Mailbox: Look closer to home for expansion

Mailbox gives you the chance to get your voice heard and start the debate with the rugby league audience. Want to be featured? Email the editor: james@loverugbyleague.com

Dear Love Rugby League,

I had hoped after hearing Mr Elstone’s early exchanges that things may change unfortunately many things since have made me change my mind – I worry that the new powers that be may end up being talk over substance.

I was at the Challenge Cup Final, poor crowd = very poor atmosphere but you cant blame the Catalans for that, the same way you cant ask them to pay to enter this year’s comp they won it for God’s sake.

If anyone should pay to make up the shortfall that would no doubt occur again this year if they again reached the final make the idiot that has been behind suggesting we set up teams in both France and Canada.

Let’s look to attract teams in London, Newcastle Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Swansea, Glasgow, Edinburgh  – do you get my drift, before we look overseas. Yes we’ve always been mainly an M62 Corridor sport, but who says we have to be – if the new regime are really serious about growing our sport let them look to do it in our own fair isles first rather than look abroad.

Dave Chapman

Editor’s comment: It is up to people in the locations listed to put together an attractive proposition, as Toronto have done. Surely rugby league must ask questions as to why it hasn’t been able to expand to nearby big cities, like Liverpool, but then believes it has what it takes to crack the North American market.