[Other Sport] English Premiership Rugby Final- 17.30 Twickenham- Exeter v Harlequins 26.06.21

[keaton]

I'd like to support my local side in any sport, but once I have to get a map out to work out who it would be I start to lose interest.

Sussex are in the Quin's catchment area for development

 

[keaton]

I find it bizarre in rugby that the teams that finishes top (ie Bristol) then don't win the title.

Can you imagine Man City winning the Premier league then having to have play off matches with the rest in the top 4 to decide who then wins the title!

But you don't win the Premiership by finishing top. Your reward for finishing top is a home semi final against the 4th place team.

Premiership games take place when internationals are on and they're required to rest internationals.

You could argue a team shouldn't be allowed to win the Euros, World Cup or champions League if they don't top their group

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

Sussex are in the Quin's catchment area for development

If I played rugby to a decent level, or had a child who did, I might care about that. As it is they could send me a Christmas card every year and it wouldn't change the fact that their ground is about 50miles from where I grew up.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

But you don't win the Premiership by finishing top. Your reward for finishing top is a home semi final against the 4th place team.

Premiership games take place when internationals are on and they're required to rest internationals.

You could argue a team shouldn't be allowed to win the Euros, World Cup or champions League if they don't top their group

There's the same issue with County cricket, most of the best England players barely play for their county sides (until inevitably, they luck out and get all of them while playing Sussex). The winner's based on the final league placing and people largely accept that.

The format is what it is, I've never found play off finals satisfying in any sport, but if that's how the competition is set up there's no point moaning about it.

Personally I wouldn't let teams qualify for the Champions League if they hadn't won their league (to be, you know, "champions"), but that's by the by.

 

[keaton]

If I played rugby to a decent level, or had a child who did, I might care about that. As it is they could send me a Christmas card every year and it wouldn't change the fact that their ground is about 50miles from where I grew up.

Take the point but it means that there's a links between Quin's and Worthing, Lewes , etc rugby clubs.

And on the second response I'm not sure the English County Cricket system is something that should ever be used as a good example of anything in the last few years

 

[Eeyore]

If I played rugby to a decent level, or had a child who did, I might care about that. As it is they could send me a Christmas card every year and it wouldn't change the fact that their ground is about 50miles from where I grew up.

But that's like someone from Dorset not then having a professional county cricket team to support.

I chose the nearest team, and given that they have a strong tradition with the county it was an easy affiliation.

The Stoop is only an hour and a quarter on the train. Some London folk might take just as long to return. I feel no less connected.

Once I started attending I felt at home. Especially as Quins are an ancient side but far from the most successful. In fact they've only ever won the professional title twice in the 30 odd years its been running.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

Take the point but it means that there's a links between Quin's and Worthing, Lewes , etc rugby clubs.

And on the second response I'm not sure the English County Cricket system is something that should ever be used as a good example of anything in the last few years

Well I come on here to learn things I still don't like them

I'm just making the point that all sports have these oddities, which fans of those sports largely accept because they're used to them. The County Championship's always been run like that, the football league's always been run in that way as well, except for promotion which arguably makes even less sense.

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

But that's like someone from Dorset not then having a professional county cricket team to support.

I chose the nearest team, and given that they have a strong tradition with the county it was an easy affiliation.

The Stoop is only an hour and a quarter on the train. Some London folk might take just as long to get home. I feel no less connected.

Once I started attending I felt at home. Especially as Quins are an ancient side but far from the most successful. In fact they've only ever won the professional title twice in the 30 odd years its been running.

That's fine, I'm not trying to tell anybody that they're wrong. If somebody had taken me to a Quin's game as a child as the nearest club, I'm sure I'd support them. As it is the only person in my family with any interest in Union is my grandad, who lives in Leicestershire.

I have friends from Lincolnshire who support Gloucestershire because they went to uni there. People in Cheshire tend to support Lancashire because it's the nearest first class county. People from all over the North East support either Newcastle or Sunderland for their own reasons. If it makes sense to them that's fine.

I only asked this in the first place because I was genuinely interested in why/how people come to support particular sides when there aren't any big sides within the county, I'm really not trying to tell anybody they're wrong.

 

[Icy Gull]

I supported Quins before I even moved to West Sussex, I have absolutely no recollection as to why I picked them as my team. I don’t even like cricket but have always looked out for Middlesex results, again no idea why.

I was born in Nottingham

 

[Eeyore]

I supported Quins before I even moved to West Sussex, I have absolutely no recollection as to why I picked them as my team. I don’t even like cricket but have always looked out for Middlesex results, again no idea why.

I was born in Nottingham

I was born in Surrey and first lived in Hampshire. I have no affiliation with either side whatsoever. In fact, I can't stand Surrey. It's interesting how it works. But all my affiliation is with my nearest teams.

I would say I'm the original non glory hunter though. I don't get how folk 'support' big teams they have no connection with.

 

[keaton]

Well I come on here to learn things I still don't like them

I'm just making the point that all sports have these oddities, which fans of those sports largely accept because they're used to them. The County Championship's always been run like that, the football league's always been run in that way as well, except for promotion which arguably makes even less sense.

I'm not a proper Quins but take an interest due to them nominally being the 'local' team. This season they have played some phenomenal attacking rugby, orchestrated by an Albion fan.
Mostly I support whoever's playing Saracens or Liecester with soft spots for Exeter, Bath and Ospreys

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

I'm not a proper Quins but take an interest due to them nominally being the 'local' team. This season they have played some phenomenal attacking rugby, orchestrated by an Albion fan.
Mostly I support whoever's playing Saracens or Liecester with soft spots for Exeter, Bath and Ospreys

I've realised there might be some friction from the whole "I vaguely support Leicester" thing, I should probably be clear that I really don't care enough about club union in general to qualify for glory hunter status (hence me not being aware that the idea of Harlequins as the local team in Sussex is a thing). I am interested in people and how they come to be invested in things though.

I once stewarded at Bath while I was a student, I did a terrible job and an old guy in the front row of my stand got hit on the head by the ball while they were practicing before the game (not my fault). With hindsight that really doesn't say much for the aim of whichever team it was who were practising at that end.

 

[Cpt. Spavil]

Well done Quins. Much deserved winners.

 

[n1 gull]

Good work Quins an amazing game of rugby. Loved it!

 

[Dr Q]

One of the most exciting games of rugby I've seen in a long time, didn't want the final whistle to come. Not a great fan of Quins, but credit where its due, they tore up the script and really went for it. Sadly, as a Bath fan, I doubt we see that amount of energy shown in the final across the whole season.

 

[keaton]

https://rugbyonslaught.com/joe-marler-sends-clear-message-in-thrilling-post-match-speech/

Interesting post math interview from Marker.

The big thing from Saturday is you really wish players like Sam Simmonds, Marcus Smith, Care, Marchant, Dolmbrand were English and so Eddie Jones could pick an exciting England team