Comments on: Rethinking the Minnows http://mediazonebrowniesrugbybunker.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/rethinking-the-minnows/ MediaZone Rugby Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:05:22 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ZumZumMataMoscas http://mediazonebrowniesrugbybunker.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/rethinking-the-minnows/#comment-19 ZumZumMataMoscas Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:37:13 +0000 http://mediazonebrowniesrugbybunker.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/rethinking-the-minnows/#comment-19 As we already know that England will play South Africa in the final, I would like to inform you that this weekend a portuguese newspaper as published an article saying that in the past month the number of rugby young players as grown for more than the double. They have published that in some clubs the number of young players was multiplied by 3 and in others by 2. The reason: Portuguese presence in World Cup. This kids went to rugby because they saw Portugal playing against NZ and Scotland, not because of the games against the other minnor teams. If, to this fact, you add that there are 3 players from the Portuguese amateur squad that already signed contracts to became pros in France and England and there are at least other 5 players that are also negotiating their contracts, you can start to guess the huge impact that this RWC presence made to the Portuguese rugby. The Portuguese National Rugby team was received by a huge crowd in the airport when they returned home, the matches were followed by a huge percentage of the Portuguese population even if they were pay per view matches, and the press followed all steps of this team and the World Cup. The impact and the promotion were by far best and bigger than the Portuguese rugby, and the rugby in general, could ever imagine or had. Cut the presence of the minnor teams in the RWC and you are stopping rugby growth as a World Wide sport. Make a second division world league and nobody will watch a single match. Press will not talk about it and rugby will die in Portugal and in other minnor countries like us. As we already know that England will play South Africa in the final, I would like to inform you that this weekend a portuguese newspaper as published an article saying that in the past month the number of rugby young players as grown for more than the double. They have published that in some clubs the number of young players was multiplied by 3 and in others by 2.
The reason: Portuguese presence in World Cup. This kids went to rugby because they saw Portugal playing against NZ and Scotland, not because of the games against the other minnor teams.

If, to this fact, you add that there are 3 players from the Portuguese amateur squad that already signed contracts to became pros in France and England and there are at least other 5 players that are also negotiating their contracts, you can start to guess the huge impact that this RWC presence made to the Portuguese rugby.
The Portuguese National Rugby team was received by a huge crowd in the airport when they returned home, the matches were followed by a huge percentage of the Portuguese population even if they were pay per view matches, and the press followed all steps of this team and the World Cup.
The impact and the promotion were by far best and bigger than the Portuguese rugby, and the rugby in general, could ever imagine or had.

Cut the presence of the minnor teams in the RWC and you are stopping rugby growth as a World Wide sport. Make a second division world league and nobody will watch a single match. Press will not talk about it and rugby will die in Portugal and in other minnor countries like us.

]]> By: Richard Arnold http://mediazonebrowniesrugbybunker.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/rethinking-the-minnows/#comment-7 Richard Arnold Sat, 22 Sep 2007 23:35:32 +0000 http://mediazonebrowniesrugbybunker.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/rethinking-the-minnows/#comment-7 I have tried to get into the rugby world cup media zone but it fails to work properly I just keep getting this error below. What's up with that? I have IE 6.02 on Windows XP with Windows Media Player 11. It worked one time just as the touramnet begain but since then it fails everytime I try it. I get the same thing at both my work computer as well as at home. The try of the week clips worked fine just cant get in to the RWC 2007 media zone. A System.Web.HttpUnhandledException error has occured. : Object reference not set to an instance of an object. Any suggestions? Richard Austin, Texas, USA I have tried to get into the rugby world cup media zone but it fails to work properly I just keep getting this error below. What’s up with that? I have IE 6.02 on Windows XP with Windows Media Player 11. It worked one time just as the touramnet begain but since then it fails everytime I try it. I get the same thing at both my work computer as well as at home. The try of the week clips worked fine just cant get in to the RWC 2007 media zone.

A System.Web.HttpUnhandledException error has occured.
:
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Any suggestions?

Richard
Austin, Texas, USA

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