12 replies to this topic

[sigesige00]

The RL 4 Nations is held every year.
However, there is no relegation/promotion in the 4 Nations.
Teams like Papua New Guinea and Fiji should be given chance to play in the 4 Nations.

[brooza]

Errrm, they do get the chance to play in the 4 Nations

PNG qualified for the 2010 4N by winning the 2009 Pacific Cup (beating Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Cook Islands
Wales qualified for the 2011 4N by winning the 2010 European Cup (beating France, Scotland and Ireland)

In each of the 4N, the team finishing bottom (France, PNG) were relegated and replaced by the winners of the relevent competition (PNG, Wales)

[sigesige00]

Errrm, they do get the chance to play in the 4 Nations

PNG qualified for the 2010 4N by winning the 2009 Pacific Cup (beating Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Cook Islands
Wales qualified for the 2011 4N by winning the 2010 European Cup (beating France, Scotland and Ireland)

In each of the 4N, the team finishing bottom (France, PNG) were relegated and replaced by the winners of the relevent competition (PNG, Wales)

Oh, thank you. I was ill informed.

I think that there should be a "2nd Division" of the 4 Nations, whose winners can challenge the 4th team of the 4 Nations for promotion.

[EdinburghExile]

Oh, thank you. I was ill informed.

I think that there should be a "2nd Division" of the 4 Nations, whose winners can challenge the 4th team of the 4 Nations for promotion.

The European Cup and Pacific Cups do this job. Wales beat France by a point to qualify for the most recent 4 Nations - it was coincidentally the final group match if I remember right.

[VivaLasVegas]

Is the four nations back on after the world cup?

[From the South]

I think the Pacific and Euro Cups are great and the fact that the winner qualifies for a shot in the Four nations provides valuable international experience. However I am not keen on the qualifier alternating between hemispheres, Pacific one year, Europe the next. I think this devalues the regional comps every other year. Also what would happen if New Zealand or England finished bottom of the Four Nations (or even Australia)?
Also can there be a progression into the European Cup from the Shield and into the Shield from the Bowl and so on? In cricket the World Leagues below Test status have been created so that any nation can progress to the top, maybe RL should look at something similar, albeit on a regional level. Oh God P&R for national teams!!!! What have I said.

[keighley]

I think four nations is a big enough number for the annual international tournament. The way the European champion qualifies when the tournament is in the Northern hemisphere and the Pacific cup champion when the tournamant is in the Southern hemisphere is a great way to provide variety in the participants and save on travelling costs. It gives two teams an opportunity to compete rather than one which would be the case if the European/ Pacific champions had to play off to be in the 4 nations.

I think the time when any team from outside the Aus. Eng, NZ triumverate will win it is a long way off but you pose an interesting point. What if France, for example, in a few years sprang a massive upset, who would miss out from the next years contest. It would have to be the team that finished bottom but how would that affect the attendances. Tricky questions.

[brooza]

I think the time when any team from outside the Aus. Eng, NZ triumverate will win it is a long way off but you pose an interesting point. What if France, for example, in a few years sprang a massive upset, who would miss out from the next years contest. It would have to be the team that finished bottom but how would that affect the attendances. Tricky questions.

I think that by the time France (or whoever) are strong enough to win the 4 nations (or get to the final), it will be when that country is one of the powerhouses of the sport, and the 4 Nations will have expanded to the 5 Nations.

Remember, at the moment it's Tri-Nations plus guest

[keighley]

Brooza,
You are correct but France have been to the World cup final twice. If the game there stengthens as we hope, the time might come again. Fiji got the the semi finals of the last world cup so you never know. Wales got to the semi finals of two world cups and scared the pants off the Aussies in one of them.

Exciting times for RL on the international front. I can't wait for next years world cup. I hope it's a resounding success with shock results ,packed grounds and huge TV audiences.

[Evil Homer]

Also can there be a progression into the European Cup from the Shield and into the Shield from the Bowl and so on? In cricket the World Leagues below Test status have been created so that any nation can progress to the top, maybe RL should look at something similar, albeit on a regional level. Oh God P&R for national teams!!!! What have I said.

That's supposedly the plan for the future. The European Shield has been reformatted so that it runs over two years, and the RLEF have said that whoever finishes bottom after the two years will be replaced with the winner of the 2013 European Bowl. Having said that, the details of the Bowl competition haven't yet been released for 2012, so whether this will actually happen remains to be seen. It was also suggested that the 2014-15 European Shield might double up as a qualifying tournament for the 2017 WC, which I think is a terrible idea to be honest but we'll see.

Edited by Evil Homer, 24 May 2012 - 05:22 PM.

[deluded pom?]

There is no possibility of England, New Zealand or Australia being "demoted" from the 4N regardless of where they finish in the table. This is because the concept is owned by those three and as such they will be guaranteed to compete in it.

[keighley]

I agree but is it not an RLIF sponsored competition. The big countries should not be able to highjack it's agenda to suit their own purposes but I accept that they do.

[Methven Hornet]

There is no possibility of England, New Zealand or Australia being "demoted" from the 4N regardless of where they finish in the table. This is because the concept is owned by those three and as such they will be guaranteed to compete in it.

Yes, it's a bit like the 'big five' in the Eurovision Song Contest - UK, France, Germany, Spain & Italy(?) - they pay the lion's share so they qualify for it automatically.