By Dave Woods BBC Sport

Rugby League needs to join the union if it is to prosper.

The only way the game can look forward to a rosy future, and, sadly, the only way it can be taken seriously nationally and internationally is by forging greater links with rugby union.

We need them but, make no mistake, they need us as well.

Rugby league's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness, the fact that it is bound to its originating communities in the north of England.

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In order to generate greater national interest, leading in turn to more demand for the sport on TV and higher sponsorship income, the game has been trying to expand from virtually the day it was born in 1895.

Every expansion, with the exception of the London Broncos, has failed. So now it's time to face facts.

The only way that Rugby League can get a foothold in places like South Wales, the Midlands and the South East is with the help of Rugby Union.

We need to find a way of persuading clubs like Leicester, Cardiff and Gloucester to expand their franchises into rugby league, in much the same way that Leeds, Wigan and Bradford have taken union concerns under their wing.

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But it's not just about league gaining.

A Leicester Tigers Rugby League side would draw big crowds, ensuring that club a year-round income, instead of the winter-only draw that they make at the moment.

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Plus, given the number of players, coaches and officials that RU has taken or tried to take from Rugby League, there obviously a big desire to learn from the 13 a side game.

What better way to learn, than to bring in an entire team lock, stock and barrel and observe at first hand ?

I would never encourage a merging of the two sports - that would be suicide for at least one if not both codes.

And their should always be two seperate governing bodies looking after the two seperate sports.

But greater co-operation is only the way forward for both.

Forget the sometimes petty bickering that has gone on before, and get together - for the good of both games.