Lions Tour + new international schedule (merged threads)

[DavidM]

RLIF announce lions tour down under 2019 and kangaroos tour 2020

[Tommygilf]

Plus a Kiwi tour here next year. Glad to see that the Kiwi tour is being described as "European" implying games against France and/or Wales etc. Same for Ozzies 3 games in England plus at least 1 in France.

[John Drake]

http://www.totalrl.com/rlif-confirm-the-return-of-the-lions/

[nadera78]

http://www.rlif.com/article/8268/lions-kangaroos-and-kiwi-tours-back-on-the-calendar

So it's a Lions Tour in 2019, but the Kangaroos Tour in 2020 will play....England? That's completely illogical. How do we get any consistency whatsoever?

What happened to the 8-team Continental Cup, or whatever it was going to be called? I thought we were goign to use that to promote the North American RLWC in 2025?

And they're still looking at the business case for a Nines World Cup? All this time after starting to consider it? How long does it take?

It's just a mess. Like more or less everything that comes from our 'leadership'.

[DavidM]

Positive and exciting news for me  . Well done for getting it nailed down and planting the international flag at the heart of things again . Hopefully leads to and filters down to more international exposure . This just seems one of those rare good news stories !

[Dr Tim Whatley]

Good to have the red and blue vee back.

[tim2]

It will interesting to see how many of the Lions players are from England. It will no doubt get massive coverage in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

[gingerjon]

Two steps back ...

[GeordieSaint]

9 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

http://www.rlif.com/article/8268/lions-kangaroos-and-kiwi-tours-back-on-the-calendar

What happened to the 8-team Continental Cup, or whatever it was going to be called? I thought we were goign to use that to promote the North American RLWC in 2025?

And they're still looking at the business case for a Nines World Cup? All this time after starting to consider it? How long does it take?

I thought they were looking to run it either as 9s or a 8-team tournament post-RLWC21? 

Looking forward to seeing the likes of Lachlan Coote et al playing for GB.

[Spidey]

Like anything I'll believe it when I see it - how many times have similar plans been announced then reality kicks in

Positive if the tours do return - what are the chances of the Lions fulfilling their tour then the Aussies pulling out?, they do have form after all....

[roughyedspud]

6 minutes ago, tim2 said:

It will interesting to see how many of the Lions players are from England. It will no doubt get massive coverage in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

All of them...any Wales or Scotland players will be of Australian heritage

[roughyedspud]

3 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

 

Looking forward to seeing the likes of Lachlan Coote et al playing for GB.

Hope that's sarcasm..?

[Spidey]

1 minute ago, roughyedspud said:

All of them...any Wales or Scotland players will be of Australian heritage

If its good enough for McQueen...

[Spidey]

1 minute ago, roughyedspud said:

Hope that's sarcasm..?

Just need Frizzell to switch back to Wales to make the farce complete

[Tonka]

15 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

http://www.rlif.com/article/8268/lions-kangaroos-and-kiwi-tours-back-on-the-calendar

So it's a Lions Tour in 2019, but the Kangaroos Tour in 2020 will play....England? That's completely illogical. How do we get any consistency whatsoever?

What happened to the 8-team Continental Cup, or whatever it was going to be called? I thought we were goign to use that to promote the North American RLWC in 2025?

And they're still looking at the business case for a Nines World Cup? All this time after starting to consider it? How long does it take?

It's just a mess. Like more or less everything that comes from our 'leadership'.

It isn't perfect but it's not a total mess.

It's not completely inconsistent to have Lions touring but England playing tests.  The logic is obviously that all home nations can develop and play as test nations with the best being picked for GB.  It works for t'other code.

 

[EastLondonMike]

Wasn't it the idea that 'touring' team would always be the Lions, and home tests would be seperated as home nations. That's assuming the likes of Wales, Scotland and Ireland play games against any touring team when played in the UK.

The sceptic in me thinks they are gonna palm the US for any tournaments in the foreseeable.

[marklaspalmas]

TBF after years of disorganisation, any plan is going to look a bit ad hoc and disorganised.

I have to admit my first thought about a Lions tour in 2019 was 'I fancy a bit of that'.

[nadera78]

1 minute ago, Tonka said:

It isn't perfect but it's not a total mess.

It's not completely inconsistent to have Lions touring but England playing tests.  The logic is obviously that all home nations can develop and play as test nations with the best being picked for GB.  It works for t'other code.

 

It works for RU because the England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland teams all have regular, consistent competitions to participate in. Even when the Lions go on tour, those 4 nations know they will have a dozen fixtures that year.

We, on the other hand, begrudgingly allow England to have 3/4/5 games a year, we never know when and in what format, and we sometimes go 2 whole years without a home fixture. The other Home Nations have it even worse! And now we're going to muddy the waters further just so some ageing nostalgiacs can see a jersey they imagine to be synonymous with success.

[GeordieSaint]

13 minutes ago, roughyedspud said:

Hope that's sarcasm..?

Of course it is - that said, whilst I'd prefer the likes of McQueen, Coote etc weren't representing the home nations, they are eligible under current rules so should be allowed to play for GB if selected.

[Tonka]

I don't disagree with you.  Conversely if we only ever play as GB people will say the other nations can never develop and it's full of England players. 

I don't think it's an easy situation with England so far ahead of the other home nations.

[nadera78]

1 minute ago, GeordieSaint said:

Of course it is - that said, whilst I'd prefer the likes of McQueen, Coote etc weren't representing the home nations, they are eligible under current rules so should be allowed to play for GB if selected.

I can't wait to see the reaction from many of those supporting the return of GB(&I?) - let's be honest, generally older, more traditionally-minded fans - when they see the squad list includes Aitken, Coote, etc.

[Scubby]

Some good things but some meh. I hope there are plans in plans for England home games in 2019 or do we just bin home fixtures when we go on tour?

[roughyedspud]

5 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Of course it is - that said, whilst I'd prefer the likes of McQueen, Coote etc weren't representing the home nations, they are eligible under current rules so should be allowed to play for GB if selected.

Well that's it...for all the nostalgic old farts that wanted GB to return let's see em whinge when there's half a dozen Australian "Welsh & Scotsmen" in the team....effing idiots!

[Tonka]

What I am encouraged by generally is that supporters seem well up for more internationals.  I have said for aeons that they need much more prominence.

[Copa]

41 minutes ago, John Drake said:

http://www.totalrl.com/rlif-confirm-the-return-of-the-lions/

Brilliant.

I hope the Lions are able to play PNG in Port Moresby. That'd be memory making for everyone involved.

For the PNG V Cook Island match the other day they were saying people had walked for days to get to a television showing the match. I can only imagine the passion should a full Lions squad visit PNG.