Time 4 Union & League 2 Merge?

rowan · Post by **rowan** » Fri Sep 08, 2017 11:09 am

The lines have become increasingly blurred since union went pro . . .

NB: The entire Turkish national team has recently done the same, after being booted out of ENC competition for having a multi-sport admin (government organization which also runs American football, baseball and softball competition).

rowan · Post by **rowan** » Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:52 pm

I see that the consensus is against me here, though I must say that when I look at the modern game of union at tier 1 level these days I am reminded more of league than union as I recall them during my youth (when the latter was still amateur). So I don't think it would be such a difficult task to merge them today. In some parts a merger of cultures would need to take effect as well, with league being more the sport of the working class, notably in Britain and Australia. I wonder to what extent it would effect the balance of power in the game.

But probably it's not going to happen, as it would serve only to reduce the amount of opportunities for players across the board, and if American & Canadian football can co-exist as they do (under slightly different rules), perhaps there's no reason union & league can't do the same, and the ongoing rivalry should keep both codes on their toes, at least.

Lizard · Post by **Lizard** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 5:26 am

Yeah, I'm sure that's recommendation Number One in the NZRU's Respect and Responsibility Review; align ourselves with a bunch borderline rapists from Australia. That will make a bit of consenusual rumpty-pumpty in a public bog seem much more respectable by comparison.

rowan · Post by **rowan** » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:27 am

That sounds a bit like New Zealand's rugby union culture, going by recent reports, and this is kind of what I'm getting at. In New Zealand rugby is the sport of the common man, but in just about every other major playing nation it is primarily the domain of the more privileged classes, with various private schools serving as the game's chief production lines. In Sydney and Brisbane league is the sport of the common man. So Trans-Tasman rugby would certainly be more of a level playing field if the two codes did merge.

rowan · Post by **rowan** » Fri May 11, 2018 10:18 am

Bit of a slapstick view of codes uniting. https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/05/11/l ... love-case/

Wasn't aware of this:

Rugby league’s international appeal is summed up by the fact that rugby league is illegal in Dubai. If you’re caught rugby league-ing in Dubai they’ll put you in jail in Dubai, which is almost as silly as Folau’s latest superstitious Muppetry, I could have written it, I did not.

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