Bloodstained Angel
Premiership Player
Ms Storm
Your passion and enthusiasm for Rugby is to be admired (gee they would love you in NZ mate !)
But you are mistaken on several key points.
Take it from those of us who have known, loved, and played Rugby since before you were born.
Rugby (both codes) struggles to get the kind of support that is enjoyed by the AFL.
Even in the absolute heartland of Rugby support, enthusiasm for the game is nothing like the situation with Aussie Rules.
Ms Storm, you make the common mistake in believing that the huge interest in a tiny handful of International Test matches translates into mass support of the game in general (ah-la Aussie Rules)
Nothing could be further from the truth, Big time Rugby Internationals are huge events on the international sporting calender, the interest in these games is enormous and the punters turn out in their 000's to watch them.
In soccer-mad Great Britain, do you know which sporting competition generates the biggest TV ratings ? - Its the 6 Nations Rugby Union tournament and its enjoyed this postion for the last 35 years or ever since the game has been on TV.
Ms Storm I use this as an example to try and demonstrate that International Test matches are very special events that cannot be compared to the everyday level of support the sport enjoys.
Big Rugby Internationals are like Wimbledon or the Monaco Grand Prix. They are huge events in themselves but 90 % of the punters are there for the spectacle and to be part of the whole 'experience' of attending a big time sporting event.
How many fans at Wimbledon would take an on-going and passionate interest in Tennis per se ? - not very many.
Its the same for Rugby - thats why 90,000 Victorians can happily go along to the MCG and watch NZ v Aus and have a really grouse time of it but don';t expect them to turn around and support local club rugby or even Super 12.
Everyone loves a good Test Match, and its great to see people from Victoria finally cracking onto what is the very best in Internatrional Football action, but please Ms Storm - don't kid yourself.
Both Rugby codes will forever be little more than niche-interest sports in this country, inspite of what you might see on the TV. Below International levbel - at provincial and club competitions, the game struggles for wide support. In the case of Union especially, its so hopelessly entangled in class difference that it will never be more than a middle class game for Professional males who come from monied families and attended expensive private schools. For these guys, Rugby is a rite of passage into a exclusive social class.
Australian Rules enjoys a mass following that cuts across all differences in society. Its is Australia's Number 1 football game by miles and the only other game that has any remote possibility of taking that position away is soccer.
Rugby will never be a universally followed football code - in spite of the massive interest shown each year in those tiny handful of International Test matches.
cheers
Your passion and enthusiasm for Rugby is to be admired (gee they would love you in NZ mate !)
But you are mistaken on several key points.
Take it from those of us who have known, loved, and played Rugby since before you were born.
Rugby (both codes) struggles to get the kind of support that is enjoyed by the AFL.
Even in the absolute heartland of Rugby support, enthusiasm for the game is nothing like the situation with Aussie Rules.
Ms Storm, you make the common mistake in believing that the huge interest in a tiny handful of International Test matches translates into mass support of the game in general (ah-la Aussie Rules)
Nothing could be further from the truth, Big time Rugby Internationals are huge events on the international sporting calender, the interest in these games is enormous and the punters turn out in their 000's to watch them.
In soccer-mad Great Britain, do you know which sporting competition generates the biggest TV ratings ? - Its the 6 Nations Rugby Union tournament and its enjoyed this postion for the last 35 years or ever since the game has been on TV.
Ms Storm I use this as an example to try and demonstrate that International Test matches are very special events that cannot be compared to the everyday level of support the sport enjoys.
Big Rugby Internationals are like Wimbledon or the Monaco Grand Prix. They are huge events in themselves but 90 % of the punters are there for the spectacle and to be part of the whole 'experience' of attending a big time sporting event.
How many fans at Wimbledon would take an on-going and passionate interest in Tennis per se ? - not very many.
Its the same for Rugby - thats why 90,000 Victorians can happily go along to the MCG and watch NZ v Aus and have a really grouse time of it but don';t expect them to turn around and support local club rugby or even Super 12.
Everyone loves a good Test Match, and its great to see people from Victoria finally cracking onto what is the very best in Internatrional Football action, but please Ms Storm - don't kid yourself.
Both Rugby codes will forever be little more than niche-interest sports in this country, inspite of what you might see on the TV. Below International levbel - at provincial and club competitions, the game struggles for wide support. In the case of Union especially, its so hopelessly entangled in class difference that it will never be more than a middle class game for Professional males who come from monied families and attended expensive private schools. For these guys, Rugby is a rite of passage into a exclusive social class.
Australian Rules enjoys a mass following that cuts across all differences in society. Its is Australia's Number 1 football game by miles and the only other game that has any remote possibility of taking that position away is soccer.
Rugby will never be a universally followed football code - in spite of the massive interest shown each year in those tiny handful of International Test matches.
cheers
