Sky Sports throw everything they have at Pro12 coverage, and hit the mark

http://www.thescore.ie/sky-pro12-debut-coverage-opinion-1659412-Sep2014/


This seams to be glowing praise for the Sky coverage.

What were your thoughts on it?

Will it help bring the league to the attention of a wider audience?

I noticed the coverage on sky sports news so that must be a first.

I couldn't fault the coverage but and the two games were a fabulous advert for the Pro12. Even if only for nail biting, excitement value alone you'll be hard pressed to find better in the coming season. I mean there's close games and then there's teetering on the edge of the abyss games like saturday's. I for one enjoyed the commmentary team and the lack of Jiffy repeatedly shouting 'numbers' is always a bonus.

Shame that Irish website couldn't be bothered to get things right in their bloody article though. The team that player against Ulster was the SCARLETS not fupping Llanelli, it has only been ten bleeding years and there are tools publishing sports articles that are unaware of the teams name. It is bleeding disgraceful.

My big hopes are that it does bring promote the league as a whole. I have long said that its a lack of a complete league coverage by the media that doesn't help.
eg in Ireland you get the provinces covered well, but only maybe get scores on any Welsh or Scottish games, Scrum V just concentrate on the Welsh teams.
Hopefully we get more fans of other teams now tuning in the 1872 cup games and Welsh derbies.
We will become more fimilar with the other teams in the league and watch them more, rather than concentrating on our own.

Also I'd hope with the professional coverage and new European qualification, the apathy for the League that exists will dissappear, hopefully with this we see crowds begin to increase.

I think the apathy exists mostly in Wales and with the RRW- WRU settled, professional coverage and new European qualification we will see the crowds coming back, what they need on top is success, and they mostly had decent results this week or intresting close games.

I think one of the best things we can get from Sky is their constant hype, adverts etc being fed to the casual observer.

As Kingshu says above - there has been an apathy in this league to a degree. Each side in the league now have a responsibility to promote their "product" better since Sky are bringing it in front of people.

I live and work in Edinburgh, I can go weeks on end never hearing a mention of our pro team as the marketing is so poor. Now it is being pushed by Sky, we need to market ourselves on the buses, trams etc. The trains from the west come in past Murrayfield but we don't even hang some kind of sign or banner up to entice people in. Now is the ideal time to hammer it, since Sky are bringing it to peoples minds a bit more.

Ps enjoyed their match coverage - definetely had a "new era" feel to it!

Glad you all enjoyed it. In the past (haven't really watched Sky coverage in the last few of years) it's seemed they were more interested in the event, than the game...which may well be a good thing I suppose.

But please remember all those complaints about Sky bias, propaganda machine, and how annoying it is, etc.

SS,

Come on Llanelli have always been known as the Scarlets even in the days of old, afterall even Max sang a song about them.

bedfordwelsh wrote:SS,

Come on Llanelli have always been known as the Scarlets even in the days of old, afterall even Max sang a song about them.

I can forgive it from posters on here to a point, but a journo should know better. It has been ten years now. Anyhow I have sent him an email letting him know my feeling regarding his work

Also I do find it slightly amusing that Sky are being praised for their sterling work in hyping up the league and their positive coverage of games. It has long been something we have moaned about Sky doing in the HEC coverage.

Well lets be honest they have nothing else now do they, they hardly gonna slate something they ploughing money into.

That's true Bedford, yet Scrum V last night seemed to do a good job of running down the games. Instead of looking at the positives of the Scarlets v Ulster game (as an example) they decided to point out that there may have been 8 tries on the game, but it was purely because the defences were woeful, where as Sky would have said the defences looked poor, but that was purely down to good attacking play. It is just a case of which way you want to spin things. Anyhow, what I meant was that it does seem a bit hypocritical that people are really pleased that Sky are doing a good job with their positivity about the league/game, when over the last few years most people have been bemoaning their one-eyed attitude towards the HEC games and over-hyping the Jeff sides because they had the Jeff games to broadcast too.

bedfordwelsh wrote:SS,

Come on Llanelli have always been known as the Scarlets even in the days of old, afterall even Max sang a song about them.

Come on Bedford.... Llanelli may have always had the nickname Scarlets, but the Scarlets are not Llanelli...

The Scarlets are a region in their own right covering far more than just Llanelli RFC.

This is the battle that has been fought for the last 10 years in Wales and I agree with SS, broadcasters and journalists should know better by now.

This is a big bug bare for me with Sky coverage. In the European tournaments, they always referred to Scarlets as Llanelli, Blues as Cardiff, Dragons and Newport and now and again Ospreys as Swansea. They don't refer to Wasps as London do they, so why get it wrong for the Welsh regions.

There is no excuse.

As for Sky coverage, the jury is still out for me. I had hoped that there would be coverage of all games, now, yet the Dragons game seemed to be missed. However, I did get the vibe that they would rather be covering the Aviva and saw this as the second prize, but hat may change, especially if we get more games of the intensity and excitement of Saturday.

Yes sky does overhype things. I for one welcome this because the league has gotten overly criticised since it began. The negatives were always pointed out while we never heard any positives despite it getting better and better. So they've now a professional hype machine backing the league which will be invaluable for it in the future.

Kingshu wrote:My big hopes are that it does bring promote the league as a whole. I have long said that its a lack of a complete league coverage by the media that doesn't help.
eg in Ireland you get the provinces covered well, but only maybe get scores on any Welsh or Scottish games, Scrum V just concentrate on the Welsh teams.
Hopefully we get more fans of other teams now tuning in the 1872 cup games and Welsh derbies.
We will become more fimilar with the other teams in the league and watch them more, rather than concentrating on our own.

Also I'd hope with the professional coverage and new European qualification, the apathy for the League that exists will dissappear, hopefully with this we see crowds begin to increase.

I think the apathy exists mostly in Wales and with the RRW- WRU settled, professional coverage and new European qualification we will see the crowds coming back, what they need on top is success, and they mostly had decent results this week or intresting close games.

A very good point about the equal promotion of teams - up to now if the broadcaster was Irish (or BBC/Alba) they would just be rooting for the team they are broacasting to - now they have to cover both teams equally which is good. It made for a lot more interesting viewing to hear about the Scarlets & Glasgow players for a change.

They were two very enjoyable games as well (which I suspect Sky knew what they were doing when selecting the games for the first shows)!

As an aside, I watched the All Ireland Hurling final on Sky yesterday - and I have to say it, their coverage was top class - better than RTE.

They are I agree but the name Scarlets have always been viewed as their name where as the Blues, Ospreys and Dragons were 'new ' names attached to the ill formed Regions

Sin é wrote:

Kingshu wrote:My big hopes are that it does bring promote the league as a whole. I have long said that its a lack of a complete league coverage by the media that doesn't help.
eg in Ireland you get the provinces covered well, but only maybe get scores on any Welsh or Scottish games, Scrum V just concentrate on the Welsh teams.
Hopefully we get more fans of other teams now tuning in the 1872 cup games and Welsh derbies.
We will become more fimilar with the other teams in the league and watch them more, rather than concentrating on our own.

Also I'd hope with the professional coverage and new European qualification, the apathy for the League that exists will dissappear, hopefully with this we see crowds begin to increase.

I think the apathy exists mostly in Wales and with the RRW- WRU settled, professional coverage and new European qualification we will see the crowds coming back, what they need on top is success, and they mostly had decent results this week or intresting close games.

A very good point about the equal promotion of teams - up to now if the broadcaster was Irish (or BBC/Alba) they would just be rooting for the team they are broacasting to - now they have to cover both teams equally which is good. It made for a lot more interesting viewing to hear about the Scarlets & Glasgow players for a change.

They were two very enjoyable games as well (which I suspect Sky knew what they were doing when selecting the games for the first shows)!

As an aside, I watched the All Ireland Hurling final on Sky yesterday - and I have to say it, their coverage was top class - better than RTE.

It's partly why i wish the welsh regions one day are shown exclusively on sky/bt. BBC coverage is usually pretty dull and basic with 5 minutes before the game to go through the teams and 5 minutes after to analyse the game.

Sin

I enjoyed the Hurling too, but why a replay? Is that just to sell out Croke park again?

I watched a few of the games this weekend, not only was I impressed with the coverage I enjoyed the rugby too, Scarlets Ulster and Glasgow Leinster were cracking games!

On a slight side note Glasgow are becoming very fun to watch, they play a very slick style of play, but are prone to big errors.

gcBlues wrote:It's partly why i wish the welsh regions one day are shown exclusively on sky/bt. BBC coverage is usually pretty dull and basic with 5 minutes before the game to go through the teams and 5 minutes after to analyse the game.

I can see where you are coming from with that. I really hope that given time, and seeing/hearing peoples reactions to the sky games, that the Beeb/S4C will feel they need to up their efforts somewhat. Over the festive period, both Sky and S4C will be showing the Scarlets v Ospreys at PYS and the Liberty, so S4C will need to do something to try and keep viewers (other than cheapskates like me).

Neutralee wrote:Sin

I enjoyed the Hurling too, but why a replay? Is that just to sell out Croke park again?

I watched a few of the games this weekend, not only was I impressed with the coverage I enjoyed the rugby too, Scarlets Ulster and Glasgow Leinster were cracking games!

On a slight side note Glasgow are becoming very fun to watch, they play a very slick style of play, but are prone to big errors.

It was a draw

Sin é wrote:

Neutralee wrote:Sin

I enjoyed the Hurling too, but why a replay? Is that just to sell out Croke park again?

I watched a few of the games this weekend, not only was I impressed with the coverage I enjoyed the rugby too, Scarlets Ulster and Glasgow Leinster were cracking games!

On a slight side note Glasgow are becoming very fun to watch, they play a very slick style of play, but are prone to big errors.

It was a draw  

Think he means replay rather than extra time.

Some sceptics would have it draws going to replays as a way of filling Croke Park and the GAA coffers, but I prefer it as extra time and penelties tisn't the fairest way to decide a game, whereas a reply means that the best team will win, if this is a draw it will goto extra time and pens, but personally I think that in knock outs in the event of a draw a replay is fairest, (tickets for first game should do second, as I think reselling a final is unfair)

To bring it into a Rugby prespective, I think Blues and Tigers fans would both rather have had a replay than the penelty kicks they had a few years ago, as it would have been a much fairer way to resolve it.

Whatever about extra time, I think penalties are an awful way to decide a game in a team sport. I think both sets of supporters of yesterday are happy enough for a replay - it was that close.

Extra time wouldn't be a runner - the players were out on their feet - lot of the Kilkenny lads seemed to be getting cramp. The game is just too fast (like a sprint) to play longer than 70 mins particularly for lads who are amateurs and have jobs to go to today.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Shame that Irish website couldn't be bothered to get things right in their bloody article though.  The team that player against Ulster was the SCARLETS not fupping Llanelli, it has only been ten bleeding years and there are tools publishing sports articles that are unaware of the teams name.  It is bleeding disgraceful.

Ah now in all fairness thats not as bad as the welsh papers getting the name of the British and Irish Lions wrong...EVERY TIME.

That's true, but to be fair we let you boys point it out every time too

Will Greenwood repeatedly referred to the Scarlets as Llanelli during the match.

I really don't have much sympathy for all the complaining about folk getting the name wrong. The Scarlets held on to Llanelli's record in European rugby did they not? They can't have it both ways. They also are based in Llanelli. So how can they complain when they still get called that?

And don't get me started on the whole, "You must not EVER call "Cardiff Blues", "Cardifff"! You can call "Cardiff Blues", "The Blues" but never "Cardiff". I get that there are wrangles and annoyances around the formation of the regions but folk outside of  Wales are not making any kind of a point when they use those names, they are just taking a short cut. Everyone knows who we are talking about so why get hot under the collar?

Be careful Mrs P! Logic is a scarce (and scary) commodity round these parts...

I know Aukster.



Too many Y chromosomes around here for there to be any logic! The 2 things seem to be inversely proportional! Perhaps even mutually exclusive!

They got rewarded for showing Pro 12 games by 2 absolute cracking games, as good as you could ask for in the first part of a season.

Personally I lost a lot of sympathy for the Scarlets are not Llanelli argument when Phil Bennett was talking about how we- as in the Scarlets- beat the All Blacks in 1972, and how it was a great victory for us (the Scarlets). The Scarlets held a big bash in 2012 to celebrate the anniversary. Well thats all well and good, but if we're not allowed to call them Llanelli they have to disassociate themselves from that history.

After all either the Scarlets didn't exist when that game happened and it has nothing to do with them, or they are the continuation of Llanelli and therefore the names are interchangeable.

I know that it's a sensitive issue and I appreciate it- and I do refer to them as the Scarlets myself 99% of the time- but my points is if the region themselves are willing to trade on the history of Llanelli RFC and lay claim to it, then people are gonna think of them as Llanelli as a result.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:SS,

Come on Llanelli have always been known as the Scarlets even in the days of old, afterall even Max sang a song about them.

I can forgive it from posters on here to a point, but a journo should know better.  It has been ten years now.  Anyhow I have sent him an email letting him know my feeling regarding his work

Also I do find it slightly amusing that Sky are being praised for their sterling work in hyping up the league and their positive coverage of games.  It has long been something we have moaned about Sky doing in the HEC coverage.

If you look at the historic tables on the Pro12 website, you'll see them named as the Llanelli Scarlets in quite a few seasons up to 2008 I think.

Talking of getting names wrong, you'd think that the new Sky pundits would remember to stop calling it the Celtic League particularly since the advent of the Italians causing the name change.

Ok ok ok I take it all back.

Pot Hale wrote:If you look at the historic tables on the Pro12 website, you'll see them named as the Llanelli Scarlets in quite a few seasons up to 2008 I think.

Talking of getting names wrong, you'd think that the new Sky pundits would remember to stop calling it the Celtic League particularly since the advent of the Italians causing the name change.

Isn't it run by Celtic League? A bit like the Scarlets/Llanelli there. If you don't want it called the Celtic League, don't have the company that runs it called the Celtic League.

Of course they may have changed there name this season.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Ok ok ok I take it all back.

Too late now!

We know you will be quietly seething everytime anyone mentions the "Ll" word!!

HammerofThunor wrote:

Pot Hale wrote:If you look at the historic tables on the Pro12 website, you'll see them named as the Llanelli Scarlets in quite a few seasons up to 2008 I think.

Talking of getting names wrong, you'd think that the new Sky pundits would remember to stop calling it the Celtic League particularly since the advent of the Italians causing the name change.

Isn't it run by Celtic League? A bit like the Scarlets/Llanelli there. If you don't want it called the Celtic League, don't have the company that runs it called the Celtic League.

Of course they may have changed there name this season.

Nope - the managing company is called Celtic Rugby Ltd. The first name of the League in 2001/02 was Celtic League, then Magners came on board as sponsor and it became the Magners or Magners League effectively - they finished after the first year of the Italians joining, and the following season, (2011 I think), the league was renamed as the Pro12 which RaboDirect sponsored, and now it's Guinness' turn.

It's still run by Celtic Rugby Ltd.

Celtic rugby, Celtic league, it's still Celtic

Mrs P, maybe quietly on these boards, but pretty loudly in the office/at home.

MrsP wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Ok ok ok I take it all back.

Too late now!

We know you will be quietly seething everytime anyone mentions the "Ll" word!!

Do you mean, Llanelli?

Oh no!

You said it!!!

SS will be

MrsP wrote:

Oh no!

You said it!!!

SS will be

Yep. His little saucepan should be simmering away nicely. Let's bring it to the boil for a larf.

The truth is out...

SCARPER!!

Notch wrote:Personally I lost a lot of sympathy for the Scarlets are not Llanelli argument when Phil Bennett was talking about how we- as in the Scarlets- beat the All Blacks in 1972, and how it was a great victory for us (the Scarlets). The Scarlets held a big bash in 2012 to celebrate the anniversary. Well thats all well and good, but if we're not allowed to call them Llanelli they have to disassociate themselves from that history.

After all either the Scarlets didn't exist when that game happened and it has nothing to do with them, or they are the continuation of Llanelli and therefore the names are interchangeable.

I know that it's a sensitive issue and I appreciate it- and I do refer to them as the Scarlets myself 99% of the time- but my points is if the region themselves are willing to trade on the history of Llanelli RFC and lay claim to it, then people are gonna think of them as Llanelli as a result.

Notch you are correct in what you are saying, and as soon as people realise in Wales that the Scarlets are NOT Llanelli and the Blues are NOT Cardiff and the Dragons are NOT Newport and the Ospreys are NOT Swansea then we will not get the support that is needed into the grounds, the actual "regions" are now trying to make strides but the fans of Newport,Cardiff,Swansea and Llanelli need to start being less prehocial and start trying to embrace the region as well as should the people outside the local support, I live in Merthyr and my region is supposed to be the Blues, but when I go down there all I see are cardiff supporters, they all go on about the good old days, but the good old days for the four regions were only 10yrs ago, not 30 or 40yrs ago, and as soon as the more local support, the media and the ex-players of the old clubs get their head around this things would start to change.

Kingshu wrote:

Sin é wrote:

Neutralee wrote:Sin

I enjoyed the Hurling too, but why a replay? Is that just to sell out Croke park again?

I watched a few of the games this weekend, not only was I impressed with the coverage I enjoyed the rugby too, Scarlets Ulster and Glasgow Leinster were cracking games!

On a slight side note Glasgow are becoming very fun to watch, they play a very slick style of play, but are prone to big errors.

It was a draw  

Think he means replay rather than extra time.

Some sceptics would have it draws going to replays as a way of filling Croke Park and the GAA coffers, but I prefer it as extra time and penelties tisn't the fairest way to decide a game, whereas a reply means that the best team will win, if this is a draw it will goto extra time and pens, but personally I think that in knock outs in the event of a draw a replay is fairest, (tickets for first game should do second, as I think reselling a final is unfair)

To bring it into a Rugby prespective, I think Blues and Tigers fans would both rather have had a replay than the penelty kicks they had a few years ago, as it would have been a much fairer way to resolve it.

Tremendously exciting though and as it was a knockout game i'm glad it was sorted on the day which is the way it should be. How these stalemates are decided doesn't bother me; toss of a coin, drop goal shoot out, game of darts, etc whatever.

LordDowlais wrote:

Notch wrote:Personally I lost a lot of sympathy for the Scarlets are not Llanelli argument when Phil Bennett was talking about how we- as in the Scarlets- beat the All Blacks in 1972, and how it was a great victory for us (the Scarlets). The Scarlets held a big bash in 2012 to celebrate the anniversary. Well thats all well and good, but if we're not allowed to call them Llanelli they have to disassociate themselves from that history.

After all either the Scarlets didn't exist when that game happened and it has nothing to do with them, or they are the continuation of Llanelli and therefore the names are interchangeable.

I know that it's a sensitive issue and I appreciate it- and I do refer to them as the Scarlets myself 99% of the time- but my points is if the region themselves are willing to trade on the history of Llanelli RFC and lay claim to it, then people are gonna think of them as Llanelli as a result.

Notch you are correct in what you are saying, and as soon as people realise in Wales that the Scarlets are NOT Llanelli and the Blues are NOT Cardiff and the Dragons are NOT Newport and the Ospreys are NOT Swansea then we will not get the support that is needed into the grounds, the actual "regions" are now trying to make strides but the fans of Newport,Cardiff,Swansea and Llanelli need to start being less prehocial and start trying to embrace the region as well as should the people outside the local support, I live in Merthyr and my region is supposed to be the Blues, but when I go down there all I see are cardiff supporters, they all go on about the good old days, but the good old days for the four regions were only 10yrs ago, not 30 or 40yrs ago, and as soon as the more local support, the media and the ex-players of the old clubs get their head around this things would start to change.

Nurse!.......NUUUUUURRRRSSSSE!!!

Sin é wrote:

Kingshu wrote:My big hopes are that it does bring promote the league as a whole. I have long said that its a lack of a complete league coverage by the media that doesn't help.
eg in Ireland you get the provinces covered well, but only maybe get scores on any Welsh or Scottish games, Scrum V just concentrate on the Welsh teams.
Hopefully we get more fans of other teams now tuning in the 1872 cup games and Welsh derbies.
We will become more fimilar with the other teams in the league and watch them more, rather than concentrating on our own.

Also I'd hope with the professional coverage and new European qualification, the apathy for the League that exists will dissappear, hopefully with this we see crowds begin to increase.

I think the apathy exists mostly in Wales and with the RRW- WRU settled, professional coverage and new European qualification we will see the crowds coming back, what they need on top is success, and they mostly had decent results this week or intresting close games.

A very good point about the equal promotion of teams - up to now if the broadcaster was Irish (or BBC/Alba) they would just be rooting for the team they are broacasting to - now they have to cover both teams equally which is good. It made for a lot more interesting viewing to hear about the Scarlets & Glasgow players for a change.

They were two very enjoyable games as well (which I suspect Sky knew what they were doing when selecting the games for the first shows)!

As an aside, I watched the All Ireland Hurling final on Sky yesterday - and I have to say it, their coverage was top class - better than RTE.

Brian Carney is a pretty good tv blokey

LordDowlais wrote:

Notch wrote:Personally I lost a lot of sympathy for the Scarlets are not Llanelli argument when Phil Bennett was talking about how we- as in the Scarlets- beat the All Blacks in 1972, and how it was a great victory for us (the Scarlets). The Scarlets held a big bash in 2012 to celebrate the anniversary. Well thats all well and good, but if we're not allowed to call them Llanelli they have to disassociate themselves from that history.

After all either the Scarlets didn't exist when that game happened and it has nothing to do with them, or they are the continuation of Llanelli and therefore the names are interchangeable.

I know that it's a sensitive issue and I appreciate it- and I do refer to them as the Scarlets myself 99% of the time- but my points is if the region themselves are willing to trade on the history of Llanelli RFC and lay claim to it, then people are gonna think of them as Llanelli as a result.

Notch you are correct in what you are saying, and as soon as people realise in Wales that the Scarlets are NOT Llanelli and the Blues are NOT Cardiff and the Dragons are NOT Newport and the Ospreys are NOT Swansea then we will not get the support that is needed into the grounds, the actual "regions" are now trying to make strides but the fans of Newport,Cardiff,Swansea and Llanelli need to start being less prehocial and start trying to embrace the region as well as should the people outside the local support, I live in Merthyr and my region is supposed to be the Blues, but when I go down there all I see are cardiff supporters, they all go on about the good old days, but the good old days for the four regions were only 10yrs ago, not 30 or 40yrs ago, and as soon as the more local support, the media and the ex-players of the old clubs get their head around this things would start to change.

Prehocial

With a hint of respect, you're an idiot if you think the majority of Dragons fans are classing them as Newport.

By the way, I thought it was pretty unacceptable that Connacht v Dragons was the only game not televised last weekend, particularly when Dragons have been shafted by a lack of TMO. Seeing as sky can red button a lot of other things like 8 champions league games (or whatever it is) on a game night, they could've picked that up. Or are they limited to the number of games they can show?

Risca Rev wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

Notch wrote:Personally I lost a lot of sympathy for the Scarlets are not Llanelli argument when Phil Bennett was talking about how we- as in the Scarlets- beat the All Blacks in 1972, and how it was a great victory for us (the Scarlets). The Scarlets held a big bash in 2012 to celebrate the anniversary. Well thats all well and good, but if we're not allowed to call them Llanelli they have to disassociate themselves from that history.

After all either the Scarlets didn't exist when that game happened and it has nothing to do with them, or they are the continuation of Llanelli and therefore the names are interchangeable.

I know that it's a sensitive issue and I appreciate it- and I do refer to them as the Scarlets myself 99% of the time- but my points is if the region themselves are willing to trade on the history of Llanelli RFC and lay claim to it, then people are gonna think of them as Llanelli as a result.

Notch you are correct in what you are saying, and as soon as people realise in Wales that the Scarlets are NOT Llanelli and the Blues are NOT Cardiff and the Dragons are NOT Newport and the Ospreys are NOT Swansea then we will not get the support that is needed into the grounds, the actual "regions" are now trying to make strides but the fans of Newport,Cardiff,Swansea and Llanelli need to start being less prehocial and start trying to embrace the region as well as should the people outside the local support, I live in Merthyr and my region is supposed to be the Blues, but when I go down there all I see are cardiff supporters, they all go on about the good old days, but the good old days for the four regions were only 10yrs ago, not 30 or 40yrs ago, and as soon as the more local support, the media and the ex-players of the old clubs get their head around this things would start to change.

Prehocial

With a hint of respect, you're an idiot if you think the majority of Dragons fans are classing them as Newport.

Ok, so the next time I speak to a "Dragons" fan and he tells me that he can remember when HIS team beat New Zealand in 1963 I can tell him he is correct ? Or should I remind him that the Dragons have NEVER played New Zealand and it was Newport and the only thing the two teams have in common is the ground they use for rugby ?

That will not cut any ice with some of the fans down at RP I can tell you.

LordDowlais wrote:Ok, so the next time I speak to a "Dragons" fan and he tells me that he can remember when HIS team beat New Zealand in 1963 I can tell him he is correct ? Or should I remind him that the Dragons have NEVER played New Zealand and it was Newport and the only thing the two teams have in common is the ground they use for rugby ?

That will not cut any ice with some of the fans down at RP I can tell you.

Erm, aren't the Dragons the representative team that covers Newport (as well as other areas)? So a Dragons fan could also be a Newport fan. So nothing wrong if, during one of HIS team's games (Dragons) he says he can remember when HIS team (Newport) played New Zealand. Whilst another Drgaons fans might say, during one of HIS team's games (Dragons), that HIS team (some other club within the region) has never played the All Blacks.


Hint, people are allowed to support more than one side, especially in different tiers and one level is supposed to regional.

LordDowlais wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

Notch wrote:Personally I lost a lot of sympathy for the Scarlets are not Llanelli argument when Phil Bennett was talking about how we- as in the Scarlets- beat the All Blacks in 1972, and how it was a great victory for us (the Scarlets). The Scarlets held a big bash in 2012 to celebrate the anniversary. Well thats all well and good, but if we're not allowed to call them Llanelli they have to disassociate themselves from that history.

After all either the Scarlets didn't exist when that game happened and it has nothing to do with them, or they are the continuation of Llanelli and therefore the names are interchangeable.

I know that it's a sensitive issue and I appreciate it- and I do refer to them as the Scarlets myself 99% of the time- but my points is if the region themselves are willing to trade on the history of Llanelli RFC and lay claim to it, then people are gonna think of them as Llanelli as a result.

Notch you are correct in what you are saying, and as soon as people realise in Wales that the Scarlets are NOT Llanelli and the Blues are NOT Cardiff and the Dragons are NOT Newport and the Ospreys are NOT Swansea then we will not get the support that is needed into the grounds, the actual "regions" are now trying to make strides but the fans of Newport,Cardiff,Swansea and Llanelli need to start being less prehocial and start trying to embrace the region as well as should the people outside the local support, I live in Merthyr and my region is supposed to be the Blues, but when I go down there all I see are cardiff supporters, they all go on about the good old days, but the good old days for the four regions were only 10yrs ago, not 30 or 40yrs ago, and as soon as the more local support, the media and the ex-players of the old clubs get their head around this things would start to change.

Prehocial

With a hint of respect, you're an idiot if you think the majority of Dragons fans are classing them as Newport.

Ok, so the next time I speak to a "Dragons" fan and he tells me that he can remember when HIS team beat New Zealand in 1963 I can tell him he is correct ? Or should I remind him that the Dragons have NEVER played New Zealand and it was Newport and the only thing the two teams have in common is the ground they use for rugby ?

That will not cut any ice with some of the fans down at RP I can tell you.

To flip this whole senseless name thing on it's head, approximately how much of a ffwc do you think the disenfranchised hordes of the rugby-mad Welsh public in Gwent would give, if the NGD did the impossible and actually did down the All Blacks in a game of rugby?

Course, WRog would have to give us permission for the game to take place first. Now how did that Sprays v Tonga game go again....

HammerofThunor wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:Ok, so the next time I speak to a "Dragons" fan and he tells me that he can remember when HIS team beat New Zealand in 1963 I can tell him he is correct ? Or should I remind him that the Dragons have NEVER played New Zealand and it was Newport and the only thing the two teams have in common is the ground they use for rugby ?

That will not cut any ice with some of the fans down at RP I can tell you.

Erm, aren't the Dragons the representative team that covers Newport (as well as other areas)? So a Dragons fan could also be a Newport fan. So nothing wrong if, during one of HIS team's games (Dragons) he says he can remember when HIS team (Newport) played New Zealand.  Whilst another Drgaons fans might say, during one of HIS team's games (Dragons), that HIS team (some other club within the region) has never played the All Blacks.


Hint, people are allowed to support more than one side, especially in different tiers and one level is supposed to regional.

Please, do not be antagonising over this, you know what I am saying, there are Dragons fans who class Newports history as part of the Dragons history, the same as Phill Bennett going on how the Scarlets beat New Zealand way back when, but of course you knew where I was comming from, but you just wanted to try and be clever, I actualy go to the regions games, and I can tell you that there are a lot of HOME fans that do not see any difference between their region and the club that came before it. They are different entities, this is the way I see it, and I support the regions, not the clubs, I have my own club who I like to support.