Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:39 pm  

Catalancs wrote: The Rugby Football Union have announced their "absolute intention" not to select overseas-based players for England following the 2011 Rugby World Cup. One way to compete with the French salary cap I suppose. Take the cash, or play for your country? Almost taking it back to the differences between amateurs and professionals...

Catalancs wrote: The Rugby Football Union have announced their "absolute intention" not to select overseas-based players for England following the 2011 Rugby World Cup. One way to compete with the French salary cap I suppose. Take the cash, or play for your country? Almost taking it back to the differences between amateurs and professionals...

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Fri Dec 03, 2010 9:39 am  

t-r-i-n-i-t-y wrote:

Take the cash, or play for your country? Almost taking it back to the differences between amateurs and professionals...

If the players received their payments within brown paper envelopes then surely it wouldn't count & they would still be elible to represent their country?

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Fri Dec 03, 2010 12:59 pm  

South African rugby has reversed its policy of refusing to play against the New Zealand Maori. Earlier this year, though, they issued a landmark apology to those excluded from South African tours during apartheid - New Zealand rugby authorities left indigenous Maori players out of three tours to the country in 1928, 1949 and 1960.

South African rugby has reversed its policy of refusing to play against the New Zealand Maori. Earlier this year, though, they issued a landmark apology to those excluded from South African tours during apartheid - New Zealand rugby authorities left indigenous Maori players out of three tours to the country in 1928, 1949 and 1960.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:22 pm  

Shark J wrote: Football. Simple as that. I always get annoyed when I see quotes along the lines of "Sale - the club that's thrived in a Rugby League hot bed" - because that's rubbish. We're not in any other area but for a football one. Pretty much the whole of England is. You could walk to Old Trafford from Sale. It would take a while but from Sale to Stretford it's a couple of miles. You've also got a load of Premier League, Football League and Rugby League sides within 20 miles of us. That's apparently why we play our games on Friday nights. Or at least was originally. I don't really think it matters though. I doubt thousands would be going to watch Football the next day. Even Sale itself is more a football town than a Rugby one. I went out in Sale before the Grand Final and said to my mate that we'd go to a pub near the Metrolink stop, thinking it would be empty. It was absolutely full of United fans watching the game. The chances of redeveloping of Edgeley Park are probably pretty high. I would think though as cj has mentioned that Salford is probably first choice. I don't know what's happening with that yet though. The club said not long back that the immediate future remains in Stockport. I don't know the ins and outs though of redeveloping Edgeley Park. I know the council have jumped in a couple of times. For example we're not allowed a screen in the ground when it's a televised game. It's against health and safety to put it in the available areas or something. Also, the open stand - http://www.footballgroundguide.com/stockport_county/, The Railway End backs onto private property or land not owned by Sale or Stockport and so can't be expanded. I'd much rather stay in Stockport or somewhere nearby. I'm from South Manchester and don't drive. Salford is a bit too far to get to and almost impossible on a Friday night on public transport. Bingo. That area is my patch and other than forced RU at school it's a football tyranny round there, but is has been since the dawn of time. Ultimately though, it doesn't matter where Sale play, they really are a North West regional team as you've said. Mainly because Heywood Road was is the home of Sale FC, from which the Sharks are spun. So Sharks' modern era success has mostly taken place away from Sale. If you live in Sale, you can be at OT in ten minutes or Moss Lane in ten minutes. If you live in Urmston, you can be at OT in ten minutes, the HJ or Willows in twenty. The only Union pub in Sale is the pub at Brooklands station. You see a few Sale shirts most days elsewhere, but there's not much real interest on the whole. A lot of Sale folk who I know who used to go when Sale were at Heywood Road have either given up or watch Sale FC still, so it's now essentially a new north-west fanbase. Or at least that's my experience. Oddly though, Urmston now seems to have more Salford, Wigan and Wire shirts floating around, and a general interest in League. Maybe the borough is having a code schism!

Shark J wrote: Football. Simple as that. I always get annoyed when I see quotes along the lines of "Sale - the club that's thrived in a Rugby League hot bed" - because that's rubbish. We're not in any other area but for a football one. Pretty much the whole of England is. You could walk to Old Trafford from Sale. It would take a while but from Sale to Stretford it's a couple of miles. You've also got a load of Premier League, Football League and Rugby League sides within 20 miles of us. That's apparently why we play our games on Friday nights. Or at least was originally. I don't really think it matters though. I doubt thousands would be going to watch Football the next day. Even Sale itself is more a football town than a Rugby one. I went out in Sale before the Grand Final and said to my mate that we'd go to a pub near the Metrolink stop, thinking it would be empty. It was absolutely full of United fans watching the game. The chances of redeveloping of Edgeley Park are probably pretty high. I would think though as cj has mentioned that Salford is probably first choice. I don't know what's happening with that yet though. The club said not long back that the immediate future remains in Stockport. I don't know the ins and outs though of redeveloping Edgeley Park. I know the council have jumped in a couple of times. For example we're not allowed a screen in the ground when it's a televised game. It's against health and safety to put it in the available areas or something. Also, the open stand - http://www.footballgroundguide.com/stockport_county/, The Railway End backs onto private property or land not owned by Sale or Stockport and so can't be expanded. I'd much rather stay in Stockport or somewhere nearby. I'm from South Manchester and don't drive. Salford is a bit too far to get to and almost impossible on a Friday night on public transport. Bingo. That area is my patch and other than forced RU at school it's a football tyranny round there, but is has been since the dawn of time. Ultimately though, it doesn't matter where Sale play, they really are a North West regional team as you've said. Mainly because Heywood Road was is the home of Sale FC, from which the Sharks are spun. So Sharks' modern era success has mostly taken place away from Sale. If you live in Sale, you can be at OT in ten minutes or Moss Lane in ten minutes. If you live in Urmston, you can be at OT in ten minutes, the HJ or Willows in twenty. The only Union pub in Sale is the pub at Brooklands station. You see a few Sale shirts most days elsewhere, but there's not much real interest on the whole. A lot of Sale folk who I know who used to go when Sale were at Heywood Road have either given up or watch Sale FC still, so it's now essentially a new north-west fanbase. Or at least that's my experience. Oddly though, Urmston now seems to have more Salford, Wigan and Wire shirts floating around, and a general interest in League. Maybe the borough is having a code schism!

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sat Dec 04, 2010 10:22 pm  

Cipriani's pining for home. (At the bottom of the article)

Cipriani's pining for home. (At the bottom of the article)

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:32 am  

Looked a lot less than 31,000 at HQ yesterday.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Dec 05, 2010 10:58 am  

The Nottingham rugby union method?

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:07 pm  

Wasps beat Exeter 24-12

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Dec 06, 2010 8:45 am  

Catalancs wrote:

The Nottingham rugby union method?

Is it the crowd or players that are cardboard? Difficult to tell in yawnion.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Dec 06, 2010 4:28 pm  

Catalancs wrote:

20 quid for a family of four. You can't beat that
Now I understand why they need over 50,000 to break even. I thought they'd decided to stop after losing money on their prtevious games there.

You have to question the rationale for the Wembley games, needing 50k to break even

If it is to attract fans for the Vicarage Road games it isn't working as they have averaged less than 7k in their 5 home games this year (and Wembley to Vicarage road is less than 20 miles)

And yet at the end of the year, they will no doubt release a press statement again saying they are the best supported rugby club in the UK!