union? 😐
They took union off free to air television decades ago. It was always going to happen. But league is a great product in Australia, a great fucking game that makes going back to Union hard to watch to be honest.
Ball in play time. Pure in simple.
@@usarugbyleagueunionfan RWC final had like 50 mins of ball in play bro
@@RugbyLover86 That's considered a lot? In the NRL finals series every game had more than 50mins and some games had over 60mins. Also the ruck does not count as in play, you can't see the ball.
League is a faster more entertaining game generally.
This whole League compensation thing is a major flaw. Whats stoping NRL teams passing their youngsters off to Union clubs at 17-18 and then buying them back as a Union player for cap relief? won't happen. Also theres been heaps of Pro Union players moving to League and been successful i.e Semi Radradra, Andrew Walker, Toby Rudolf, Will Warbrick, Junior Tupou and Sam Harris
He's rubbish. The Wallabies are rubbish. Rugby isn't dead. That an NRL West dream. Get your hand out your Panties.
And then he’ll realise that the Daley cap In league stops you earning sponsorship deals so his earning will be a quarter of what he can earn playing internationally rugby…
Not loyal
Semi didnt convert to Union he converted to League