Former St Helens and England Star Criticizes State of International Rugby League
Former St Helens and England international James Graham has criticized the state of international rugby league following the dismal attendance and poor production for the England-France match in Toulouse on Saturday.
The day was billed as a triple-header to celebrate 90 years of rugby league in France, with England’s men’s and women’s teams facing their French counterparts, followed by a Toulouse Olympique vs. Featherstone Rovers Championship clash at the 19,000-capacity Stade Ernest-Wallon.
“I’m actually embarrassed about England Rugby League and the crowd, but I don’t even know if you can call it that,” Graham said. “They played France and I don’t even know if I want to highlight this because it is that embarrassing.”
Despite the presence of international stars and two of the Championship’s top teams, the match was witnessed by a meager crowd of just 4,500, leaving the stadium barely a quarter full – a terrible look for the sport, according to Graham.
The former NRL star, who earned 50 caps for England and Great Britain, explained that the lack of promotion for the game was so severe that his co-host, Brandon Smith of the Roosters, was unaware that the match had even taken place.
Poor Attendance and Production
Graham argued that the poor attendance and production were a sad reflection on the state of international rugby league, which has been failed by the sport’s governing bodies.
“I love international rugby league and loved playing for my country, but I felt sorry for the lads that had to endure playing in front of a couple of people and their dog. That’s not what you should be looking at for the pinnacle of our sport,” he said.
The former England great also criticized the decision to stream the game rather than securing a television broadcast on BBC, Channel 4, or Sky, describing the production quality as so poor that he had to turn it off.
“I don’t know if it’s on Australia to promote it or make people aware of it, but honestly, you wouldn’t want to know it’s on. It’s that bad. I’m embarrassed,” Graham added.
The disappointing scenes in Toulouse have reignited the debate surrounding the future of international rugby league and the need for the sport’s governing bodies to prioritize and promote the game at the highest level.
🔗 Source
