Is English Rugby Union an elitist sport?

Humpty said:
I went to a run of the mill comp in Stockton. Never had an interest in rugby until i started at 12. We played as much rugby as we did football. I ended up playing for the school for 5 years. 3 Durham cups and 4 Cleveland cups later and i love the sport and have done ever since. The cup wins in part to having a British and Irish Lion in the team but hey ho.

Having experienced football clubs and rugby clubs, i always said if there was a choice, i'd push my children towards joining a rugby club due to the values they breed and the morals they promote. Football has always and will most likely always be my sport but it has a lot to learn from football on a number of levels.
Click to expand...
Geoff Parling?
 
I read recently that around 5% of kids go to fee paying schools yet over 50% of the England team are ex-public schoolboys, probably only cricket & rowing would come close to that.

Doesn't need to be a sport for wealthy people but it seems to help to be from a rich family to reach the top.
 
newusername said:
I read recently that around 5% of kids go to fee paying schools yet over 50% of the England team are ex-public schoolboys, probably only cricket & rowing would come close to that.

Doesn't need to be a sport for wealthy people but it seems to help to be from a rich family to reach the top.
Click to expand...
There’s definite truth in that. Whereas league is probably much more inclusive in the areas it’s popular.
 
Anton_Berg said:
Hartlepool was once considered a Rugby enclave, having two clubs. Andy Capp was sometimes depicted playing rugby.
Click to expand...
I maybe should have said 'two clubs higher in the pre-leagues pecking order than Middlesbrough RC'. My point was that Andy Capp was as working class as you could get.
 
There were a couple of clubs I thought were not too elitist , Acklam, Redcar, Billingham to name 3 further afield Blaydon, Westoe.
 
newusername said:
I read recently that around 5% of kids go to fee paying schools yet over 50% of the England team are ex-public schoolboys, probably only cricket & rowing would come close to that.

Doesn't need to be a sport for wealthy people but it seems to help to be from a rich family to reach the top.
Click to expand...
It's a bit more complicated than that. Quite a few of the 'privately educated' players started off as state school kids who were awarded sports scholarships by fee-paying schools, e.g. Billy (Harrow) and Mako (Millfield) Vinupola. Private schools often actively recruit such kids. The term 'fee paying' would also include St. George's, Harpenden, (Farrell, Ford, Itoje) which is a state day and boarding school. The fees are for boarding, not tuition.
 
Lemmy_kilmister said:
Is it really a middle /upper class game?

When I was at school in the late 70s/early 80s, only the kids from Acklam and Brookfield seemed to get to play for Stainsby... You rarely if ever saw any kids from Whinney Banks or West Lane get picked.

Then after joining the Forces, I discovered Rugby is always the premier sport. Very much an officer (who is often ex uni student) driven concern. (Except over the last few years, the Army team has become 80% Fijian) now).
Army/Navy at Twickenham is immense... 80 odd thousand attend every May for what always turns into a giant pișș up.
Forces football is never given the same level of attention. You'd guarantee the Old Man was first on the bus to the rugby match, but never went to watch his units football match.

Maybe it's just me coming from a pretty much non-Rugby town, but it's not a working class (if that term still exists) game IMO.
Click to expand...
Have you thought about football. Is football anti elitist ? Bamford seemed to get a lot of criticism for being a posh boy. Are there any others with wealth before football or an education at the same time as football. I remember we picked up a chap who was doing a degree at university but he never seemed to make the grade.
 
JackG said:
It's a bit more complicated than that. Quite a few of the 'privately educated' players started off as state school kids who were awarded sports scholarships by fee-paying schools, e.g. Billy (Harrow) and Mako (Millfield) Vinupola. Private schools often actively recruit such kids. The term 'fee paying' would also include St. George's, Harpenden, (Farrell, Ford, Itoje) which is a state day and boarding school. The fees are for boarding, not tuition.
Click to expand...
I think that proves the point.

Farrell - son of a professional player & coach, moved to Harpenden
Itoje - attended Prep school before St George's & Harrow
Ford - son of a professional player & coach, was playing U18s when he was 15.
Vunipolas - sons of a former player, playing representative rugby before getting the scholarships

You either have to be exceptional in your teenage years (genetics/parental support) to earn a scholarship to public school to finish your rugby development or have rich parents to start there.
To be exceptional in your teens you need to be playing the game, Harrow isn't scouting the local sinkhole estates looking for people with the physical attributes to play back row.
 
newusername said:
I read recently that around 5% of kids go to fee paying schools yet over 50% of the England team are ex-public schoolboys, probably only cricket & rowing would come close to that.

Doesn't need to be a sport for wealthy people but it seems to help to be from a rich family to reach the top.
Click to expand...
Maybe because it's played at those schools and coached to a decent level.
There's no reason why it can't be played by everyone . Kids games have changed a lot and the coaching has improved.
 
buffaloboro said:
Maybe because it's played at those schools and coached to a decent level.
There's no reason why it can't be played by everyone . Kids games have changed a lot and the coaching has improved.
Click to expand...
It's been mentioned but I suppose it depends on the location too. I would imagine plenty of state school kids play the game in Exeter. Likewise Gloucester, Bath and Northampton.

There's probably loads of great players in the North West and Yorkshire too. They all just play league instead.
 
buffaloboro said:
Nor is football at the top level. I've paid more for a ticket to a football game than for a decent west end show.
Click to expand...
Yeah I don’t think people can put that one on rugby. England hospitality at Wembley is also eye watering. Premier league access is also far more accessible to rugby fans too. I have a £199 season ticket that gives me access to all normal season home games: league, cup AND Europe. Plus free entry to watch the women’s side when they play there. I can’t imagine you getting as good a deal as that at Tottenham or Chelsea
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top