Why is Rugby Union so popular?

My first response bandgeekmafia was those hold up paddles from QI the answer is "Nobody Knows!"

I think it's the subtle relationships in class terms between yawn, the media and upbringing that creates a picture, an image of greater popularity as much as the reality differences.

I think that Vichy is very good at marketing itself and always has been right from 1895 and receives a great deal of help from media sources that RL can only dream about.

They have also helped create the image of RL as dour, working class, less complex as well strangely, colloquially and weirdly "northern".

When you add to this the social element of going to matches that one of our fellow Devil talk posters will concur about and they have a recipe for success and development.

That's before you talk about money,sponsors and difference in the amount of coverage.

To compete with all this, let alone challenge and defeat your competitor you'd have to be on your top game 24/7/365.

Whereas we can offer bad natured banter,half-empty terraces in front of the cameras,extremely poor marketing responses to our state of affairs and bashing our own like Stevo,Gary Hetherington and MK.

When you put it this way it's a wonder any of us prefer TGG!

A lot has to do with the fact that RU is deeply rooted into 'ruling-class' culture. It has long been established in universities and places of learning for far longer than RL as well as in the services such as the military and civilian services. That is changing slowly, but it is still far more ingrained into these areas. This means that for generations, the best of the bright and young have grown-up with it as part of their lives, and it follows that some of these people then find themselves years later in positions of power. In the media, in corporations and business, and in Government. It becomes a lot easier for a sport to become the focus of money and attention when these people then promote and help proliferate its exposure.

Things are a lot better now in this area. The services in particular are a great growth area for RL when previously they weren't even allowed. It'll take a lot longer for RL to start competing in the psyche of our Nation while RU has decades head start, and may never reach the same heights.

The international game is where RU does so much better than RL.

Other than that, at club level I don't believe there is much different in support.

The average sports fan can name 5-10 England RU international because of the 6 nations , tour series and WC that happen every year. RL pales at this point although kiwi tour last year help it needs to develop this area of RL.

Doubt RL will ever catch up Union internationally, there is a broader fan base world wide and it's governing body are on a different planet with its level of professionalism, where we put Union to shame is he domestic game in the UK. I've been to a few Wales games and the atmosphere and game day experience is pretty awesome, even been to Edinburgh to sit in the Greyfriars Bobby pub with Wales and Scotland fans on match day, sing songs and watch the game on a big screen and it was a brilliant day out.

In the Southern hemisphere they have what is almost a 3rd variation of rugby in the Super Rugby competition, it is almost a 15 man game of RL, very skilful and pretty decent entertainment.

Don't know why everyone is fascinated with competing with RU, different sport and in the UK at least different fans, our powers that be would be much better served looking to attract Union fans to watch a game of RL than trying to outdo them. RL should embrace it is a faster more open game with more physicality, think a couple of rules tweeks would help make the games more exciting personally.

Interesting take on things by the son of one of the greatest ever.

m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/bev-risman-calls-for-rugby-codes-to-merge-and-shake-the-sporting-world-35121113.html