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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.

Bring back 'The War of the Roses' series to Rugby League

Bring back 'The War of the Roses' series to Rugby League

Closed — 38 supporters Verified

Final supporters

J
Joe M.
J
jordan m.
D
danny b.
J
Jonathan T.
N
Nathan c.
A
Ashley c.
J
john h.
C
craig M.
R
Ryan W.
D
Dave W.
+28 more
LS
Started by Lewis Scott 12 years, 3 months ago
@HFC_NEWS are behind an ongoing twitter campaign to bring #WarOfTheRoses to the attention of the RFL. The series seeing ancient rivals, Yorkshire and Lancashire, go head to head in a 3 game series similar to State of Origin, has been absent from the British game since 2003. In the past, in all honesty the series appeared to be a flop drawing mediocre crowds and poor performances on the pitch leading to its eventual abandonment. But, the game has dramatically changed compared to what it was 11 years ago. With more talent on the pitch, bigger crowds, more investment and more television coverage than ever before, the idea is surely worth a second chance. The current mid-season England vs Exiles match lacks intensity and entertainment on a regular basis, and in a twitter pole conducted by @HFC_NEWS, 100% of people asked wanted to see the return of The War of the Roses series instead.


Format and rules regarding eligibility to play for the regions would have to be decided by the governing body, but following in the footsteps of State of Origin, you cam play for the county you were born in or in the county that you played in first at academy level.The list of Stadia capable of hosting the event would be huge; KC Stadium, Reebok Arena, Elland Road, John Smith Stadium and the Ethihad are just a few names to throw into the hat.


The idea has its downfall, as does any competition, but there are far more positives than negatives. The RFL need to stand up and listen to the fans for once and this is a great place to start. There is huge support across the social media spectrum, not just from the supporters and various club fan pages, but players alike, including Leeds Rhinos full-back Zak Hardaker and Huddersfield Giant's forward Brett Ferres who are just a few to voice their support for the idea.


So, it's time to revive the ancient rivalry, time for Red Hall to stand up and listen to the fans and bring back The War of the Roses! Let's get some recognition and sign the petition!

Updates

May 29, 2014

Watching the discussion grow online and seeing so many people remember the intensity of those old Lancashire and Yorkshire matches has been incredibly validating. I have been spending my evenings gathering my notes to present a formal case to the officials about why the game is finally ready for this rivalry to return. The silence from the top levels of the sport is frustrating but it only confirms that we need to keep pushing this idea into the light.

May 29, 2014

Seeing this level of enthusiasm for the return of such an iconic rivalry reminds me why I started this campaign in the first place. The momentum we have built together proves that fans are ready to see this series reborn on the pitch under the modern game's standards. I truly believe our passion will force the board to finally listen to what the Rugby League community wants.

17 Comments

D
Dave Wade
12 years ago Featured

Get it done. Exiles is a joke and nobody actually cares about it.

L
Liam Lambert
12 years ago Featured

Proper rivalry brings out the best in the players simple as that. Would be miles better than what we have now.

S
Sarah Harvey
12 years ago Featured

Yorkshire vs Lancs is the only match that matters! about time they brought it back

J
Joe Mankel
12 years ago

Exiles game lacks passion!

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craig Morgan
12 years ago

this would pack a stadium thousands would go just like magic weekend

R
Ryan Williamson
12 years ago

Its time to bring this back

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Dave Walker
12 years ago

Need passionate coaches to lift intensity

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TOM WILSON
12 years ago

Let's get it on!!!