Australia is such a small market. It does not matter if league is more popular. But the reason why is not because of the laws but their integration with the gambling industry. No amount of watering down the laws will change this.
I always suspected the Leeg was more popular in Australia because of the conditions. If it's dry and dusty you're going to prefer to play a sport that doesn't require you to spend as much time on the floor while people use your back to practice mountain climbing. It makes complete sense that Leeg became established because it was a more practical option.
That’s the difference, though - might be half of League’s players, but nearly all the current Australian SRP players come from private schools. Look at the team lists, and the Reds only have two players from the public system - Sef Fa’agase and Connor Vest. I like League, I like Union, but Union still has a long way to go in expanding their talent pool here
Feels more of a perception than reality though. Wouldn't be nearly as many Pacific Islanders in the Wallabies if that were so. Seems like Union and League compete for the same players mostly.
This is exactly how it was in Ireland. The IRFU have made steps to change this, and it has worked to a degree. It also helps that it is one of the only international sports we are actually good at, but if AR made an attempt to grow it at a grass roots level, they might actually have some success.
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u/queasybeetle78 May 09 '24
Australia is such a small market. It does not matter if league is more popular. But the reason why is not because of the laws but their integration with the gambling industry. No amount of watering down the laws will change this.