Comments on: Rugby Dugby Sat on a Wall… http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/06/28/rugby-dugby-sat-on-a-wall/ It's always football season somewhere. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:06:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Dave http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/06/28/rugby-dugby-sat-on-a-wall/#comment-14075 Dave Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:41:54 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/06/28/rugby-dugby-sat-on-a-wall/#comment-14075 National identity in really, really big in Canada, and those extra ten yards and huge end zones -- which a <i>Canadian</i> created -- aren't going away any time soon. Canada doesn't want to be even more of an NFL minor league than it already is. As for league, there's a four-nation international tournament set for 2009 -- Australia, England, France & New Zealand -- but if the World Cup and the ELVs manage to elevate rugby union, I can't see league expanding much beyond its traditional strongholds, just like I can't see gridiron expanding too far beyond it's stronghold here in America, next month's World Cup not withstanding. National identity in really, really big in Canada, and those extra ten yards and huge end zones — which a Canadian created — aren’t going away any time soon. Canada doesn’t want to be even more of an NFL minor league than it already is.

As for league, there’s a four-nation international tournament set for 2009 — Australia, England, France & New Zealand — but if the World Cup and the ELVs manage to elevate rugby union, I can’t see league expanding much beyond its traditional strongholds, just like I can’t see gridiron expanding too far beyond it’s stronghold here in America, next month’s World Cup not withstanding.

]]> By: a different dave http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/06/28/rugby-dugby-sat-on-a-wall/#comment-14027 a different dave Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:31:57 +0000 http://www.davesfootballblog.com/post/2007/06/28/rugby-dugby-sat-on-a-wall/#comment-14027 It won't happen, because you don't just have two different codes, you have two different cultures. Any unification would mean some kind of compromise, which would make both cultures unhappy. Also, rugby union doesn't really need rugby league that much now that it has gone professional. The rugby union code is much more widespread and the IRB world cup is a much bigger deal than the league equivalent. On the other hand, though union is more widespread and popular worldwide, league has two strongholds where it dominates: north of England, and Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. So it's something of a standoff. Don't expect either side to compromise. As for the gridiron derivative of rugby, code unification might be more possible, but only because the NFL is so much bigger and richer than the CFL. There wouldn't even be any need for "compromise", the American version being so much more dominant. However, there is still a little bit of Canadian nationalism at play here and the Canadians wouldn't necessarily welcome an NFL takeover. In some kind of ideal world you could see the two codes set up an international organization to unify gridiron, but there is no tradition of such a thing in American sports; gridiron never has had an equivalent of the IRB or FIFA. You also have the problem that high schools, colleges, and the pro game all have their own, different, rules. Convincing all these different parties to come together and agree on a single gridiron code would be next to impossible, barring some sea change in attitudes. It won’t happen, because you don’t just have two different codes, you have two different cultures. Any unification would mean some kind of compromise, which would make both cultures unhappy. Also, rugby union doesn’t really need rugby league that much now that it has gone professional. The rugby union code is much more widespread and the IRB world cup is a much bigger deal than the league equivalent.

On the other hand, though union is more widespread and popular worldwide, league has two strongholds where it dominates: north of England, and Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. So it’s something of a standoff. Don’t expect either side to compromise.

As for the gridiron derivative of rugby, code unification might be more possible, but only because the NFL is so much bigger and richer than the CFL. There wouldn’t even be any need for “compromise”, the American version being so much more dominant. However, there is still a little bit of Canadian nationalism at play here and the Canadians wouldn’t necessarily welcome an NFL takeover.

In some kind of ideal world you could see the two codes set up an international organization to unify gridiron, but there is no tradition of such a thing in American sports; gridiron never has had an equivalent of the IRB or FIFA. You also have the problem that high schools, colleges, and the pro game all have their own, different, rules. Convincing all these different parties to come together and agree on a single gridiron code would be next to impossible, barring some sea change in attitudes.

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