Arguments against Coventry as a 'City of Rugby' (1 Viewer)

Captain Dart · Jun 18, 2016

Rather than lash out because it isn't a policy that I personally don't want to see I thought I'd construct a reasoned argument why isn't right.

Popularity
Swimming is England’s most popular sport, followed by athletics, cycling and football.
https://www.sportengland.org/research/who-plays-sport/by-sport/
It turns out rugby is about the 15th most popular sport, with a participation rate similar to netball and squash.

Drug Abuse
The use of steroids is widespread in rugby.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36158400
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/26/rugby-steroids-olympic-games-rio
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...oss-admits-realise-s-issue-addressing-it.html

Brain Injury
Evidence is increasing that playing rugby poses a significant risk of suffering serious long term brain injury. Why should anyone promote
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25182-rugby-players-warned-of-long-term-brain-injury-risks/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...ttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-34249187
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35559202

Sports Strategy
A ‘Coventry Sports Strategy 2014-2024′ was democratically approved at a full Coventry City Council meeting of councillors in September 2014, following public consultation.
http://covsport.org.uk/about-us/downloads/coventry-sports-strategy-report

It lists the following strategic objectives. http://covsport.org.uk/strategy/vision-aim-1

To increase the number of children and young people that regularly participate in sport.
To increase regular adult participation in sport to a level higher than national and regional averages.
To increase regular participation in sport by disabled people to a level higher than national and regional averages.
To increase regular participation in sport by females to a level higher than national and regional averages.
To increase regular participation in sport by those on lower incomes to a level higher than national and regional averages.
To increase participation in Coventry’s key sports to levels higher than national and regional averages for each of these sports.

The Sports Strategy report notes in its headline findings:

Yet when you look more closely at the site great prominence is given to rugby which links to a sub-site of its own http://www.cityofrugby.org/. I've already shown rugby isn't one of the more popular participation sports.
The most popular sports, football, swimming and cycling have holding pages saying "Look out for more information Coming Soon...". The tennis page has a link ostensibly to http://www.warmemorialparktennis.co.uk/wmptennis/site/index.php but the link is broken, it ends up on an Error 404 page!

It is notable that the site does not promote women's or disabled sports at all despite poor participation in these areas being listed as key findings on the strategy document.

The 2016 news page has 5 Rugby articles out of 12 listed and one promotes an event at the Ricoh, which is netball so I would agree that falls into the policy neatly enough otherwise it is incredibly and unfairly biased.

Endpiece
.... ok enough for now, I'll get back to this later, I'm sure I can see more if I look closely enough. But I'd appreciate reasoned contributions (not I hate Wasps etc.) . I am thinking a petition and media campaign might be in order. This attempted rugby 'takeover' of sport in the city must be challenged robustly.

Samo · Jun 18, 2016

Regarding your first point: participation is not really relevant though is it? The figures re spectators would surely be more impressive.

stupot07 · Jun 18, 2016

Good work CD

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

oscillatewildly · Jun 18, 2016

Because you've capitalised the name of the game I thought our fair city had just swallowed up Tom Brown's old stomping ground.

ccfcway · Jun 18, 2016

good work

we should be City of swimming

Philosoraptor · Jun 18, 2016

ccfcway said:
good work

we should be City of swimming

They're closing/closed the pools.

Coventry: City of Splashing :nailbiting:

ccfcway · Jun 18, 2016

Philosorapter said:
They're closing/closed the pools.

Coventry: City of Splashing :nailbiting:

aren't they opening one at higgs ?

Philosoraptor · Jun 18, 2016

I think this is where the problem lies. If you've chosen a sport that is not in the top six spectator sports or whatever it is in this PR/sales drive for wasps/City of Culture/City of rugby etc, then you're totally fucked. I can see a lot of people from other sports getting a bit alienated about this.

If people are going to start charging for culture in the City then this isn't going to end well...

ccfcway · Jun 18, 2016

Philosorapter said:
I think this is where the problem lies. If you've chosen a sport that is not in the top six spectator sports ...

I cant believe Rugby isn't in the top 6 spector sports ?

That's a surprise. I assumed it would be number 2 in Cov

What other 5 sports in cov are getting 10k+ every 2 weeks or so ?

SBT · Jun 18, 2016

It's incredible how insecure people are about this insignificant program. Local authorities are no more likely to persuade the people of Coventry that it's suddenly a 'City of Rugby' than they are to convince them they're using the wrong recycling bin for plastics. The fact that some people feel so threatened is embarrassing.

ccfcway · Jun 18, 2016

SBT said:
It's incredible how insecure people are about this insignificant program. Local authorities are no more likely to persuade the people of Coventry that it's suddenly a 'City of Rugby' than they are to convince them they're using the wrong recycling bin for plastics. The fact that some people feel so threatened is embarrassing.

Have the council issued a sky blues bin in which they have asked Coventry residents to put all sisu related materials into ?

Samo · Jun 18, 2016

SBT said:
It's incredible how insecure people are about this insignificant program. Local authorities are no more likely to persuade the people of Coventry that it's suddenly a 'City of Rugby' than they are to convince them they're using the wrong recycling bin for plastics. The fact that some people feel so threatened is embarrassing.

Wow you are so cool and hard.

kmj5000 · Jun 18, 2016

Is this a football forum, or not? Stop obsessing about the Rugby FFS!

ccfcway · Jun 18, 2016

kmj5000 said:
Is this a football forum, or not? Stop obsessing about the Rugby FFS!

personally I couldn't give 2 hoots if Coventry was the city of tiddly winks. I just want our owners to secure the long term future of our club and look to (in ransons words) leave it in a better place than they found it (in the championship)

SBT · Jun 18, 2016

Samo said:
Wow you are so cool and hard.

I'm really not. You don't have to be some kind of brave freedom fighter to not be intimidated by a string of press releases.

SkyBlueZack · Jun 18, 2016

ccfcway said:
personally I couldn't give 2 hoots if Coventry was the city of tiddly winks. I just want our owners to secure the long term future of our club and look to (in ransons words) leave it in a better place than they found it (in the championship)

How would you suggest they do that? Secure the long term future and leave it in a better place?

hill83 · Jun 18, 2016

1. Rugby is shit
2. Rugby is boring
3. Rugby is boring and shit

hill83 · Jun 18, 2016

And also, you can't mention anything negative about rugby to a rugby fan without them mentioning football. Even when you've not mentioned football yourself.

Example:
Me: "I'm not into rugby"
Rugby bloke: "At least rugby players don't dive around like your football lot"
Me: "Cheers, but who mentioned football? Snooker players don't dive about either"

Nick · Jun 18, 2016

Rugby always have shit nick names, always one called tank

Kingokings204 · Jun 18, 2016

Nick said:
Rugby always have shit nick names, always one called tank

Is that frank?

That my drinking name btw

hill83 · Jun 18, 2016

Kingokings204 said:
Is that frank?

That my drinking name btw

I thought your drinking name was Obi OneCanOnly

Samo · Jun 18, 2016

Kingokings204 said:
Is that frank?

That my drinking name btw

You have a drinking name? I always use my regular name to save confusion.

Kingokings204 · Jun 18, 2016

Oh I know. One conversation I had recently starting with me:

"Did you watch the football at the weekend?"

"No I go to the rugby"

"Oh that sport when you hold a funny shaped ball and run at someone, you know that really skillful game"

"Well at least we don't dive around and pretend we are dead"

"No nor do footballers, maybe one or two but it's the minority"

"They all do it"

"No they don't, perhaps one or two trying it on and football fans don't like it also but it's not the majority"

"Well we don't fight eachother in the crowd also"

"Oh ffs"

Nick · Jun 18, 2016

Kingokings204 said:
Oh I know. One conversation I had recently starting with me:

"Did you watch the football at the weekend?"

"No I go to the rugby"

"Oh that sport when you hold a funny shaped ball and run at someone, you know that really skillful game"

"Well at least we don't dive around and pretend we are dead"

"No nor do footballers, maybe one or two but it's the minority"

"They all do it"

"No they don't, perhaps one or two trying it on and football fans don't like it also but it's not the majority"

"Well we don't fight eachother in the crowd also"

"Oh ffs"

Yeah but they wank onto biscuits and drink each other's piss and excuse it by saying on tour and wearing matching ties

hill83 · Jun 18, 2016

Kingokings204 said:
Oh I know. One conversation I had recently starting with me:

"Did you watch the football at the weekend?"

"No I go to the rugby"

"Oh that sport when you hold a funny shaped ball and run at someone, you know that really skillful game"

"Well at least we don't dive around and pretend we are dead"

"No nor do footballers, maybe one or two but it's the minority"

"They all do it"

"No they don't, perhaps one or two trying it on and football fans don't like it also but it's not the majority"

"Well we don't fight eachother in the crowd also"

"Oh ffs"

You've started that one yourself there though to be fair. Fair game.

tisza · Jun 18, 2016

What I don't get is there even a need or demand for a "city of rugby" anywhere in England?
From what I can understand there used to be 5 or 6 "big" rugby clubs in London of which most have relocated outside the capital.
so there are only 2 top flight clubs left in London - one has a stadium that holds about 15000 and another who had big investment and moved to a "new" stadium which has a cpacity of 10000.
Which sport has more teams in Coventry - rugby or football?
Schools in Coventry - how many play football & how many play rugby?
Maybe it's a stereotype but I thought most professional rugby players come from private or grammar schools. Hardly a universal sport
If a city with a population of around 8 million can only accommodate 2 top flight rugby clubs with a combined stadium capacity of around 25000 is there really a demand for a "city of rugby"?
As far as these participation figures go what counts as athletics - people who jog once a week? Cycling - that's just people who ride a bike once a week - most kids do. Neither of these are based on organized facilities or participation. The club affiliation figures would seem to support this.

armybike · Jun 18, 2016

Council budgets are being cut.

Council's need to demonstrate they are seeking to get kids active.

A group of organisations come forward with a proposal to take some of the onus off the council with activities/events the group will help finance/promote.

The council sees a win-win.

The group gets to promote themselves.

SBT goes into meltdown (again).

Grendel · Jun 19, 2016

armybike said:
Council budgets are being cut.

Council's need to demonstrate they are seeking to get kids active.

A group of organisations come forward with a proposal to take some of the onus off the council with activities/events the group will help finance/promote.

The council sees a win-win.

The group gets to promote themselves.

SBT goes into meltdown (again).

Lies lies and more lies. Wasps in the form of engage came up with this promotion to promote.....wasps.

The council budget hasn't been reduced at all has it? Have you any evidence at all to back up this tripe?

Captain Dart · Jun 19, 2016

Samo said:
Regarding your first point: participation is not really relevant though is it? The figures re spectators would surely be more impressive.

On the contrary, the Sports Strategy is focussed on increasing participation. Maybe it would help you to actually read the and understand their stated strategic objectives.

Otis · Jun 19, 2016

Captain Dart said:
On the contrary, the Sports Strategy is focussed on increasing participation. Maybe it would help you to actually read the and understand their stated strategic objectives.

Ooh, get you on a Sunday morning, Mr. Light the Blue Touchpaper and Stand Well Back.

mrtrench · Jun 19, 2016

Why is it not enough to just like something without feeling compulsion to dislike things other people like?

Otis · Jun 19, 2016

mrtrench said:
Why is it not enough to just like something without feeling compulsion to dislike things other people like?

You think I should maybe stop hating Britain's Got Talent then?

mrtrench · Jun 19, 2016

Otis said:
You think I should maybe stop hating Britain's Got Talent then?

Well there are exceptions .

Of course we all dislike lots of things. I guess the difference is that we don't put any energy into telling everyone that we dislike Britain's Got Talent - it becomes invisible to us, rather than consuming us. Passionate dislike is really a very negative emotion and cannot be good for the holder's happiness. My advice would be to let it go - live and let live.

Otis · Jun 19, 2016

mrtrench said:
Well there are exceptions .

Of course we all dislike lots of things. I guess the difference is that we don't put any energy into telling everyone that we dislike Britain's Got Talent - it becomes invisible to us, rather than consuming us. Passionate dislike is really a very negative emotion and cannot be good for the holder's happiness. My advice would be to let it go - live and let live.

I hate it when people say 'let it go.' For half an hour or so after I get that infernal song rattling around my head.

rupert_bear · Jun 19, 2016

Another pointless daft thread, seems to me there is more Rugby Unlion talk on here by the so-called anti Wasp crowd than any. Back in the 60s and 70s crfc had a squad full of English international household names in the rugby world and were England's dominant club yet a third division football club attracted thousands more every week so much so Cov rugger played Friday evenings many a time to avoid home fixture clashes. I also doubt if many football fans at all have switched codes or are likely too.

Arguments against Coventry as a 'City of Rugby' (1 Viewer)

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