Why isn't rugby more popular in the UK?

Because England isn't the entire UK

That's rugby league, it's only popular in the North. The competition from top to bottom is run by retards who have held the competition back to the point it'll probably be extinct in a few years.

Rugby league is only popular in certain parts of Northern England, and despite having a large market with a lot of opportunity the people who organise it are genuinely stupid. Every now and again they blow all their budget on attempting to expand it to places that really don't care - despite perfectly decent teams existing in the lower levels of the sport in towns and villages that love it.

Rugby union is popular across the rest of the UK and does quite well, because the people in charge finished school.

>>74958024
This.

It's a pity desu, because it's fun to watch.

Rugby (Union) is incredibly popular but most rugby fans either play in or help run an amateur team rather than watching the professional game on TV. The fraternity aspect of Rugby has always been a big aspect of the sport for a lot of people and they don't particularly support the idea of professionalism coming in and tearing up clubs that have existed for 100+ years looking for new talent.

If rugby league is so unpopular, why did Kevin Sinfield win BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

>>74958106
He didn't, he came third iirc.

>>74957321
Because Brits are softcocks.

because football

football dominates all

>>74958106
Not even memeing I don't know who that is anon

>>74957321
>rugby peegue
There's a reason it's not popular OP. Union is the rightful form of rugby which is infinitely more popular than peegue.

>>74958106
Who?

>>74959801
>>74959904

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyleague/12062762/Kevin-Sinfields-huge-vote-in-Sports-Personality-of-the-Year-award-does-not-alter-need-to-work-on.html

better question

why are there TWO DIFFERENT forms of rugby in the uk?

>>74958106

He came second and most people's reaction was "literally who"

Rugby is popular enough but if you don't follow it you probably couldn't name a single player. But everyone knows Wiggins, Farah, Murray, Hamiliton even if they don't watch those sports