Over the years, the sport of rugby has evolved at an alarming pace.
Whereas ‘egg chasing’ has always been a popular choice, not too long ago audience numbers of rugby league spiked, allowing rugby league to give rugby union a real run for its money.
But why the sudden surge in interest in rugby league, and why are more and more rugby fans opting to pay closer attention to rugby league as opposed to rugby union?
Well, there are actually a lot of factors here that have played a part in the growth of rugby league, which is what we’re going to be examining today.
Below you’ll find a comparison between rugby league and rugby union, along with a few reasons why rugby league is suddenly the popular kid in school.
Rugby league vs rugby union
When people talk about the sport of rugby, it’s important to understand the key differences between league and union. Whilst both of course being very similar, there are still a number of differences to take into consideration.
Basically, back in 1885, rugby football split into rugby union and rugby union. They were basically played the same, it was just the admin that was different.
After a while, rugby league’s rules were altered so that the two now became unique.
In rugby league, player numbers were cut down to 13, and mauls and rucks were switched to a play-the-ball restart in order to make the sport more intense and fast-paced.
Out of the two, rugby league has fewer rules than union, so it was easier to understand.
Why rugby league has grown?
Now we’re going to look at a few reasons why rugby league has grown in popularity over the years.
Simplicity
Rugby union is much more complex than rugby league. There are more players, there are more rules, and as a result it is harder for the casual fan to understand.
For casuals just getting into rugby league, the fact that it is easier to understand makes it a very appealing way to break into the sport.
Easier to bet on
Another reason why more and more people are showing an interest in rugby league is due to the fact that it is so fast paced.
There are fewer rules and players which means that there is more action and the sport itself is much faster paced. This makes it more exciting for casual viewers who aren’t entirely sure about the rules.
It has gone global
Some things which shall remain nameless, are not ideal when going global.
Other things such as sports, however, are very much encouraged to spread their wings and expand to other countries.
Rugby league is now being picked up in more and more countries, which is only helping it to expand and grow in terms of popularity.
