Midas touch: merger tees up golden future for the game

[Swans4ever]

Wow. Just how desperate is rl to fudge their participation numbers?
How desperate is the nrl to hang off the "touch" coat tails.
How is this supposed to benefit rl in any way?

there there cockhead
need a tissue
touch is a non or light contact version of our great game

your code couldn't have one of these as it would be impossible to invent anything .. any lighter then the actual version
:_<> :_<> :_<>

Is that your sister when she found out you got access to the computer RD!

[Raiderdave]

You know your sport's struggling and desperate to compete **** the bigger sports when it needs to merge with a soft touch sport just so it can claim to have larger playing numbers!

Nothing but pathetic, hybrid trash. And you know it.

:_<> :_<> :_<>

1.1 Million players
oh

& we haven't added tag or oztag numbers yet

another 250K
1.350 Million players
jesus mary n joseph


2nd to ..... NO ONE
when it comes to participation in this nation =D> =D> =D>

the tears are flowing in fumble land
flowing folks

[Raiderdave]

Wow. Just how desperate is rl to fudge their participation numbers?
How desperate is the nrl to hang off the "touch" coat tails.
How is this supposed to benefit rl in any way?

there there cockhead
need a tissue
touch is a non or light contact version of our great game

your code couldn't have one of these as it would be impossible to invent anything .. any lighter then the actual version
:_<> :_<> :_<>

Is that your sister when she found out you got access to the computer RD!

no

its your school teacher
& she's just marked your maths n English test :_<> :_<> :_<>

[NRLCrap1]

Ladies and gentlemen, NRL is gone. Merging with touch footy? A game wrecker if ever I've seen it. It's the same as AFL merging with male netball. And that's not happening!

[Raiderdave]

Ladies and gentlemen, NRL is gone. Merging with touch footy? A game wrecker if ever I've seen it. It's the same as AFL merging with male netball. And that's not happening!

:_<> :_<> :_<>


1.350 Million players playing the great game
or its lighter contact derivatives

wow
just wow
fumblers are in meltdown

running around .... shitting their britches
as they should

the door is now firmly closed on the fumbles n bumbles in the Nthn states
& this Victorian crap .. will wither n shrivel
disappearing up its own arse in the next few decades
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Swans4ever]

Wow. Just how desperate is rl to fudge their participation numbers?
How desperate is the nrl to hang off the "touch" coat tails.
How is this supposed to benefit rl in any way?

there there cockhead
need a tissue
touch is a non or light contact version of our great game

your code couldn't have one of these as it would be impossible to invent anything .. any lighter then the actual version
:_<> :_<> :_<>

Is that your sister when she found out you got access to the computer RD!

no

its your school teacher
& she's just marked your maths n English test :_<> :_<> :_<>

Just showed ur age still at school RD no wonder your so immature - perhaps it was your mum when she found out your a coward - remember Harry Kewell- still dont have the guts to admit you were wrong coward!

[Stewie]

You know your sport's struggling and desperate to compete **** the bigger sports when it needs to merge with a soft touch sport just so it can claim to have larger playing numbers!

Nothing but pathetic, hybrid trash. And you know it.

:_<> :_<> :_<>

1.1 Million players
oh

& we haven't added tag or oztag numbers yet

another 250K
1.350 Million players
jesus mary n joseph


2nd to ..... NO ONE
when it comes to participation in this nation =D> =D> =D>

the tears are flowing in fumble land
flowing folks

The past "immortals" of rl would be turning in their graves at the thought of rugby league having to merge with touch versions to remain relevant when it comes to participation. The sport's turned to hybrid shit, real rl fans know this. One's like you that fear other sports know this deep down, but you'd never admit it.

Count the touch participants if you want, but we all know that it's not actually rl. It's quite frankly pathetic and an embarrassment to rl.

[Raiderdave]

You know your sport's struggling and desperate to compete **** the bigger sports when it needs to merge with a soft touch sport just so it can claim to have larger playing numbers!

Nothing but pathetic, hybrid trash. And you know it.

:_<> :_<> :_<>

1.1 Million players
oh

& we haven't added tag or oztag numbers yet

another 250K
1.350 Million players
jesus mary n joseph


2nd to ..... NO ONE
when it comes to participation in this nation =D> =D> =D>

the tears are flowing in fumble land
flowing folks

The past "immortals" of rl would be turning in their graves at the thought of rugby league having to merge with touch versions to remain relevant when it comes to participation. The sport's turned to hybrid shit, real rl fans know this. One's like you that fear other sports know this deep down, but you'd never admit it.

Count the touch participants if you want, but we all know that it's not actually rl. It's quite frankly pathetic and an embarrassment to rl.

hmmmmm
but that 30 minute training session called ausfudge is apparently a game of fumbles n bumbles people

:_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

oh the rampant hypocrisy
it knows no bounds with this lot


1.3 Million participants playing RL or its derivatives
wow
just wow =D> =D> =D>

[eelofwest]

Woohoo, I''m so giddy this must be what it feels like to be a school girl with back stage passes to the newest stupidest big band in town :_<>

:_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

[eelofwest]

Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer, The Sydney Morning Herald

A groundbreaking alliance between rugby league and touch football is set to skyrocket the game's participation numbers beyond a million players.

Fairfax Media can reveal a merger between the NRL and Touch Football Australia will be announced early next week - making it the largest strategic alliance between two sports in Australia.

It comes after two years of negotiations, which have intensified in the past six months since the appointment of Dave Smith as NRL chief executive, and brings together the sports after they effectively split 40 years ago.

''It's a family that should be together,'' a senior NRL official said on Thursday. ''It allows us to bring the game to so many people, in so many different ways, from touch to tag to tackle. It's a phenomenal move for us strategically.''

Touch has been responsible for unearthing some of the game's biggest names.

Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall, who represented Australia in the sport, is the most notable. Shaun Johnson and Matt Moylan are also products, while Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston represented Queensland at touch football on their way to their rugby league careers.

The alliance is a strategic masterstroke in the NRL's battle with the AFL because it provides a non-contact version of the sport under its own banner.

Touch has more than 500,000 participants, across 324 local competitions, and is played by age groups from five to 70 years - all year round.

Rugby league has more than 536,000 players, making the combined total of the two codes more than a million.

''This allows us the ability to come in touch with a more diverse group of people who participate in league or a non-contact version of rugby league,'' one league official said. ''It allows people to be involved from a contact or non-contact perspective, all year round from ages of five to 70. We want more people to be involved in our game, and this is actions speaking louder than words.''

There is a small hitch to the new relationship, though, with the popular OzTag - which has more than 130,000 participants - failing to reach an agreement with the NRL.

It is understood the NRL refused to pay the asking price OzTag operators wanted to take over the commercial rights to their sport. The NRL version of tag football is the lesser-known version of the code called ''league tag''.

Nevertheless, the benefit for touch football is enormous, especially for a sport with such a strong presence at the grassroots level.

''We're very happy with the alliance,'' one senior TFA official said. ''Joining the NRL means we can broaden our appeal, profile and reach as part of a bigger business. It gives us more opportunities than ever before for our sport. It's been a long process to get this far, but a worthwhile one. Touch grew out of rugby league in the mid-1960s and the sports have been separate since then. But this will allow us to take touch into new markets.''

This is fantastic news. Another tick for the new administration =D> =D>

NRL now has business minded leaders...................................NRL moving doing everything the fans have been asking for..........................us NRL fans have talked about the NRL, Touch, Austag merging for some time now. Now the NRL has over 1million junior participants with maybe only soccer with more.

Sports participation

1. Soccer 1m+
2. NRL 1m+
3. AFL not sure but it is not more then 1m............... :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>


We said RL would start to flourish once this happens and now you will see it happen.

[Raiderdave]

Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer, The Sydney Morning Herald

A groundbreaking alliance between rugby league and touch football is set to skyrocket the game's participation numbers beyond a million players.

Fairfax Media can reveal a merger between the NRL and Touch Football Australia will be announced early next week - making it the largest strategic alliance between two sports in Australia.

It comes after two years of negotiations, which have intensified in the past six months since the appointment of Dave Smith as NRL chief executive, and brings together the sports after they effectively split 40 years ago.

''It's a family that should be together,'' a senior NRL official said on Thursday. ''It allows us to bring the game to so many people, in so many different ways, from touch to tag to tackle. It's a phenomenal move for us strategically.''

Touch has been responsible for unearthing some of the game's biggest names.

Wests Tigers superstar Benji Marshall, who represented Australia in the sport, is the most notable. Shaun Johnson and Matt Moylan are also products, while Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston represented Queensland at touch football on their way to their rugby league careers.

The alliance is a strategic masterstroke in the NRL's battle with the AFL because it provides a non-contact version of the sport under its own banner.

Touch has more than 500,000 participants, across 324 local competitions, and is played by age groups from five to 70 years - all year round.

Rugby league has more than 536,000 players, making the combined total of the two codes more than a million.

''This allows us the ability to come in touch with a more diverse group of people who participate in league or a non-contact version of rugby league,'' one league official said. ''It allows people to be involved from a contact or non-contact perspective, all year round from ages of five to 70. We want more people to be involved in our game, and this is actions speaking louder than words.''

There is a small hitch to the new relationship, though, with the popular OzTag - which has more than 130,000 participants - failing to reach an agreement with the NRL.

It is understood the NRL refused to pay the asking price OzTag operators wanted to take over the commercial rights to their sport. The NRL version of tag football is the lesser-known version of the code called ''league tag''.

Nevertheless, the benefit for touch football is enormous, especially for a sport with such a strong presence at the grassroots level.

''We're very happy with the alliance,'' one senior TFA official said. ''Joining the NRL means we can broaden our appeal, profile and reach as part of a bigger business. It gives us more opportunities than ever before for our sport. It's been a long process to get this far, but a worthwhile one. Touch grew out of rugby league in the mid-1960s and the sports have been separate since then. But this will allow us to take touch into new markets.''

This is fantastic news. Another tick for the new administration =D> =D>

. Now the NRL has over 1million junior participants with maybe only soccer with more.




AFL not sure but it is not more then 1m............... :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>


.

oh please eels
it wouldn't be half a million

& take out the training sessions they call a game & its a lot lot less :>:: :>:: :>::

they get the bronze medal for football players now

a dirty bronze medal

[eelofwest]

Ladies and gentlemen, NRL is gone. Merging with touch footy? A game wrecker if ever I've seen it. It's the same as AFL merging with male netball. And that's not happening!

:_<> :_<> :_<>


1.350 Million players playing the great game
or its lighter contact derivatives

wow
just wow
fumblers are in meltdown

running around .... shitting their britches
as they should

the door is now firmly closed on the fumbles n bumbles in the Nthn states
& this Victorian crap .. will wither n shrivel
disappearing up its own arse in the next few decades
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

We have been asking for this for a long time now, and now that it has happened the RL/NRL/TOUCHRL is going to leave the AFL in the dust on participation numbers. The only code that is equal on participation numbers would be Football/soccer....

[ParraEelsNRL]

One of the bigger touch comps has over 800,000 participants, well they did in 2008 so it will have grown.

I hope we can eventually get them on board, that'll take the number up around the 2 million mark.

[Fred]

I was thinking of playing touch next year

[Stewie]

I was thinking of playing touch next year

According to Dementedave you will be playing rugby league next year.