The student population isnt a valid point. It is nonsense. You are highlighting a difference of 10k students as somehow important in regions of 2.5m and 2.2m. And forgetting that Headingley is literally the heart of the Leeds student population. Headingley stadium is part of the Leeds Beckett Campus for heavens sake. It makes no sense to pretend there is some reason why Leeds can be hugely successful in an area of the city where the student population is based but RL in Manchester can't make in-roads in to the student population of the city because there are 10k more students.
I used Bradford as an example of a club based in a area well represented by Asians.
I havent confused challenges and opportunity. I dont believe we have any demographic challenges. All we have seen in this thread is people saying oh these clubs can't grow in to Manchester cos of the jews, because of Asians, because of Afro-carribeans, because of students, Yet the game is popular in a similar sized city 60 miles away with a large jewish population, with a large black population, which is based in a University and next door is a club based in a city famous for its Asian population, now we get "yeah but its just different". Whats different? What magic is happening in those 60miles that means it becomes more difficult or challenging to connect to these communities? Are Manchester black people somehow less predisposed to Rugby League than Leeds Black people? Is there some fundemental difference between Manchester Jews and Leeds Jews? Cos that seems to be the argument being made here and it seems pretty absurd.
The students I’ve socialised with over the years in Leeds have very little interest in rugby league apart from the annual Leeds Met v Leeds Uni match at Headingley. Leeds Rhinos fans tend to come from outside of Headingley to watch the game like I have for many years.
The major difference between the demographic populations of Leeds and Manchester is that the latter is exposed to two of the biggest football clubs in the world whilst the former is exposed to Leeds United.
The students I’ve socialised with over the years in Leeds have very little interest in rugby league apart from the annual Leeds Met v Leeds Uni match at Headingley. Leeds Rhinos fans tend to come from outside of Headingley to watch the game like I have for many years.
I won't comment on the students you socialise with but it simply isn't true that Leeds rhinos fans tend to come from outside the immediate area. Also the work done with local universities has been a great success in bringing in a new and diverse fanbase to the rhinos. Btw for balance I'm not holding up Leeds as a perfect example here. Huddersfield have great links with hudds uni and Wigans work in London, the big one, and Heinz are also great examples of the type of thinking I am promoting. Meanwhile Leeds decision to move their WCC games back to headingley is a huge failure of ambition.
The major difference between the demographic populations of Leeds and Manchester is that the latter is exposed to two of the biggest football clubs in the world whilst the former is exposed to Leeds United.
That's a relatively recent thing. The failures of rugby league are the failures of rugby league. Not because of the successes of other sports.
I won't comment on the students you socialise with but it simply isn't true that Leeds rhinos fans tend to come from outside the immediate area. Also the work done with local universities has been a great success in bringing in a new and diverse fanbase to the rhinos. Btw for balance I'm not holding up Leeds as a perfect example here. Huddersfield have great links with hudds uni and Wigans work in London, the big one, and Heinz are also great examples of the type of thinking I am promoting. Meanwhile Leeds decision to move their WCC games back to headingley is a huge failure of ambition.
That's a relatively recent thing. The failures of rugby league are the failures of rugby league. Not because of the successes of other sports.
I have no doubt Leeds Rhinos have made some inroads at attracting fans from the cities higher education institutions to matches but I think you overestimate what an impact this has in the grand scheme of things. A Leeds Uni or Met or trinity student attending Leeds Rhinos matches is about as niche as the students attending live netball matches in this city.
The success of other sports in any particular area does have an impact on rugby league thriving in that area. Farsley (I await for someone to correct me on this) has never had a rugby league team but we have a relatively successful football club and cricket doesn't do too bad either. Pudsey has never had a rugby league team either as far as I'm aware but has two cricket clubs and a football club.
I have no doubt Leeds Rhinos have made some inroads at attracting fans from the cities higher education institutions to matches but I think you overestimate what an impact this has in the grand scheme of things. A Leeds Uni or Met or trinity student attending Leeds Rhinos matches is about as niche as the students attending live netball matches in this city.
It isnt. There are more university students playing for the Rhinos than are watching Netball in the city.
The success of other sports in any particular area does have an impact on rugby league thriving in that area. Farsley (I await for someone to correct me on this) has never had a rugby league team but we have a relatively successful football club and cricket doesn't do too bad either. Pudsey has never had a rugby league team either as far as I'm aware but has two cricket clubs and a football club.
Stanningley will be surprised that they dont play RL in LS28. There are a few teams there arent there. I think they play RL in Bramley as well.
It isnt. There are more university students playing for the Rhinos than are watching Netball in the city.
Stanningley will be surprised that they dont play RL in LS28. There are a few teams there arent there. I think they play RL in Bramley as well.
Please enlighten me further on university students playing for the Rhinos because I am generally oblivious. Maybe a link?
Stanningley and Bramley aren't Farsley or Pudsey. Teams are generally named after the name of the village, town or city they come from and not the postcode. Rodley Rockets used to train in Farsley but a rugby team has still never really took off and established here.
Please enlighten me further on university students playing for the Rhinos because I am generally oblivious. Maybe a link?
Josh Walters and Ryan Hall, Jimmy Keinhorst was discovered playing University RL (A German playing university RL? Surely thats unpossible?). JJB did his with Sinfield and Diskin, Rob Burrow, Jamie Peacock got a degree whilst playing for Leeds, Kylie Lueluai got an accountancy degree, Ashton Golding at Leeds Met, and they are just the ones that came up from googling leeds rhinos, degree.
Stanningley and Bramley aren't Farsley or Pudsey. Teams are generally named after the name of the village, town or city they come from and not the postcode. Rodley Rockets used to train in Farsley but a rugby team has still never really took off and established here.
Josh Walters and Ryan Hall, Jimmy Keinhorst was discovered playing University RL (A German playing university RL? Surely thats unpossible?). JJB did his with Sinfield and Diskin, Rob Burrow, Jamie Peacock got a degree whilst playing for Leeds, Kylie Lueluai got an accountancy degree, Ashton Golding at Leeds Met, and they are just the ones that came up from googling leeds rhinos, degree.
Where do you think Stanningley is?
It's not in Manchester or Liverpool that's for sure and I'd hazard a guess that neither are Farsley, Pudsey or Bramley