The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
Or the semis
Northern Hemisphere Rugby
- Thread starter Dctarget
- Start date
WorkingClassRugger
Michael Lynagh (62)
For all the doom and gloom about the Premiership recently they've released some numbers. The final returned 1.26m views on ITV which was the highest rating final on the channel. Overall viewership increase 8% on TNT Sports and 3% on ITV (noting that there were only a handful of games actually broadcast on ITV outside of the finals). On top of attendance growth that I've seen stated between 11-14%. And eAdd that to the URC and Top 14 showing strong growth. Crowds booming in Japan. Hell, even MLR has seen increased coverage this season with Fox originally showing 16 games at the beginning of the season. Upping that to 21 after the 1st week and now announcing that they'll be adding another 3 games to their slate just yesterday.
We're clearly the problem child. Even NZ and Fiji (who apparently had an estimated 600k watching the 1/4 game in Fiji) have grown this year.
We're clearly the problem child. Even NZ and Fiji (who apparently had an estimated 600k watching the 1/4 game in Fiji) have grown this year.
Sword of Justice
Arch Winning (36)
Whenever this is floated for sporting bodies I just struggle to see where the risk reward balance is favourable enough to warrant private equity.
Sports are tied to so many different social and economic factors and the media space is so competitive that unless you are the EPL or NFL I can’t see that there is the security required. The product is young adults sacrificing their bodies - not conducive to private ownership structures that have fixed revenue % shares.
PE much better suits some ambitious salesperson who has had a half decent idea and won’t really care if it all falls over rather than an organisation that is supposed to reflect the fans.
Liz Ellis was trying to sell netball for god’s sake.
Sports are tied to so many different social and economic factors and the media space is so competitive that unless you are the EPL or NFL I can’t see that there is the security required. The product is young adults sacrificing their bodies - not conducive to private ownership structures that have fixed revenue % shares.
PE much better suits some ambitious salesperson who has had a half decent idea and won’t really care if it all falls over rather than an organisation that is supposed to reflect the fans.
Liz Ellis was trying to sell netball for god’s sake.
Wallaby Man
Nev Cottrell (35)
I question a lot of the data coming out. If things were going as well as they say they wouldn't be struggling to find a broadcaster for a test match in 2 weeks time for their test against Japan. It just makes no sense. Not just Australia but I think things aren’t overly rosy overall and only really France, Ireland and South Africa aren’t in some form of contraction for national popularity and only South America showing actual signs of growth.
I work in data across NZ and Aus and can tell you now, some of the messaging coming across the ditch from our data isn’t as rosy as been published. NRL might actually be marginally more popular now in u35 demographics.
I work in data across NZ and Aus and can tell you now, some of the messaging coming across the ditch from our data isn’t as rosy as been published. NRL might actually be marginally more popular now in u35 demographics.
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
Vannes have been promoted to the Top 14 after winning their GF match against Grenoble two weeks ago. Grenoble lost their promotion match against Montpellier to go up to Top14, so they stay down in Pro D2.
Will be interesting if Vannes go on a spending spree now after winning, they have only been in the ProD2 for less than ten years. They're from Brittany, a normally non-rugby area of France and pretty isolated. Reaching ProD2 was historic for them let alone now the Top 14.
They currently have former Rebels Michael Ruru and Pat Leafa and also John Afoa. But will really struggle in Top 14 without heavy recruitment.
Will be interesting if Vannes go on a spending spree now after winning, they have only been in the ProD2 for less than ten years. They're from Brittany, a normally non-rugby area of France and pretty isolated. Reaching ProD2 was historic for them let alone now the Top 14.
They currently have former Rebels Michael Ruru and Pat Leafa and also John Afoa. But will really struggle in Top 14 without heavy recruitment.
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
La Rochelle managed to beat Toulon in Toulon which is impressive, scoreline was closer than the game and Toulon despite serious weapons in the backs (Fainga'anuku, Nayacalevu, Villière, Wainiqolo, Biggar and Serin) struggled to make in roads.
La Rochelle now gets the reward of playing Toulouse in Toulouse tonight, a rematch of last year's GF. Richie Arnold returns from his suspension, starting in the 2nd row against Will Skelton. Toulouse have been way more consistent than La Rochelle and home ground advantage should surely be enough to get them home but crazier things have happened. Tolu Latu has also continued his good form, starting for La Rochelle. He's been their trade of the season, came over on loan from Montpellier and hasn't looked back.
Bordeaux easily dealt with Racing 92, now got an easier semi final against Stade Francais in Paris on Saturday night. Stade Francais has had a really weird season. Losing almost every game away to all the worst teams including the two last placed teams. Yet they've beaten Bordeaux twice, home & away. They aren't that flashy and even though they're home I think Bordeaux will be too good for them even without Mathieu Jalibert.
Aussies in this one a plenty, for Bordeaux: Pete Samu, Kane Douglas in potentially last game before retirement, Adam Coleman, Ben Tapuai. For Stade Francais: the Alo-Emile brothers and Sefa Naivalu.
Prediction: GF will be Toulouse v Bordeaux. Antoine Dupont isn't on 7s duty yet so should be enough to get them home.
La Rochelle now gets the reward of playing Toulouse in Toulouse tonight, a rematch of last year's GF. Richie Arnold returns from his suspension, starting in the 2nd row against Will Skelton. Toulouse have been way more consistent than La Rochelle and home ground advantage should surely be enough to get them home but crazier things have happened. Tolu Latu has also continued his good form, starting for La Rochelle. He's been their trade of the season, came over on loan from Montpellier and hasn't looked back.
Bordeaux easily dealt with Racing 92, now got an easier semi final against Stade Francais in Paris on Saturday night. Stade Francais has had a really weird season. Losing almost every game away to all the worst teams including the two last placed teams. Yet they've beaten Bordeaux twice, home & away. They aren't that flashy and even though they're home I think Bordeaux will be too good for them even without Mathieu Jalibert.
Aussies in this one a plenty, for Bordeaux: Pete Samu, Kane Douglas in potentially last game before retirement, Adam Coleman, Ben Tapuai. For Stade Francais: the Alo-Emile brothers and Sefa Naivalu.
Prediction: GF will be Toulouse v Bordeaux. Antoine Dupont isn't on 7s duty yet so should be enough to get them home.
Highlander35
Steve Williams (59)
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
How good was that Warriors win in the URC gf? URC has gone from strength to strength by adding South Africa, no longer a mickey mouse competition. Hurts me that Dempsey and Tuipuloto could be Lions against Aus.
La Rochelle did everything they could to lose Toulouse and yet they still came close to winning. Were winning by 5 points at HT away at Toulouse, things were looking promising. Then their starting tighthead in the 42nd, Antonio from Timaru, Canterbury who now has 62 French caps lol, got red carded for a high shot. Then in the 60th, their starting loose head head butted the opposition and got another red card. Brain dead.
Bordeaux predictably put Stade Francais away with ease, to set up a meeting with Toulouse in Marseille tomorrow morning at 5am. Impressively, it's Bordeaux's first ever time reaching the GF. I expect Toulouse's bigger supporter base and proximity to Marseille will make it feel like a home final.
Teams are in and amazingly all the big guns are present. Dupont is somehow playing despite being the future man of the tournament at the Olympics Sevens in a few weeks.
Jalibert has returned from a reported season ending injury with a muscle tear. So he lines up against his Les Bleus rival Ntamack at 10.
Big Ben Tameifuna has also returned from another season ending injury??. We'll see if either of these guys are undercooked but it's good to see a full strength team for Bordeaux. Actually Toulouse are understrength with Meafou, Jelonch and now Cyril Baille all out.
Aussie front you have Richie Arnold starting for Toulouse, Adam Coleman starting for Bordeaux with Pete Samu on the bench.
Dupont v Lucu
Ntamack v Jalibert
Scottish hero Blair Kinghorn v World XV winger Damian Penaud
It's gonna be a good one. Head and heart say Toulouse, can't bet against them. Big game experience and all that. I think it'll be apparent just how much better Dupont is than Lucu tomorrow. Hopefully Bordeaux can use Tameifuna to exploit Baille's absence in the scrum and upset Dupont's platform.
La Rochelle did everything they could to lose Toulouse and yet they still came close to winning. Were winning by 5 points at HT away at Toulouse, things were looking promising. Then their starting tighthead in the 42nd, Antonio from Timaru, Canterbury who now has 62 French caps lol, got red carded for a high shot. Then in the 60th, their starting loose head head butted the opposition and got another red card. Brain dead.
Bordeaux predictably put Stade Francais away with ease, to set up a meeting with Toulouse in Marseille tomorrow morning at 5am. Impressively, it's Bordeaux's first ever time reaching the GF. I expect Toulouse's bigger supporter base and proximity to Marseille will make it feel like a home final.
Teams are in and amazingly all the big guns are present. Dupont is somehow playing despite being the future man of the tournament at the Olympics Sevens in a few weeks.
Jalibert has returned from a reported season ending injury with a muscle tear. So he lines up against his Les Bleus rival Ntamack at 10.
Big Ben Tameifuna has also returned from another season ending injury??. We'll see if either of these guys are undercooked but it's good to see a full strength team for Bordeaux. Actually Toulouse are understrength with Meafou, Jelonch and now Cyril Baille all out.
Aussie front you have Richie Arnold starting for Toulouse, Adam Coleman starting for Bordeaux with Pete Samu on the bench.
Dupont v Lucu
Ntamack v Jalibert
Scottish hero Blair Kinghorn v World XV winger Damian Penaud
It's gonna be a good one. Head and heart say Toulouse, can't bet against them. Big game experience and all that. I think it'll be apparent just how much better Dupont is than Lucu tomorrow. Hopefully Bordeaux can use Tameifuna to exploit Baille's absence in the scrum and upset Dupont's platform.
Italophile
Alfred Walker (16)
Dan McKellar leaves Leicester "by mutual consent" after one season. Replaced by Cheika. Tigers were poor, 8th in the premiership, knocked out of Europe early. The consensus was that McKellar was trying to change Tigers' DNA. Expansive attacking rugby in lieu of their traditional forward-heavy attritional game. Tigers are trapped in a time warp. Rugby has moved on from their halcyon bash-it-up days.
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
Well… that was a little one way. Toulouse have beaten Bordeaux 59-3 to become the Top 14 Champions. Biggest margin ever, doubled the next biggest margin. Toulouse have now won the double crown three times in their history, will go down as one of the best club teams ever. Every player was man for man better than their opposition, absolute demolition. When Mauvaka tires, you put on Marchand. They did it all with France’s starting 1, 5, 6 all injured too. Freaks. Stadium was pumping, their star players I think must be on significantly less to play there but would be staying because the culture looks to be incredible.
Italophile
Alfred Walker (16)
All true. Just a delight to watch them in full flow. What does tend to get overlooked is their capacity to improve players, to extract their potential. Top notch coaching and, as you say, culture. Prime example: Blair Kinghorn.
Wilson
Phil Kearns (64)
Rumours of an Anglo-Welsh league won't go away:
www.walesonline.co.uk
I can see why the Welsh are keen and the English are open to it in general, but I don't think there's a version of this that doesn't kill the URC. This latest idea of combining it with the Premiership feels like old school super rugby areas of greedy expansion, I can't see how (or why) the English could step into that comp and hope for anything like the interest and fan engagement they get right now. Feels like the talk of combining the two is just a way of getting an Anglo-Welsh league going in line with current competition agreements, with the understanding that it'd probably all fall to shit in the space of a single broadcast agreement and they'd then get the separate Anglo-Welsh league they really want.
WRU explore possibility of Anglo-Welsh competition as initial talks held
A future Anglo-Welsh competition is a possibility
www.walesonline.co.uk
I can see why the Welsh are keen and the English are open to it in general, but I don't think there's a version of this that doesn't kill the URC. This latest idea of combining it with the Premiership feels like old school super rugby areas of greedy expansion, I can't see how (or why) the English could step into that comp and hope for anything like the interest and fan engagement they get right now. Feels like the talk of combining the two is just a way of getting an Anglo-Welsh league going in line with current competition agreements, with the understanding that it'd probably all fall to shit in the space of a single broadcast agreement and they'd then get the separate Anglo-Welsh league they really want.