Yeah. I used to have a role with Basketball England (also worked in football, and rugby but league not union) and the participation figures are immense. The NBA gets a good audience here too. More London games next year as well, Manchester year after.

I like both codes of rugby, but the reality is that if union hadn't been a socially elite sport it wouldn't have the purchase on coverage that it does. The irony is both league and union at club level are facing huge financial challenges as the delayed impacts of going professional (fully pro in league's case as opposed to semi-pro before the mid 90s for all bar a couple of sides) and the drive to 'be like the Premier League', which is completely impossible for either of them.

Union has lost three major clubs to insolvency in the past couple of years and league has Salford running as a zombie entity at present.

Football is dominant and nothing else can be like it. I remember when I did get a role in football (having been in RL immediately prior) and a mate at City said 'everyone thinks football is so well off but it isn't given costs'. I'd been on two other NGBs by then and said mate, it is. It just is. I get what you mean about cost, but other sports are nowhere near.

Your average Super League player makes I think around 74k a year last I saw. In union Prem rugby players average between 110k and 155k depending on position. Finn Russell might be on a £1m at Bath but he is a rarity.

And pretty much all Prem clubs bar Harlequins are fucked financially and running big losses.