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USA RL World Cup 2021 bid team join TRL


The Daddy

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We currently have a very good RLEF, and an effective APRL.

With careful nurturing, we could well have a strong North America (inc Caribbean) zone within 4/5 years. It is helpful that this comes at a time when we are setting up the first properly independent and funded RLIF. They can all become mutually reinforcing if we get this right.

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Great to see such ambition, but if they are hoping any of the current RL NGO's are going to look at the positive effects of a long term strategy over a short term one they have no chance.

Not sure whose behind this bid either, as it doesn't seem to have come from the USARL, unless i'm mistaken.

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The way I see it is that by 2031 RU will have surely hosted a World Cup there. Will RL have too? I certainly hope so.

Lets look at this the other way around, GB could host a Confed cup (possibly 14 matches), with games in Glasgow, Dublin, Cardiff, Belfast, London, Bristol, not to mention the heartlands or other places with an established club. This would be better for RL in the UK and Ireland than a world cup due to the ability to play matches in a variety of locations without having to see the big crowds expected of a world cup. It allows the Confed cup to be played all over in a way the 4N is currently unable to be (primarily through number of games) whilst having a significantly smaller financial and image risk as it is not the WC.

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As I have said before I believe its a huge mistake.

 

If it is a a success and that is an enormous if.  The sport that will benefit the most would be Rugby Union.  The ancient enemy has deep foundations in the U.S its been played for well over 100 years.  As the bid makers themselves acknowledged Union has complete dominance at the grassroots, collegiate, and pro level. 

 

Imagine tens of thousands of children watch and want to take up RL after watching the world cup.  Only to realize that there is no RL club for them to join, No RL to watch free on the telly.  What is out there? A Union club in even medium sized cities and a pathway to big time college participation.  Well as the bid says its all "Rugby".  Might as well join the Union club!  So if the tournament is a success then you just gave Union development a big boost in the country.  This bid is putting a League roof on a Union foundation. 

 

This really has a Field of Dreams quality to it.  If you build it they will come.  It has blind faith that Americans are going to turn out in the middle of Football season for not one game but 28! Just because its "new" and RL is so amazing.

 

If you want Rugby League to succeed in the U.S I'm afraid its going to have to be the old fashioned way through hard work, elbow grease junior and collegiate development.   Not through corner cutting, and P.T Barnum tricks!

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The idea, if I understand it, is to have a pro league and the games centred around the pro clubs. I can see the logic behind that, which I hope mitigates some of the concerns. The key thing is the money for the teams and the World Cup itself. There will need to be deep pockets and patience.

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The establishment of a pro league is pretty much a minimum requirement if this tournament is to be of any value.

What this requires is a commercial operation outside of USARL to develop and fund. If Moore Sports International have it in their sights to develop the pro league as well, then USA has my support.

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Exiled Wiganer, on 28 Sept 2016 - 3:11 PM, said:

The idea, if I understand it, is to have a pro league and the games centred around the pro clubs. I can see the logic behind that, which I hope mitigates some of the concerns. The key thing is the money for the teams and the World Cup itself. There will need to be deep pockets and patience.

 

Do you think they are going to have a thriving pro comp up and running in five years time? The best market for RL in the continent (Toronto) is now in league 1.  So that city is out. This bid is starting to remind me of the Qatar WC bid.  Where the slogan was as long we get the money then who cares.

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I got some real estate you might be interested in. With Toronto in league 1, I just don't see it.

As much as I would like it to happen, I'd be very surprised if it got going. Having said that with the amount of disposable money they have, Americans can get things like this up and running very quickly.

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Well, the argument runs like this:

- have they got the money and expertise to set up a league? If so, continue, if not it'll fall at the first hurdle;

- if they do have the money, can they establish a pro league quickly enough with TV deals in place? If so, continue, if not it falls at the second hurdle; and

- if they do have the comp, can they put on a World Cup? It should be capable of being done, and if anyone can Americans can. The only thing that bothers me is the timeline of awarding the World Cup presumably on the basis of evidence of funding but prior to establishing the league. But I wonder if there's an element of chicken and egg here. Exciting and nervous times...

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