Please

You say that like it's a bad thing...

There's a few people that have posted in this thread that disprove your theory :P

I think that the basic premise of this thread is that we will scare away the fence sitters if we get stuck into them for not showing support of football over rugby. Seems to be a silly subject to put up on a pro footie forum to me. Most of the people that contribute to the debate seem to be fairly committed in their support of the game in general & the Phoenix in particular. I believe that it is this enthusiasm that will drive the success of the Nix, even if it pisses off some people who feel we should remain the soft touch no name supporters that rugby generally attracts. Is it possible that the success of rugby has been created by the lack of quality football in this country in the past? Ronaldoknow2007-06-08 23:50:01

Raised some good points here Ronaldoknow, but i think its just back to basics. Youll have your Rugby fans and your soccer fans, maybe even some inbetween, but born a rugby man, die a rubgy man. Theres no winning in this disbate.

Well, we did make the World Cup in '82 and nothing really came of that. At the time there was insane amounts of interest in football but that only lasted a short while. Unfortunately we missed an awesome oppurtunity to further the game in NZ.

Hopefully we can make it to the World Cup again - sooner, rather than later.

Hate to disagree with you Uncle Steve but I have personal experience of a hard out rugby nut (my father Ronaldoknow Snr) who is now coming to his senses, even ended up Pesident of our local footie club for a while.

I actually think that the opportunity wasn't really there. The football base at the time was quite thin due to our lack of population so that the converts who followed the AW's at the time found it easy to go back to rugby, particularly with the '87 Rugby World cup in site. This was a very smart piece of work by the Rugby Union at the time, aided and abetted by a willing media. The '82 AW's in some ways were a fluke which is why we have struggled to replicate the event (and also why we should always revere them - completely against the odds).

i meant the game is not voilent a one, yea you have to be tough and footy is a game for men but rugby is 15 or13 men actaully fighting over a ball. im sorry to cause confusion.

i think that a few rugby heads will come to the games and good for them/team/us but they will soon realise that rugby is stupid and every try is they same...not like every goooooooal you see which is a work of art.

Phuck rugby, they're all the jock dickheads who made fun of people at school and bent over for the teachers

Haha nah i didnt mind them at school. There the kind of guyes who would throw something at the teacher when theyr not looking and provide humour in the class haha crak up. Hwever i thnk this is a boring discussion. Start talking in the other discussions.

I follow football, but every now and again Ill pop down to a Warriors game, beyond that I aint really interested

I guess the moral of the story is that there are ignorant people on both sides.

I read from a few key people in the rugby world, that 82 scared them sh*tless. And they prayed for the AW's to fail in qualifying for Mexico in 86

The upsurge in both Juniors and College Kids (which is where most kids start switching sports) was  huge and it only reverted once the AW's were playing badly again.

As I have said in another post, it will take a number of years of success to make a significant difference, results for the AW's like against Georgia and Wales coupled with ongoing success for the Phoenix will be what is required.

If the AB's get out in the group stages or won it, either way I couldnt give a sh*t

I'll be gutted if the ABs don't make it past the group stage

A true kiwi would care

It would take an upset of Senegal v France proportions for the AB's not to make it out of the group stage :p

Good job I aint a kiwi then

The AB's have choked in pool play before? News to me. :]

And they won the first one :P!
valeo2007-06-09 18:48:42

Before professional rugby their was the amatur days, but still the AB's conquered the world more often than not. Players paying there own way, football may have to go back to simalar things to progress beyond also rans.

Difference between Football and Rugby

ok stop talking about rugby now

I agree.

Call me unpatriotic and all, but it would sort of be good if the All Blacks play awful at the World Cup and get knocked out at the group stage because then all of the unloyal rugby fans would leave their inferior sport and start playing and supporting football.

I'll watch almost anything - except one sided rugby matches at the stadium. However as I didn't watch it  I'm only assuming it was one sided.

But in order ranking
1. Football
2. League
3. Rugby (world cup and tri-nations)

I never did understand why rugby is so popular, it is so stop and start compared to league.

Thats rubbish all we would get is another 3 years of bitching why they didnt win the cup.

Hate to say it but some of you need to get over it,rugby is the main game here  even if we  were to win the football  world cup (as if)   that wouldnt change despite what some of you think.

Me im a kiwi  and  love my football  however i do take an interest  in the other codes  and i feel its this  one sided thinking of some football  supporters  which will not help our game make ground on the other codes.

League is a lot more predictable imo. 4 tackles - kick on 5th. bomb or chip. repeat over and over. Maybe a couple of intercepts.

That's why I prefer union, anyway. It's also a lot more competitive - at the breakdown, lineout and scrums. League doesn't have that type of fighting over posession. It's pretty much just 'you have your turn, then we'll have ours'

Though the thing that sets Football apart from any other sport is the simplicity. There are also barely ever any rule changes or squabbles over the current rules. (the last one was the back pass law I think? Or the clarification of the offisde rule?)

Meh, I like both for different reasons tbh. I grew up playing football but played a bit of rugby at college.
valeo2007-06-10 00:23:37

PHUCK RUGBY!!!!

if we want more people to come its up to us to make the games look as pumping as we can , so we need to get ready to chant our voices away

In response to Valeo, League is way better to watch then Union. They don't have to re-do every single scrum, they get on with it, their are no pretty boys like Dan Carter in it, and their are a lot of big hits. Did anyone see Melbourne's try last week? It was absolutely beautiful, the player jumped up to get the ball, he caught it, then dropped it, and caught it again before hitting the ground and getting the try - absolute class.

My favourite sports:
1. Football
2. League
AFL and Gaelic football look alright as well.

stick to the script - enough about rugby!

Move Topic out of Nix lines, may be to off topic games!  Blew2007-06-10 19:03:52

League is for boofheads. Union requires wayyy more thinking. And no pretty boys in league? Uhh, Sonny Bill? Karmichel Hunt? Theres heaps.

and AFL and Gaelic football = pretty much scrag at lunchtime with a few goal posts.



valeo2007-06-11 13:23:05

I am told ball in play Rugby is 40 minutes, FIFA wantes football to pick up a few seconds and break 80.