Rugby World Cup 2011 - NZ win! (or did they?)

It is a fact that rugby union thrives in affluent areas of England, Ireland, to a lesser extent Scotland, and everywhere in Wales. Rugby league and football (soccer) succeeds everywhere else in all the aforementioned countries. It is very much a class divide. Ever wondered why there are very few rugby league fans/clubs/people in the South of England? Because it is a workingman's sport from the North of England.

Something Fishy

It also thrives in Cornwall and Cornwall isn't affluent unless you're a retired English person or second home owner.

Salaries at 13-14 times less than house prices due to the inflated impact of those people does not an affluent people make.

I pity the Cornish rugby league team that travels to the North for a match.

Something Fishy

ah , slarti might be making the same point as me.

Union thrives here in a poor celtic area, just like Wales.

Cornish Pirates.

Yeah... my point was the logistics would be a nightmare.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:
sawyerpip wrote:Absolutely none of my English friends I met through University cared about Rugby in the slightest. One of them in particular was a massive fan of sport in general, and loved supporting England and English people in competition, it absolutely baffled me why he hated rugby so much. I guess this isn't indicative of the country in general, but from my experience the support of English rugby seemed to be localised to certain areas and not nationwide.

I would definitely agree that the following of rugby in England is localised. Mainly because of the north and south league/union split. Also the main rugby union teams tend to be based in areas where there isn't a top premiership football team. Leicester, northampton, bath, watford, reading, high wycombe and Newcastle etc

The strange thing is, of those areas you mentioned, the friend I picked out in my post is actually from High Wycombe :lol:

I always assumed rugby was a bigger deal in Ireland and Scotland than England, going from people's posts in here I guess that's not the case.

I'll give you the low down

Rugby union is strongest in:

England: South, West London, Bristol, South west, affluent areas in the midlands. Basically everywhere with copious amounts of upper-middle class people.

Wales: Everywhere you could mention and more. Weakest in Swansea.

Scotland: Totally, totally dominant in the almost-empty Borders. Strong in Edinburgh, west of Glasgow (where I learnt my rugby facts) and affluent areas of Aberdeenshire. Rugby union is absolutely extinct in the highlands and islands.

Ireland: The Dublin private schools, D4 area. Leinster rural areas, Limerick, affluent areas of Cork. In Ulster is tends to me the protestant community that has a bigger rugby following. The closer to the coast you are = the stronger the following of rugby.

Something Fishy

Fair to say you're not classing Cornwall as England then.. good on you.

It sure doesn't have the copious amounts of middle class folks if that's what you're thinking.

Try "amongst the poorest areas of the UK". Hence this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-15427811 just today about our dependence on Euro funding due to having a fooked economy and lack of jobs or money.

Football doesn't count for gooseberry fool here and rugby is played at all levels and as normal by working class kids. Just like Wales.

He did say the South west.

Something Fishy

Slartibartfast wrote:He did say the South west.

yeah but then made the point it was a wealthy middle classed sport.

In celtic Kernow it's the sport of everyone.

I was summing up tenancies of roughly 66 million people in several different countries, so please do excuse me if I forgot a county of roughly 500,000 people at tip of England's bellend

** I'm glad that rugby is something that distinguishes you from England, it always makes me smile to see the Celtic nations assert themselves.

** Patronizing tone intended, don't worry, I'm not that ignorant

Scotticus Erroticus wrote:It is a fact that rugby union thrives in affluent areas of England, Ireland, to a lesser extent Scotland, and everywhere in Wales. Rugby league and football (soccer) succeeds everywhere else in all the aforementioned countries. It is very much a class divide. Ever wondered why there are very few rugby league fans/clubs/people in the South of England? Because it is a workingman's sport from the North of England.

Rugby League is practically non-existent in Ireland.

Something Fishy

You described devon rather well there I reckon.

bear wrote:
Scotticus Erroticus wrote:It is a fact that rugby union thrives in affluent areas of England, Ireland, to a lesser extent Scotland, and everywhere in Wales. Rugby league and football (soccer) succeeds everywhere else in all the aforementioned countries. It is very much a class divide. Ever wondered why there are very few rugby league fans/clubs/people in the South of England? Because it is a workingman's sport from the North of England.

Rugby League is practically non-existent in Ireland.

Read up, I said that later on. I know a few Irishmen that got stuffed in Glasgow a fortnight ago that would disagree with us both though

Something Fishy wrote:You described devon rather well there I reckon.

If devon is a bellend then you're a foreskin!

Something Fishy

Scotticus Erroticus wrote:
bear wrote:
Scotticus Erroticus wrote:It is a fact that rugby union thrives in affluent areas of England, Ireland, to a lesser extent Scotland, and everywhere in Wales. Rugby league and football (soccer) succeeds everywhere else in all the aforementioned countries. It is very much a class divide. Ever wondered why there are very few rugby league fans/clubs/people in the South of England? Because it is a workingman's sport from the North of England.

Rugby League is practically non-existent in Ireland.

Read up, I said that later on. I know a few Irishmen that got stuffed in Glasgow a fortnight ago that would disagree with us both though

Where?

Scotticus Erroticus wrote: Rugby league is virtually non-existent in SCO, IRE, FRA and WAL. They all have teams, but nothing like England does.

My bad, I said it earlier than the post you quoted.

France got fined for confronting the haka :fp:

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Rugby World Cup 2011 - NZ win! (or did they?)

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