A top national sports broadcaster says rugby league’s “expansionism” is “disrespectful” to the game in Cumbria.
TalkSport’s Adrian Durham launched a passionate defence of the county’s historic clubs as he slammed the way the game has looked elsewhere for growth.
He feels more attention and support should be given to clubs like Workington Town and Whitehaven in one of the sport’s traditional heartlands.
Durham spoke out as he interviewed author Rob Watson about a new book on rugby league.
The broadcaster said: “I am not a fan of expansionism..
“I don’t get it – you’ve got a game dying to an extent in its heartlands, but we want to create teams for Super League in South Wales, but that doesn’t work, so let’s go to North Wales, let’s go to Canada, let’s have two teams in France…
“I’m absolutely baffled and bewildered by it. I would rather they made the heartlands as strong as possible.
“Actually, I think the whole expansionism thing is so disrespectful to the county of Cumbria. It actually upsets me.
“You [Rob] talk in the book that the only stadium [in Cumbria] that [would be] fit for Super League is Carlisle United’s Brunton Park – a football stadium. And they don’t play rugby league in Carlisle as such.
“The hotbeds for rugby league are Whitehaven, Workington, out on the west coast.
“I took a trip to both those stadiums on the same day, and I was seriously impressed with both.
“I’m thinking to myself, there should be ideally both these clubs in Super League to represent the whole area of Cumbria.
“That to me is a bigger issue than trying to start up a club in Canada…that whole project left me bewildered.”
Durham went on to speak of his admiration for the two west Cumbrian clubs’ stadiums, Derwent Park and the Recreation Ground.
“Those grounds are uninviting but warm at the same time,” he added.
“They are traditional, not modern in any way, harsh in some ways – you imagine in one of the coldest days of the season it would be horrible to go there.
“But those are the things I love about it.
“I don’t see anything wrong with either of those grounds, Workington and Whitehaven.”
The full discussion, via the William Hill Sports Book Club, can be viewed HERE.
Rob Watson’s book Fighting For Survival: A manifesto for the future of rugby league, is available HERE.
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