WELL some sections of the media certainly know how to rub rugby league’s nose in it.

A week after the howls of protest about Sam Burgess’s omission from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist we have blanket coverage of the former Bradford Bulls front row bruiser's first forays into union.

Former league prop Burgess made his debut on Friday night when he came off the bench for a 17 minute spell in Bath’s game against Harlequins at the Rec.

Immediately that created more column inches in Britain and more TV footage than his endeavour in the NRL Grand Final in which he played the entire 80 minutes despite smashing his cheekbone in the first tackle.

And to underline the media disparity even further, one national newspaper's website gave coverage – with pictures – of Big Sam attending Twickenham on Saturday.

Again, the snap of him kissing his girlfriend while watching England beat Australia was considered newsworthy.

In a way it confirms the reason why Burgess has left the game he was a natural fit for as a big, all action, ball-carrying running machine for one in which nobody really knows where he will play.

Suddenly Burgess has a profile – in just the same way Jason Robinson now has thanks to his exploits in the 15-man code rather than his significant early spell at Wigan.

Nothing winds league fans up more than the sheer unfairness of league coverage – our sport only getting column inches or mainstream broadcast time when there is a Ben Flower-type incident to report.

But one thing the weekend again shows is the importance of international competition. If Burgess was not getting prepared for a place in the 2015 England World Cup squad he probably wouldn’t be getting half the publicity.

I’m afraid to say that approaching new year the 15-man game is going to get even more blanket coverage with their World Cup, held in England and Wales, basically taking over the autumn.

It once again shows the value of international competition.

Maybe value is the wrong word given the ticket prices for the event – with a range between £50 and £250 on offer for England’s group game with Uruguay at the Etihad on a night in which union goes head-to-head with rugby league's Grand Final across the city at Old Trafford.

There’s going to be an awful lot of rugby union coverage in 2015. So league fans take note - we'll just have to get used to it.