BBC - and their agenda?

First topic message reminder :

Very strange to come out with this story the very same week the RWC kicks off in England, almost like they have an agenda?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/34222183

LondonTiger wrote:Well a lot of the reason is that the Club Academies have links with fee paying schools. So the academies place someone in the sixth form of a fee paying school.

The other thing is that a fair few schools are offering sports scholarships. My nephew plays county rugby and has been offered a free place at a reasonably well known fee paying school that now has links with Saracens.

Interested in a career in banking is he?

Jimpy wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:Well a lot of the reason is that the Club Academies have links with fee paying schools. So the academies place someone in the sixth form of a fee paying school.

The other thing is that a fair few schools are offering sports scholarships. My nephew plays county rugby and has been offered a free place at a reasonably well known fee paying school that now has links with Saracens.

Interested in a career in banking is he?

Yup, overseas investment

They are at it again!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/34314851
why do they feel the need to bad mouth our game just because they didn't secure any rights to the RWC?

Paranoid much?

Sam Burgess single handedly fulfills the diversity quota on class
And if you are looking at people who got an easy ride into the England side....

Gooseberry wrote:Sam Burgess single handedly fulfills the diversity quota on class
And if you are looking at people who got an easy ride into the England side....

and two players at his old RL club have just overdosed on painkillers. So the drugs are his fault too

donglewood wrote:

munkian wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I'm still rather unsure what the ensuing agenda the BBC are being accused of here?

Anti En-gur-land ?

It's an odd thing how non-English Brits think the BBC is pro-England. The English seem to think the BBC is anti-English. Those of left-wing persuasion think the BBC is a right-wing propaganda mill, and right-wingers believe the BBC is a tiresome tee-total cardigan wearing socialist vegetarian human rights activist.

I guess it depends on your perspective and the amount of ambient light, or something.

Probably means that they are when all is said and done, acting independently and report matters in a neutral tone.

TightHEAD wrote:They are at it again!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/34314851
why do they feel the need to bad mouth our game just because they didn't secure any rights to the RWC?

They are asking questions that many in the game have been asking for years, they have backed it up with figures and expert opinion. Can you provide a counter argument?

Why now.

Why not?

TightHEAD wrote:Why now.

When would you like them to do it?

Given that more players are having to retire from head injuries, the questions around Toulon and the RWC going on its the best time to ask the question or would you prefer the matter was ignored?

At a guess, because Rugby is in the spotlight.

If this was published at any other time, it would probably be ignored by the majority.  But during the RWC it will get media & public attention, it’s the best time to highlight such an issue.  Same with the head knock/concussion stories that are on the site at the moment as well.

I'm not talking about the head injuries, that's easy enough to rectify if in doubt the player goes off and does not return like what George North did, I'm talking about the timing of highlighting the use of drugs in Rugby, why during the 1st weekend of he RWC why not during the 6 Nations?

It seems the BBC have an axe to grind rather than talking about the sport in a positive light during the Rugby World Cup.

TightHEAD wrote:I'm not talking about the head injuries, that's easy enough to rectify if in doubt the player goes off and does not return like what George North did, I'm talking about the timing of highlighting the use of drugs in Rugby, why during the 1st weekend of he RWC why not during the 6 Nations?

It seems the BBC have an axe to grind rather than talking about the sport in a positive light during the Rugby World Cup.

The head injuries are relevant, a big factor in those is being put down to the size of players and the speed at which the game is now played. If this is coming about through doping then it is a serious issue

The BBC are not the only ones reporting on this currently, maybe other outlets have an axe to grind to? And what if they did have an axe to grind with ITV? Whys that bother you?

But why not talk about it during the 6 nations, why raise it in the first weekend of the rugby world cup, a time when the RFU/irb/world rugby are trying to promote the game in a positive light and get the next generation interested in the game.

Seems to me that the Beeb aren't happy and want to derail the feel good factor around hosting a RWC.

Maybe they didn't have the access and experts available then

These stories and research have been floating around for a while in the rugby world, so I find it very hard to believe that had the BBC been the host broadcaster of the RWC they would have released these articles and programs now (week 1 of the RWC) to highlight the dangers of the game and possible doping problems.

Would they have done the equivalent had it been the football world cup?

TightHEAD wrote:These stories and research have been floating around for a while in the rugby world, so I find it very hard to believe that had the BBC been the host broadcaster of the RWC they would have released these articles and programs now (week 1 of the RWC) to highlight the dangers of the game and possible doping problems.

Would they have done the equivalent had it been the football world cup?

They did! They ran numerous stories on FIFA etc in the run up to and during the World Cup but maybe was only on days ITV were showing games

Just to back up your point Marty

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27852571
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28102841
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27751265

All published either just before or during the Brazil world cup

EWT Spoons wrote:Just to back up your point Marty

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27852571
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28102841
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27751265

All published either just before or during the Brazil world cup

That's just last year too, it was the BBC through Panorama and Andrew Jennings who first aired the allegations and have run regular programmes on the issue during most big tournaments too

Not to mention that World Rugby and RFU participated in the articles on doping so must have had little concern about them having an axe to grind

Same in Scotland - few state schools play rugby. Most private ones do

As BBC have never had the WC, and did not bid for it seems perverse to claim they are behaving out of spite.


Fact is best time to publish a story is when the subject matter is already in the spotlight.

Ok fair enough, I tend not to watch football.

So it seems the BBC just like to Poopie on everyone's day in the sun!
But the truth is what they have already reported on or shown on TV will damage the game of rugby more than what a report into FIFAs shady dealings would do as parents are likely to watch read the stories and refuse to let their kids play the game.

Just seems such a shame to put such a negative vibe out their at a time rugby should be enjoying the heightened interest.

As the BBC are meant to be a Public Service Broadcaster - publishing stories with soicial and health implications seems to fit exactly with what they are meant to do.


Any way only state school thickos would be as easily persuaded as you suggest. And as already pointed out, english rugby does not want the plebs involved

When I attended school (better than average comp) the only sports offered were rugby, cricket and athletics.  Today the same school offers just about every sport you can think of.  I'm sure there are many reasons why English rugby still draw from too narrow a pool.

Regardless, the BBC and certain newspapers are still obsessed with class and will inject it into any topical subject.  It's dull and lazy journalism.

The BBCs job isn't to promote rugby, as LT says they are a public service broadcaster so have a duty to serve the public

Are you asking they sweep the matter under the rug? Its a serious issue that it seems all parties, except the guilty, seem to want to address

marty2086 wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:These stories and research have been floating around for a while in the rugby world, so I find it very hard to believe that had the BBC been the host broadcaster of the RWC they would have released these articles and programs now (week 1 of the RWC) to highlight the dangers of the game and possible doping problems.

Would they have done the equivalent had it been the football world cup?

They did! They ran numerous stories on FIFA etc in the run up to and during the World Cup but maybe was only on days ITV were showing games

They also did it at the World Athletics Championships and Olympic Games in regards to doping and they had the rights to both of them

The greatest bit of wishful thinking I've heard lately came from a BBC sports presenter standing outside Twickenham before the England v Fiji game. He said, "for all the best coverage of the world cup, go to BBC Radio5Live"!