Despite the fact that the Rugby League season has
just kicked off, once again it is Rugby Union that is stealing the limelight
with England’s so far successful campaign in the Six Nations tournament.
Although I have been watching and enjoying the Six Nations and wish the England
team all the luck in the world, why is it that Union always take precedence
over League? Yes, I’m about to reignite the whole debate over which is the
better code.
First of all there are the obvious differences, the
number of players in a team, the lineouts, scrums and points obtained from
tries, etc. However there are many other things that differ and for me
personally, League wins every time.
One thing that is vitally important, especially in
this current economic climate, is the cost. It is more expensive to watch
Union; it’s as simple as that. For instance, England v Wales tickets in the Six
Nations this year are selling on the internet for around the astonishing £275
mark. For tickets to watch England v Australia, including the Opening Ceremony,
in the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, you would pay at the most £99 for the
best seats, you could pay as little as £20. For a rugby loving family, that
would make an enormous difference.
Now back to what happens on the pitch. Rugby League
is a faster, more exciting game to watch. People say that the six tackle rule
in League is what makes it boring but to me that just adds to the adrenaline,
the pressure of knowing you have to make as much ground as possible and you
only have six tackles in which to do it. It also means that the ball is always
moving, in Union, it often appears to be lost for a good few seconds under a
pile of sweaty bodies. Besides, there are too many rules in Union, the whistle
is constantly being blown and the game stopped as everyone looks round in
bewilderment claiming it wasn’t them.
Another bug-bear I have is that in League, points
generally come from tries whereas in Union, they come from penalties. Teams can
and often win games without even going over the line. This was evident in the
dull game against Ireland at the weekend. Where is the excitement if tries are
not being scored, surely that is the whole point of this beautiful game.
I can’t deny however that Union is more popular and
gets far more coverage. I think this has a lot to do with the history of the
sport. Union was developed by the middle
classes in the South after the great rugby split of 1895 and remained amateur
until 1995. Rugby League was embraced by the working classes and is played
mainly in the North. With these crucial factors in mind, ask yourself, did
League ever really stand a chance of winning the popularity contest?
So, there you have it, although I think that Rugby League
is the better code, unfortunately a lot of people don’t agree and sadly I don’t
think it will ever become equal to Union. Let’s just hope we can have a
fantastic season and an even better World Cup and show those Union fans just
what they are missing out on.
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