I’ve had an on off relationship with Rugby League
Growing up in Tropical Essex not to many people into it
Now I’ve always liked Rugby Union but in the mid 1980’s to the early 1990’s I really took to Rugby League
It was the great Challenge Cup Finals of those days plus the Kangaroo Tours when the Aussies came over that I really enjoyed
My school was called St Helens so naturally I chose St Helens & in the late 80’s & early 90’s was a member. I think it cost about £1 lol 😂
I enjoyed it on a par with Union & in fact probably a bit more
But two things really took we away from the game for sometime. Firstly Wigan dominating for almost 10 years. Winning everything it seemed for about 8 of those years.
It took my interest away I dislike seeing teams dominate a competition and it coincided with Rugby Union becoming professional & a better sport to watch with rule changes etc .
Plus with England getting to Rugby World Cup Final of 1991 & the amazing story of South Africa’s win in 1995 , international Rugby Union started to leave international Rugby League behind
So I became more of a Rugby Union follower as at times League can be a little repetitive 6 tackles then another and another. Union just had more different aspects to the game, scrum, line outs, although I keep an eye on league
In Australia in 1995 I met Ellary Hanley & Peter Sterling and when in New Zealand in 1996 I went to see Great Britain v New Zealand in Auckland
I then watched Rugby League really on the periphery not a hard core fan although I’d still want St Helens to win & dislike Wigan lol
Since then moving to Australia I’ve at times struggle with it . I’ve been to a couple of games I saw Parramatta Eels v North Queensland Cowboys plus Australia v Samoa at the last World Cup
This will sound bizarre but in the first few years living in Australia I went away from a bit in rebellion lol
I just got frustrated with it being popular & often the first sport to be reported on , on the news etc when in England it’s far from that .
I don’t have a team here in Australia either and in recent years quite a few players here have been involved in scandals often sex scandals charged with serious offences & done stupid things during Covid
It’s got quite a few knuckleheads in the sport here
Again State of Origin although a pinnacle game I don’t have an allegiance, they hype it up as if it’s the biggest sporting event in the world plus Australians call Queensland the Maroons but say it Mar-roans 🤮😡
It does my head in the can’t say a simple word properly .
Plus Rugby Union is struggling here it’s almost dying on its arse
They sound trivial but things just grated me , recently I’ve softened and taking a bit more interest in it again especially as lads at work follow it
Mostly it’s internationally that lets Rugby League down it’s just not competitive enough & especially as it’s unfortunate Australian are 95% the best
