Rugby league is more popular than ever due to the success of the NZ Warriors NRL franchise. The Australian NRL scouts are scouting.
Basketball is a growing very quickly also with the likes of Steven Adams in the NBA.
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Theyâve been scouting there for years. Wonât make a difference.
Weâre very lucky to have GAA in Ireland. It makes a very varied sporting scene and adds a real organic and local pride that just isnât there in other parts of the world. All the English have in the summer is a bit of cricket or a tennis tournament that is mostly contested by foreign players.
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Ya but the NBA is another thing.
Not really. Miles away from them. The Warriors got a bandwagon, same as they would if they existed here.
This meme on rugby is overplayed. The game has never been more popular- France and South Africa are incredibly strong now both on and off the field where as they were a mess 20 years ago.
Game going gangbusters in Japan with them queuing up to host the tournament again.
I think a lot of rugby unionâs current problems internationally stem from the problems with sustaining professional club leagues.
France seems to be the only place that can do it and thatâs mainly down to the relative weakness of the Farmerâs League aka Ligue 1 in association football.
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Thatâs not true.
Down the south of France rugby is the only show in town.
Lads on here donât realise how much the top 14 means.
Australian rugby union is a mess.
So is wales, Scotâs are shite, Italy going backwards.
All pro sports in Australia are nearly always a mess. They donât have enough money to sustain so many sports but theyâll come like trains in the next Cycle.
The NRL and AFL are flying it.
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The Welsh appear to be in terminal decline. A dads army effort and the underage tap has dried up. Australia are a pale shadow of their former selves. France and South Africa are strong enough as it is. Those two becoming even better doesnât really enhance the game at all. We could have a âBig 5â soon with a huge chasm to the rest. Itâs worrying that a two time European Cup winning club like London Wasps go to the wall.
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Genuine big worry is England going pop. They simply cannot support the professional game as it stands.
I think.only one club isnât reliant on a sugar daddy for day to day funding, and itâs largely dreary and poorly attended. There is zero glamour.
Whatâs the solution?
A 10 team premiership backboned 50/50 by RFU/private backing?
Iâd imagine 8, but they badly need to generate a more attractive format. Iâd often get offered free sale sharks tickets and Iâd rather sleep on the couch.
Yes but as I said, SA was a mess 20 years ago.
Neither the Welsh or Scots have ever thrived during professionalism at club level. This is nothing new.
This is just classic Hook bluster.
Theyâve already lost 3 teams. There isnât much more to fall there.
Of course there is when every other team is losing money hand over fist. The whole lot could collapse anytime really.
How sustainable is that model youâd wonder?
Scots and Wales relying on selling out 5 home games a year or else they make even bigger losses than they currently make.
And yet Ireland and Wales were an absolute mess at the 1999 RWC. 4 years later slightly improving but still nowhere near.
The national team can be turned quickly.
The Scots can easily fund two teams. International rugby easily funds that.
The Welsh canât.