why rugby union is the perfect sport for TV

when it's on you can make breakfast, wash up, go shopping, take dog for a walk and still miss nothing. Then settle down for the last 5 minutes to see the only try of the game, usually scored by a Wiganer.
last night watching Warrington/Leeds I had to run faster than the Bolt to get another can from the fridge.

i spy i have never watched and never will watch a rugby union game as long as there is time to watch grass grow or paint dry

kellysdad, how can you judge something you have never seen

Got to agree. The game lasts 80 minutes yet I would guess today, the ball was only in play for 20mins I thought Refs.in Rugby league let a lot go, but there are more forward passes and knock ons in one game that go unpunished, than what happens in 10 RL games. And does anyone know the rules I think the ref takes it in turns when he is dishing the penalties out, 3 points for a drop goal...Bloody Rubbish,

It annoys me when you can hear the ref every time there is a scrum saying "crouch, touch, engage"

douglas you have a point

Same game, to me. I can't notice the difference, except for the stamping on each others faces that seems to be allowed in one of the games but outlawed in the other.

mswigan - its 'crouch touch pause engage'

tonker - stamping is NOT allowed in either code

their are many fine union players of emmense quality and some of the earlier posters are obviously not watching the games i do.i thouroughly enjoyed france v tonga this morning a real good hard game.such pitiful bias does nothing for the status of rl fans.

union is watched all over, league is not, simple answer.

Why is it that only football fans say Union is a better game then League?

A game where the ball spends more time on the ground and the result in most cases decided by penalties and not tries.

Oh, and lets not forget the infamous penalty try for a some kind of offence in the ruck.

The only thing Union has done since it sold its soul in 1996 by going professional after spending a century condemming professionalism, has been to splash money about and get players fitter then they used to be. Anything to do with the influx of League Coaches into their game,

Tried to watch Yawnion in the past and decided I would sooner have needles poked in my eyes than sit through such boring dross. And before any rara fans make some comment like "You should enjoy Union" I have been watching Wigan Rugby for close on fifty years and have never come off Central Park/DW Stadium or many other grounds feeling "Bored"

Its what takes your fancy, if rugby union was edited like match of the day its worth a look. I could not watch a full 80 mins.

ruddy i,ve played union,rl,and football and enjoyed them all,rl fans seem to be getting a tad uptight.

I like Union.

England V New Zealand final gwim?

the gwim weaper

Only to wind up League supporters!

As an ex 'Central Park regular' but now living in the land of the MIGHTY ALL BLACKS - there is no doubt in my mind that Rugby League is a better spectator sport than Rugby Union.
BUT - I suggest you all watch the remaining games (quarter finals, semi finals and final) in the Rugby (Union) World Cup.
Chances are that it will be a New Zealand v England final.
If His Honor Tindall can keep his brains in his trousers it should be a great game.

for you Dennis to pass onto your neighbours -

link someone please....

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyWorldCup2011/24-years-of-All-Black-woe-20110908

What a great last eight draw for the British teams.

The best three nations of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on the other side of the draw.

Wigvet's link

thanks qwim - one of these days I will learn how to do that!

the all blacks are always impressive less so s.africa and the aussies,the latter looked poor against ireland ,no plan b?

I hope that you're all going to watch the final of the Rugby World Cup (Rugby Union) Sunday morning (U.K. Time) 23 October.
The Mighty All Blacks v France.
It should be a great game !

all blacks 32+ france 9 about sums that one up,france just squeezed past a gallant fourteen man wales with penalties ,expect nothing more than a mauling for the french.was it alain rolland that reffed an england game and sent one from each side to the bin for upending in the tackle ,then sends the welsh lad off ,no consistency in ru reffing.mind you theres none in rl either.

Is it still going on? dragging on longer than Coronation St. Don't think I'll bother, may watch the Highlights as they should not last longer than Twenty Seconds. Showed some on the news last week, seems like fun if you enjoy people taking goal kicks. Have any tries been scored during the Tournament?
I work in a factory with about fifteen blokes and have honestly not heard a soul mention anything about the World Cup, not really topical in Wigan

Dennis - how to you describe a 'great game'?

the two semi finals contained 1 paltry try in each game
Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t rugby supposed to be a game played with ball in hand whilst 'running'

There are too many technical offences in top level RU, enforced by over zealous officials, to make the game worth watching

This world cup has surely been the most boring on record and in three months time it will be forgotten

and by the way - what is 'Mighty' about this current All Blacks side? It does not contain one back who can excite the crowd.

On Sunday a mediocre All Blacks team will beat a poor French team - sums the competition up really

i like ru ,think theres as many skilful players in it as rl

What kind of game has a scoring system where a team wins on penalties for technical offences and the team which scores a only try loses.

Under the RL system of scoring, Wales would have won 8-6.

wigvet - I suggest that we wait until after the the RWC final before we pass comment on the game !
I must admit that Rugby League is a much better spectator sport than Rugby Union.
Nothing as exciting as watching Dave making a break, passing it to Eric and then Eric passes it to Billy who charges over the line :)
Ooooops sorry, just in case your younger than me - I refer to Dave Bolton - Eric Ashton and the mighty Billy Boston !!

"I had to run faster than Bolt to get a can from the fridge watching Leeds and Warrington" I spy.

Get Sky Plus. You don't know what you are missing.