: Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:12 am  

Ari Gold wrote:

I just argue that it paints Student Rugby League in a poor light, there are some bloody good players in SRL that don't get the chance to play on sky every season, but these lot who are vastly inferior do.

No it doesn't. Anybody who watched that game and expected that the standard should be something other than two teams of amateurs needs their head examining. I thought it was a decent game, with both sides playing passion and effort and that's what counts, not that there are better sides out there, if we took this logic to it's extreme there would only be a couple of games a season worth watching.

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:29 am  

I cant believe some people could turn this game into a negative.

The game struggles to get rid of the "Northern" stereotype, yet the two most prestigious universities in the world, and darn sarf are playing this game and its bad????

as the yanks would say, go figure!!

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:51 am  

To all those negative posters, GET REAL!
There were 300+ Corporate types wined and dined in the east stand last night and a fair few young, well spoken fans from each Uni. These people are the future editors, TV moguls, MP's and corporate giants of this country and therefore, this Varsity game is important to the game of RL in general.
If we have a minister for sport in 20 years who is a cambridge RL blue from this year, then I would imagine the sport of RL will benefit. Or....would you rather that sky just showed more wendyball
Some people shouldn't be let near a computer without adult supervision.

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:03 am  

littlerich wrote:

Yes. Yes definately. I'm just trying to find the relevant website which indexes former Oxford/Cambridge Students that have played in the Varsity Fixture and who now run a company which sponsors RL. Bear with me...................

Here's one person (almost): Me.

Although I missed the Varsity through injury two years running, as it goes. And the Exeter Uni side I now coach beat Oxford 76-6 this year.

The Varsity isn't the pinnacle of Student Rugby, but it is an exceptionally important promotional device for the national profile of the game. Same as the boat race... before Steven Regrave, it was the only time rowing ever made the telly. Oxbridge RL is conclusive proof of the expansion of RL from the northern heartlands into the mainstream establishment. Long may it be shown. Especially when the right team wins.

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:05 am  

Wembley71 wrote:

... Oxbridge RL is conclusive proof of the expansion of RL from the northern heartlands into the mainstream establishment...

Perhaps that, for some people, is the heart of the problem?

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:11 am  

No doubt that it's a positive that it's on sky, but it is annoying watching it at home knowing your team could be giving a much better display of RL to the nation.
But for the bigger picture, it's great and needs to stay, let's hope the standard can improve, they've started to give RL scholarships now haven't they, which is another massive plus.

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:17 am  

Matt23 wrote:

No doubt that it's a positive that it's on sky, but it is annoying watching it at home knowing your team could be giving a much better display of RL to the nation.
But for the bigger picture, it's great and needs to stay, let's hope the standard can improve, they've started to give RL scholarships now haven't they, which is another massive plus.

Totally correct Matt, you could have been displaying your rock steady defensive skills from Wednesday to the entire nation!

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:03 pm  

I know there were far too many errors in the game, described by Cambridge coach John Evans as a "knock-on-a-thon", but was anybody else impressed by the discipline of the teams when defending their goal line? They put most SL teams to shame, having both feet behind the line on nearly every play.

Also I felt the referee had a good game

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:52 pm  

crackers_HKR wrote:

I know there were far too many errors in the game, described by Cambridge coach John Evans as a "knock-on-a-thon", but was anybody else impressed by the discipline of the teams when defending their goal line? ...

Yes to both points.

Generally, it was also a very disciplined game in terms of foul play.

: Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:52 pm  

The Varsity match is about the occasion, not the standard of the rugby league.

Instead of bagging this fixture, people should be aware of it's worth in it's own right and then start working towards getting Leeds Met and Loughborough (or anybody else from the Super 6) on tv.