Good idea? Bristol trying to do things a bit differently

[tigerburnie]

...........or is it just desperation ......................................
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment ... d5f489d322

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Not for me. The game needs to move forward, but some things are nice about rugby and they make it different form other sports.

Maybe that will be it's downfall, but I think we need to keep the fairness in the game.

[Hot_Charlie]

Not for me. The game needs to move forward, but some things are nice about rugby and they make it different form other sports.

Maybe that will be it's downfall, but I think we need to keep the fairness in the game.

Agree. The general behaviour around rugby needs to stay the same. The tone of the atmosphere at grounds needs to stay broadly the same (it's not perfect, but it's not terrible).

Tainton is a young chap who maybe hasn't made the connection yet that "good values" are generally reflective of good people.

[thebearisstilldeano]

I remember some years back having to have a " robust conversation" with a foul mouthed harridan of a Sararycens supporter who felt bound to yell at every kick by Toby Flood.

NOT what the game is about.

[CJ]

I’m proud that we don’t boo the kickers, we don’t have PA yelling ‘Come on You Tigers’, we applaud the scores of the opposition (without enthusiasm, but we are still fair) and so on. We have the crack with opposition supporters but with a smile on our faces. Long may this continue.

[wormus]

I’m proud that we don’t boo the kickers, we don’t have PA yelling ‘Come on You Tigers’, we applaud the scores of the opposition (without enthusiasm, but we are still fair) and so on. We have the crack with opposition supporters but with a smile on our faces. Long may this continue.

Any one looking at the Saracens V Northampton game on Sunday would have thought it was a music festival with constant music intervals, banging that blasted drum and of course lots of Sweet Caroline. PA announcements to "come on Sarries etc."
No I like to watch the skills of the kicker in silence.

[Old Hob]

The French have a different habit; I remember them shouting and encouraging their kicker and being silent for ours at MWWR some years ago.

I agree with the above; there is generally too much incivility in the world and I would not be pleased if rugby were to lose that little oasis we have.

[Tigers86asw]

All gimmicky nonsense. They don’t need loud music and constant interruptions to make the game better. We need international player available for all club matches, cheaper tickets and better officials.

Great sport should speak for itself. If you need to boo kickers to improve your stadium experience then you’ve got a problem. No one watches Edwards great try from 1973 and thinks ‘oh if only they played sweet Carolina over the tan boy’. Same for Stokes at Headingley in 2019 or Liverpools comeback in Istanbul in 2005.

Give up on the fluff and get the basics right.

[Hot_Charlie]

Basically, if you need the gimmicks, the on field product isn't worth paying for.

[KiwiTig]

I agree ads

[Tiglon]

Rugby needs to be unique in a crowded sporting landscape, and I'm not sure stadium music, booing kickers and all the other American style "showmanship" is going to do achieve it.

Saying that, I can't remember the last time I went to the game and didn't hear at least one elderly gentleman severely criticise the ref, so I'm not sure a bit of pantomime booing of kickers is going to ruin things.

Every time someone in rugby uses football as an aspirational comparison, I just think they're missing the point. Rugby will never be more than a niche sport, and perhaps the key is to embrace that reality and find a way to thrive without crowds of 80,000 every week and a £17bn TV deal. But then, I suppose that would limit Mr Bristol COO's salary, wouldn't it?

[CrumblingTerrace]

“We can sit on the traditions of rugby values and ‘this is what makes rugby great’ all the way to the graveyard."

This is what happens when folk who are only motivated by the profit imperative have influence over the direction of the sport.

Tainton thinks this is 'rugby's pre-Premier League moment'. Does he know his Premier League history? First came the millionaires (Jack Walker), then the billionaires (Abramovich) and finally, the states (Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia). The competitiveness of the sport is almost entirely driven by the ultra-wealth of a privileged few who vehemently seek to defend and sustain their position.

A winning, sustainable strategy comes from recognising what's unique and inimitable about what you have. In rugby, the values of the game are what makes it unique and inimitable. Tainton's vision, in contrast, seems to be based on imitation. Maybe that gets him his bums on seats in the short-term, but if our game goes in that direction then it's just another niche sport desperately scrambling for relevancy.