84K for a RU league game. Yes tickets might have been only £5 but the fans filled the stadium. RFU on the right marketing track. RFL initiative "Lets return to all pay games for CC rd 4 matches" We all know how disappointing the attendances will be.
Who is the marketing guru at the RFL?

How much money does the RFU Marketing Dept have compared to the RFL Marketing Dept?
How much media coverage do RFU events receive compared to RFL ones?
How many historical sponsorship partners willing to help promote the game/events (such as O2/Guinness etc) do the RFU have compared to the RFL?
How much of a benefit do the RFU have with an established base in the prosperous London and the South East compared to the RFL's M62 corridor?
How much of a benefit to the RFU is the public/independent school sector which happily churns out rah-rah supporting rich boys & girls every year?

Just saying RFU do a good job. RFL do a bad job is simplistic and a bit silly.

Don't blame the RFL for the fans failings.

The previous two posts are spot on.

Cracking post

100+ year head start and yet the rfu are streets ahead......your list of excuses above is missing the dog ate your homework

I'm sorry, are we talking about the current RFL marketing or mistakes made in the previous 100+ years?
You can call it "excuses" all you like but you know as well as I do that they are legitimate reasons why the RFL cannot market anywhere near as effectively as the RFU.
Could the RFL do better? Probably. Is it as simple as pointing to one 83k crowd at Wembley and saying the RFU are streets ahead and it's all because the RFL are stupid/incompetent? Of course not. There are reasons why they're ahead, some the RFL's fault in the past, some recently and some they have no/little possibility of controlling.

Are you president of the Flat Earth Society? You certainly seem to be in denial that the RFL can do any wrong.

Point here is nothing to do with comparing resources, it's about successful marketing of the game and engagement of fans and potential sponsors. All things the powers that be in the game have proved to be completely inept at and show no signs of improving. The RFU on the other hand understand the needs of both and develop plans to suit.

Rugby League fans tend to not turn up in huge numbers when offers are on and then moan about it afterwards.

With the prices of the Magic weekend, it should be full all weekend!

The RFL organised an event with 7 league matches at a 70,000 capacity stadium, ridiculously cheap prices, and were barely able to fill half of it thanks to the apathy of RL fans.

Are you the President of Basic Incomprehension? Firstly, kindly point out where I have said the RFL can do wrong.

Secondly, kindly explain how, when comparing the performance and effect 2 marketing departments have had, the resources available to and differring scenarios to be dealt with by those departments is irrelevant.

Just how do you think the RFU engages potential sponsors? Why do you think the RFU can attract huge companies like Aviva, O2, RBS, Guinness etc to pour millions into the sport while the RFL has the relatively smaller companies with significantly lower deals of the likes of Engage & Stobart. Do you seriously think its because the RFL are rubbish at engaging sponsors or do you think it might just have something to do with the amount and potential wealth of the average Union spectator compared to a League spectator. Do you think it might have something to do with the much higher media profile Union enjoys compared to League, especially in the areas where these major companies are based or focus their products? Not to mention the influence the public/independent school sector has and continues to play.

As for engaging fans well it's a bit hit & miss. The Grand Final has been a big success for the RFL and the Challenge Cup Final is well attended. The SL crowds keep increasing as do viewing figures. There is a challenge engaging fans with internationals but that's as much a fans issue (only bothered about club) and a GB/England performance issue as it is an RFL marketing issue. Staging England v Australia at the national stadium for £10 a ticket still only drew 40 odd thousand.
The RFL doesn't have the resources either monetary or in terms of a competition and supporter base appealing enough to entice the larger companies to invest in RL in a country where the vast majority of wealth and importance is in the south-east and RL is based around the M62.
When comparing the 2 marketing departments the difference in difficulty of effectively marketing the game is huge. Union have the edge in everything. They have more money, more influence, more friends, a base in the rich south, a public school network, a flourishing international competition, a better and more inclusive amateur network, and much higher media exposure.
It's like comparing the local school sports day to the Olympics and blaming for the school for not doing as well.

Utter chip on shoulder bollox!
Advertisers and sponsors spend where they will get the best ROI.........not where they can help out the old school tie network!