I was at Twickenham that day. The gulf between Wigan and all of the other teams was enormous. It really was men against boys. There were many in the crowd who were unhappy that (a) a League team had even been invited, and (b) that they then completely showed up all of the Union boys. For my own part, speaking as a Welsh Rugby Union fan, it was an absolute privilege to watch some of the greatest rugby players who have ever stepped on to a pitch.
Great Wigan team. Any real rugby fan can appreciate the incredible athleticism and skill of League, and most League fans can appreciate the skill of Union, particularly as exemplified by the likes of the All Blacks.
I was at that game. How good it was to sit there and watch the rah rah boys getting flogged. I knew what was coming. 95% of the fans there did. I think they all walked away a bit shell-shocked, including the RFU. They knew they had a lot of work to do.
These games paved the way for the England world cup victory in 2003. Ironically, Jason Robinson scored in that final. Each code benefitted from the experiment.
Mr VC well don't forget rugby union was only just turning professional. I don't think many of these players for Leicester would have been professional if any
@@judaspriest4957 lol, union were 'professional' since the 60s for the top end players, payments for playing were a known thing even in the valleys, it was all hypocritical BS.
Only just seen this. I had no idea Wigan were invited to the sevens. But what did the union fans expect? At the time Wigan had the best record of any professional team in the world in any sport. An incredible run of wins with some of the best League players ever assembled in one team.
To be fair everyone in the UK would recognise 6 out or the 7 Wigan names. Our of the Leicester team only Liley. But RL was certainly then light eras better than RU.
wasn't union like in their first year of professionalism and it wasn't even full professionalism? where as the league teams were trained professionals for years?
@@mitcholeary1526 the 7s players were rarely the top players in their clubs so they wouldn't have been paid much if at all, except the people like Liley, Dallaglio etc who were top club names or internationals. Don't forget this tournament was an end of season jolly in RU. The bigger names would have been off on tour.
Yes there was payment to Union players prior to full time professional Rugby Union, but even so Union players were not full time , all had regular jobs. Having said that, Wigan were a wonderful Rugby team. Interesting to note that in their squad were several former Union players Edwards English Schools fly half, Offiah who had starred at the National Schools Sevens, Quinnell and Tuigamala great All Black. Also despite some different rules an argument can be made that Union 7's is closer to League than it is to 15 a side Union
It's a pity that this has fallen out if the rugby calendar. Nice to them going head to head. 7s the best format for it, who remembers the Bath v Wigan cross code games? Pretty boring compared to this.
Good God, to think that was an elite English rugby union side. pretty much the same weaknesses now as back then. Union players can't tackle, can't pass, can't catch, can't put a move together and can't break through a tackle. They are bigger nowadays, and look meaner in photos, but they are still shit.
@@kabukiman1981 You thick a-hole, at least I can use the English language correctly. 'Too' is an adverb meaning 'as well as', you were looking for the phrase' count to', 'to' being a preposition which indicates moving towards something or someone. I thought you public school poofs practiced grammar as well as giving each other BJ's.
@@ewaf88 OK - I concede that he may have made one or two important offloads. But would either of the Underpants have been of any interest to the top division mid-table RL clubs of that time, such as Halifax or Oldham? IMHO, Ian Hunter was a better wing than either of them. AND he led Mott the Hoople.
I liked Eddie Hemmings, but I wish Ian Robertson had been commentating on this game. Would've been nice to hear a confirmed and dogmatic "unionista" weeping on air...
