Pool C - Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal

[Ali TT]

Rugby union is only really the number one sport in a very limited part of mostly rural west England. It's obviously not even the main code north of Nottingham. In most of the country it's primarily a middle/upper-middle class sport but even then has to compete with Olympic sports the UK does well at nowadays alongside football or cricket.

Other than the front 5, the physical differences between rugby players and other sports folk is gym work and diet.

 

[GIMH]

Rugby union is only really the number one sport in a very limited part of mostly rural west England. It's obviously not even the main code north of Nottingham. In most of the country it's primarily a middle/upper-middle class sport but even then has to compete with Olympic sports the UK does well at nowadays alongside football or cricket.

Other than the front 5, the physical differences between rugby players and other sports folk is gym work and diet.

It’s the number one Rugby code in historic Cheshire tbf

 

[Ali TT]

It’s the number one Rugby code in historic Cheshire tbf

And famously no good football teams in that area, so the kids aren't distracted by other sports.

Cricket team is **** too.

 

[GIMH]

And famously no good football teams in that area,

bitch I will **** you up

 

[Ali TT]

bitch I will **** you up

I know their Hollywood owner has made them famous, but Wrexham is Wales (and not that good yet)

 

[GIMH]

I know their Hollywood owner has made them famous, but Wrexham is Wales (and not that good yet)

Mods plz

 

[ripper868]

Possibly the crispest cover drive I've seen this season, wp Ali TT, wp.

 

[Howe_zat]

Given Castro was an Argentine with Italian antecedents I'm willing to bet he must've played at some point!

Not sure how big footy is in Tonga. Although I bet the players are effing big.

Castro was actually a school basketballer, and I'm not making that up

 

[Molehill]

Rugby union is only really the number one sport in a very limited part of mostly rural west England.

And a small pocket of the East Midlands.

It's interesting that our two fly halves are both the sons of (essentially) Rugby League players.

 

[Howe_zat]

And a small pocket of the East Midlands.

It's interesting that our two fly halves are both the sons of (essentially) Rugby League players.

Nah, even in that pocket it's got nothing on the popularity of football, to the extent it makes me doubt when people say rugby is #1 in Devon as well.

 

[GIMH]

It’s more popular than footy in er Northampton, right?

 

[Molehill]

Nah, even in that pocket it's got nothing on the popularity of football, to the extent it makes me doubt when people say rugby is #1 in Devon as well.

As someone who went to Uni in Devon, I can tell you that the interest drops when you head West of Exeter, but then picks up again in Cornwall where they don't have a football team. And the Cornish being what they are, wouldn't support a team outside Cornwall.

It’s more popular than footy in er Northampton, right?

For a long time it would've been on a par with football in Leicester - but I think things have changed in the last 20 years.

 

[Howe_zat]

It’s more popular than footy in er Northampton, right?

Strongly doubt if my experience of Leicestershire towns is any indication. An area not having a top level football team just means the kids support Liverpool/Man United.

 

[Ali TT]

I went to (a pretty standard comp) school in Gloucestershire and rugby matches (inter-school and intramural) got far more interest than the football games. In terms of interest in the professional sports, football tended to dominate but rugby first in terms of participation. That may have changed since as was twenty years ago!

Obviously Gloucestershire doesn't really have a major football team so not a fair comparison but the Cherry and Whites were always selling out week in week out and the town would be a buzz on nights out after a game.

 

[Yeoman]

By intramural do you mean the Eton wall game?

More seriously, I doubt there is a town or county in England in which football is not the most played and followed sport.

 

[Tom Flint]

Cricket in inner Luton? Or bradford. Participation not watching.

 

[Yeoman]

Fair points, at lest for parts of those towns. Not that familiar with either however even in Southall (similar demographics) football was pretty popular.

 

[Ali TT]

By intramural do you mean the Eton wall game?

More seriously, I doubt there is a town or county in England in which football is not the most played and followed sport.

Haha, I meant school houses

 

[Molehill]

Another club gone from the 'English' ranks, even the money in Jersey couldn't save the Reds from going under.

 

[Yeoman]

Pretty much ever since professionalism began, a high proportion clubs have been overpaying players relative to their incomes. This is not of course unique to rugby union however the sport lacks the quasi-mutualistic central distribution model of cricket or the steady stream of publicity-hungry businessmen (and now sovereign wealth funds) which underpin football.