Messaggio
da Ilgorgo » 18 mar 2021, 8:44
Un bel commentone generale di un appassionato georgiano all'Europeo di quest'anno. L'analisi muove da una certa delusione generale, piombata sul forum del rugby europeo di seconda fascia poiché, nonostante l'evidente miglioramento nella cura mediatica del torneo fatta da Rugby Europe, non si scorge alcun segnale di maggior interesse da parte dei media e dei tifosi "mainstream"
I get the frustration of the t2r but Rugby Europe can't really force anyone to watch, they've made the product widely available, They can't really start a marketing campaign to promote REIC in western Europe, that would cost an absolute fortune. Also, let's not put the blame solely on RE! yes they have their problems but our Brand of Rugby isn't exactly entertaining and enjoyable to watch for neutrals. Hell, even those hardcore fans from 6N that watch the games often end up bored and disappointed with the style and quality of the games. We can't keep pointing fingers at RE, we also have to take our share of responsibility. If our rugby was as entertaining as that of Islanders or even Uruguay I can guarantee the interest would be far higher.
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So what are some problems that affect the product
1. Camera work and quality that often looks like it's from the early 2000s - It used to look like the 90s so still an improvement but people these days are spoiled by the amazing quality and production for sports events. REIC looks like a collegiate championship.
2. Stadiums - Either Too tiny or Large and Empty. This really poops in the atmosphere and excitement for a neutral/casual observer.
Nacional stadium looks like a stadium where I would play Amateur rugby in my college years. Portugal either plays in a similar tiny stadium or a larger one with almost no attendance.
I won't even start on Russia, the worst atmosphere of any country with large frozen desolate stadiums. Haven't seen Kaliningrad one yet.
Arcul de Triumf was a relatively nice stadium with a good atmosphere but we don't know what's in the future for Romanian rugby.
Belgian pitches are infamous but they've always had decent support and a good atmosphere plus the few stadiums that I saw when Georgia went there looked quite decent.
For Georgia, it's great when we get good attendance on Dinamo or Loko but when we don't it kills the atmosphere... the other small stadiums in my opinion are too ugly for international competitions. We are really lacking a decent mid-sized(18-20k) Rugby Arena with stands on all sides. (Come to think of it, every ERC nation could use a stadium like that)
3. Rugby
Spain and Portugal are at least trying to play positive rugby so they get a + for that but the quality still needs improvement in order to raise interest internationally. I do hope Spain Gets the RWC spot they've been seeking, I think they desperately need the exposure both locally and internationally.
Georgia - Ugh, We've been playing the ugliest brand of rugby since 2017. We really need to pick a good head coach soon or we are heading for disaster both stylistically and qualitywise. Even our strengths (Maul, Scrum, Pick&Go) Don't work anymore outside REIC.
Oaks are a shadow of their former glory. By the looks, they'll find it hard to even make it to RWC from now on and that is a huge loss for REC. Back in the day when T1 and even T2 tests were nothing more than a dream we used to wait for the Antim Cup game the whole year and it was always good. Idk whether to be Angry at Romanians or feel sorry for them for letting their Rugby fall this far.
Russia - Do they even know what their style is? I've watched their games for decades and they've never been fun to watch.
Belgium/Netherlands/Germany - They still need to improve a lot and become more consistent before we can even judge them.
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Feel free to add anything I missed.
So with so many flaws, international exposure will always be lacking, especially when the schedules are clashing with 6N. Til we fix at least half of these problems, the only people we'll get are rugby-mad fans who'll never turn down a rugby game to begin with. So yea we've made progress but we're still far off from a respectable 21st-century tournament status.