Do you want England to win the Rugger?

[grecian]

Okay, posting this thread as a general point of interest. I would like it not to descend into a slagging match. I'm doing it in "General sport forum", because if I did it in the Rugby sub-forum, it would obviously be polled towards the fans of the game.

The reason I ask the question, is because, I'm not a fan of Rugby Union, tbh, but even more then that I'm not a fan of the bandwagon jumping that seem to infest British society in the last 10 years.

There used to be a time, if you didn't like something/sport/event, you could easily get away from it. Nowadays, however, every bit of the meedja, force it down your throat with a ridiculous overkill which sickens. It started with the "Peoples Princess", a nation grieved apparently, well I didn't I'm afraid, I didn't know the woman, I reserve grieving for people I know thanks very much.

Every football World Cup we get it, people with no interest whatsoever with football (I'm reasonably sure I don't see them down St James Park anyway), jumping up and down at every corner, infesting the pubs with their cries of Eng-er-land, singing that fecking annoying song by those blokes that used to do Fantasy Football. It winds me up no end. Thats with a sport I love.

Yet this Rugger-thing is a different animal all together. Hardly anyone follows it at all, apart from the world Cup, 95% of the watchers don't even know the ****ing rules. I'm certainly not having a pop at the blokes who do follow it week in, week out.

We're again being told a nation awaits with bated breath, everyone behind Johnny and the indeterminate other blokes.

Yet there are people, mainly wearing flat-caps and watching whippets run up and down each others legs admittedly, who actually follow another code in this country :gasp:. There are others who feel Union is the preserve of the upper-classes and privileged. Others that just feel it's boringly rubbish. Many fans of the game are saying England have done it in a fairly negative style.

I'm sick to death of every columnist, broadcaster, talk-sport presenter telling us what football can "learn from Rugby", when I know full well in a months time, whatever the result, all they'll be talking about is football (of the Association kind) again. Theres certainly no need to hear from you, Gordon Brown, your a footie supporter, and your Scottish, ffs.

So will you be supporting the English Rugby Union side on Saturday?

[BoyBrumby]

Yep.

Probably not the target audience for the poll tho, given I'm something of a Rugger-Bugger anyway.

&, tbf to Brown, he's enough of a Rugby fan to have lost an eye playing it: from The Torygraph

Gordon, his second son, had gone blind in his left eye and had almost lost the sight of the other.

The darkness descended several months after Gordon was kicked in the head during an end of term rugby match. He was playing against the teachers at Kirkcaldy High School where he was the Dux, the leading scholar of his year, shortly before he went to Edinburgh University.

Kind of like the idea of one of his teachers giving the smart-arse **** a kicking for his troubles, it must be said.

Oh, and purely to annoy grecian; Jimmy Greaves on why he prefers Rugby. From The Currant Bun.

[cpr]

Sort of a casual RU fan meself, will try and watch any 6 nations, HK 7's or other games shown, used to play at school, so know enough to follow whats going on. However pubs full of die hard RL fans who sorta stare at the screen then get confused when a try adds 5, but cheer all the same. Dont read papers really (bar the odd Times now and again), so not subjected to the bum loving its been given ATM.

Shall be cheering on from behind the bar on sat (just hoping i'm working on the side with the big screen)

[Neil Pickup]

Yes: utterly unrelatedly to the whole World Cup bandwagon jumping (which is a valid point), I have been forced to learn the rules of rugby in order to (a) coach it and (b) referee it at school.

From doing it reluctantly, I have actually thoroughly got into the whole thing. On Saturday I sat down to watch the Super League Grand Final and then the World Cup Semi Final. The Super League bored me and I flicked between TV and laptop. The Union had me on the edge of my seat throughout - despite everything that has been said about the dullness of England's play.

It's not dull. It's how I've got my team at school playing. Wingers are luxury items and you win matches by holding on the ball, tackling hard, supporting your runners and rucking over properly.

Gah, I sound like a Welshman... but I can't wait for the final.

[grecian]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Yep.

Probably not the target audience for the poll tho, given I'm something of a Rugger-Bugger anyway.

&, tbf to Brown, he's enough of a Rugby fan to have lost an eye playing it: from The Torygraph

Gordon, his second son, had gone blind in his left eye and had almost lost the sight of the other.

The darkness descended several months after Gordon was kicked in the head during an end of term rugby match. He was playing against the teachers at Kirkcaldy High School where he was the Dux, the leading scholar of his year, shortly before he went to Edinburgh University.

Kind of like the idea of one of his teachers giving the smart-arse **** a kicking for his troubles, it must be said.

Oh, and purely to annoy grecian; Jimmy Greaves on why he prefers Rugby. From The Currant Bun.

Being unfair to Brown, I'll live.

Yes, I almost mentioned Greaves, in my barely coherent rant. Yet I just put it down to him still smarting over Roger Hunt being preferred, would turn me off football a bit, tbh

[BoyBrumby]

To Rugby fans there's only one Gordon Brown anyway; the sadly departed Broon Frae Troon, the godlike Scottish & British Lions lock who partnered Willie-John McBride on our victorious 71 & 74 tours. Hard, hard man.

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Lesser of two evils for my mind. Not a big fan of either England or South Africa. I will be supporting Wellington in the rugby this weekend.

I guess I would prefer England to win just to highlight how ****ing stupid the media columnists were down here; writing off the Poms before the start of the compo. If they are forced eat their words plenty of times, all the better.

[vogue]

Short answer being yes.....was brought up in a working class northern town which to be fair was League country,with a dad who was passionate about football,rugby and cricket(in that order),it was kind of given i would have an interest in sport...spent many a saturday watching some game or other..got to know the finer points of the above mentioned sports through my dad....then i went to Hull Uni,another League enclave(i should in all fairness enjoy League more!!) ....I just always remember watching the six nations with my dad,and as I never went out with anyone who played the game... I guess my liking for it came from him...always liked the physicality of the game....

[Samuel_Vimes]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Gordon, his second son, had gone blind in his left eye and had almost lost the sight of the other.

The darkness descended several months after Gordon was kicked in the head during an end of term rugby match. He was playing against the teachers at Kirkcaldy High School where he was the Dux, the leading scholar of his year, shortly before he went to Edinburgh University.

Sounds like a bloke giving up his nationality, for mine.

[steds]

No.

[cpr]

Originally Posted by vogue

Short answer being yes.....was brought up in a working class northern town which to be fair was League country,with a dad who was passionate about football,rugby and cricket(in that order),it was kind of given i would have an interest in sport...spent many a saturday watching some game or other..got to know the finer points of the above mentioned sports through my dad....then i went to Hull Uni,another League enclave(i should in all fairness enjoy League more!!) ....I just always remember watching the six nations with my dad,and as I never went out with anyone who played the game... I guess my liking for it came from him...always liked the physicality of the game....

Heh, the way you write that, i'm surprised you wern't sent down t'pit at the age of 12

[steds]

Originally Posted by vogue

(i should in all fairness enjoy League more!!)

Anyone with a brain should

[Goughy]

Will be proudly supporting the Saffies.

I will wince if Enlgand win, thank God Im not in the country and forget about it and move on.

[cpr]

Originally Posted by steds

Anyone with a brain should

Now now, lets not start that one......












You'll lose tbh

[Matteh]

Have absolutely no ties to SA, so Eng it is.