Now is the time to launch a Confederations Cup

[Exiled Wiganer 3,394]

If the last month has shown us anything, it is that the traditional second tier teams are more than ready to take on the big guns. While this is hard to take from a GB perspective just now, this is wonderful for our game. There is nothing to suggest that the future won’t be even better for PNG, Tonga and Fiji, while Samoa are only a couple of players away from being massively competitive. 

My dream would be for us to have an 8 team Condederations Cup every 4 years from ‘25, with France being the 8th team of course. It can be done in 4 weeks. Given the competitiveness we are now seeing, it would provide breath taking competition every week. Play the first one in NZ, Oz and PNG, market it right and it could be bigger than big. 

This has been seriously discussed in the past, with the international game choosing to run with 9s instead, but we can and should have both. The big game is getting bigger. 

[Eddie 915]

Why not just have the World Cup every two years?

[JonM 2,206]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

Why not just have the World Cup every two years?

Because it looks like the UK is the only place that can realistically host it.

[AB90 57]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Why not just have the World Cup every two years?

Always thought this. Would solve a lot of problems

[Dave T 13,400]

3 minutes ago, JonM said:

Because it looks like the UK is the only place that can realistically host it.

Yes. That is the problem. 

By having an 8 team tournament, you can stage the tournament much more cost-effectively. You can even do things like 2 x double headers per round in one stadium, magic weekend style in more ambitious places - which you wouldn't necessarily want to do with the RLWC franchise.

You open up more markets for more manageable tournaments, and then let the RLWC be shared between Australasia and Europe as the last couple have been.

Edited November 16 by Dave T

[Just Browny 6,670]

I love the "Thing x should happen" / "It is time for x" threads you get at this time of year. Makes me start to feel Christmassy.

[Dave T 13,400]

Just now, Just Browny said:

I love the "Thing x should happen" / "It is time for x" threads you get at this time of year. Makes me start to feel Christmassy.

I like it when even the RLIF join in with this fantasy stuff. But then forget about it when it comes round to it.

[Eddie 915]

11 minutes ago, JonM said:

Because it looks like the UK is the only place that can realistically host it.

France, Canada, Australia and NZ could all host a WC as well, if they wanted to. So could Wales probably. Anyway i’d Be happy seeing it in England every 4 years and elsewhere in the alternate seasons, would allow more grounds here to host matches for a start. 

[Eddie 915]

9 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Yes. That is the problem. 

By having an 8 team tournament, you can stage the tournament much more cost-effectively. You can even do things like 2 x double headers per round in one stadium, magic weekend style in more ambitious places - which you wouldn't necessarily want to do with the RLWC franchise.

You open up more markets for more manageable tournaments, and then let the RLWC be shared between Australasia and Europe as the last couple have been.

I do know what you’re saying, but you could do double headers in the WC too. It seems a bit mean to exclude anyone but the top 8 from a tournament when anyone can see there are other countries chomping at the bit to get involved. 

[Just Browny 6,670]

9 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I like it when even the RLIF join in with this fantasy stuff. But then forget about it when it comes round to it.

Their period is usually 3-4 weeks earlier in the calendar, when they all meet up for a big shindig then hibernate for 10 months.

[Dave T 13,400]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

I do know what you’re saying, but you could do double headers in the WC too. It seems a bit mean to exclude anyone but the top 8 from a tournament when anyone can see there are other countries chomping at the bit to get involved. 

I think it is clear that at the moment we have probably 8 stronger teams and then a step down. Previously we had a decent 3 (which we extended to a four nations), but now we could justify an 8 of England, Aus, NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, France (or similar) and then the more developing nations play in the wider World Cup. 

[Scubby 10,631]

We could have had a Confed Cup this year over 4 weekends. Two stadiums each week (one per group), 3 double headers - bin the semi final - group winners play in final. Eight teams, 4 weeks, one cup, simple.

This autumn we had England, NZ, Australia, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, PNG, France all in once place and we ####### about playing stupid beggars.

[Oliver Clothesoff 2,701]

We’ve got an International calendar in place over the next two years that includes a mid-season International, a Test Series with Australia and then a World Cup based in the UK. What more do people want? 

I’m also an advocate of a barren year somewhere or at worst, a one-off end of season test. A lot of our players play a lot of games and we can’t flog them year in, year out. 

[RugbyLeagueGeek 506]

54 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

We’ve got an International calendar in place over the next two years that includes a mid-season International, a Test Series with Australia and then a World Cup based in the UK. What more do people want?

Loads more international rugby league!!! What you've described probably equates to only 10-12 games for England over 2 years, assuming they make the WC final (which looks distinctly remote at this point). England RU have played 27 times in the past 2 years. It's not rocket science to work out why their sport is far more in the public consciousness than ours.

 

[RugbyLeagueGeek 506]

59 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I’m also an advocate of a barren year somewhere or at worst, a one-off end of season test. A lot of our players play a lot of games and we can’t flog them year in, year out. 

Then cut down the amount of club fixtures they play.

[headtackle 283]

We should do what cricket does and have a Confederations cup in between world cups aimed at the developing nations.

NZ, England & probably now Tonga should be excluded as should Australia (although they are not interested in international development anyway) and when it is on have a separate 4 nations

That would leave France, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Fiji, PNG, Samoa & Cook Islands to play in a decent 4 week competition as suggested above

Good competitive games with teams at a similar level. Would be good practice and keep them in the spot light between World Cups

In response to Oliver Clotheseoff - what do people want ? I want to see more RL. A lot of fan's seasons end by mid September and 4 months is a long off season. I want to see more games rather than getting bored and watching Union, Football and US college sport on BT and would happily trot along to watch games between the above teams especially after what we have seen this last few weeks.

 

[Exiled Wiganer 3,394]

I suggested this not as a flight of what iffery, but because it got very close to being agreed last time it was debated. There are some who believed that there weren’t 8 competitive teams, that 9s was likely to be more attractive to TV, and that no one would watch. 

We can now revisit all of those assumptions. 

[redjonn 896]

50 minutes ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

Loads more international rugby league!!! What you've described probably equates to only 10-12 games for England over 2 years, assuming they make the WC final (which looks distinctly remote at this point). England RU have played 27 times in the past 2 years. It's not rocket science to work out why their sport is far more in the public consciousness than ours.

 

I agree with internationals - The comparison with the other code you have to remember that the clubs continue to play their league games, without the international players.  I think I read that Farrell only played 30% of club games the past year due to international duties. Pity we don't take a similar approach.

[GeordieSaint 5,602]

This concept proposed by EW was first mentioned by the previous RLIF CEO; and then quashed by the NRL I believe. The concept is a must - 2023 is the first opportunity in-between World Cups. They'd be cracking competitions with the likes of Samoa, Fiji, PNG et al all being competitive in their own right against the likes of Australia et al. We have seen Fiji, Tonga, and PNG in the last 3 years beat at least one of Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. This concept is a must.

[Wellsy4HullFC 3,688]

There's 2 ways you could go with this.

You could expand their Oceanic Cup format to include England and France and do it as a P&R concept like they had been doing (and in theory, expand the comp to even more tiers to create a more broad international structure),

Or you could have your standard 2 groups of 4 and finals series (it straight to a final).

[JM2010 285]

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

Why not just have the World Cup every two years?

I've never thought of this but it does actually make sense. Would personally like to see this

[Oliver Clothesoff 2,701]

3 hours ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

Then cut down the amount of club fixtures they play.

I agree, though that’s never going to happen. 

3 hours ago, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

Loads more international rugby league!!! What you've described probably equates to only 10-12 games for England over 2 years, assuming they make the WC final (which looks distinctly remote at this point). England RU have played 27 times in the past 2 years. It's not rocket science to work out why their sport is far more in the public consciousness than ours.

 

See above. It’s not happening, we’ve got a calendar and that’s it. We’ve got to go with it and make the most of it. 

[RugbyLeagueGeek 506]

1 hour ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I agree, though that’s never going to happen. 

See above. It’s not happening, we’ve got a calendar and that’s it. We’ve got to go with it and make the most of it. 

Depends if the powers-that-be want the game to grow or contract

[Rupert Prince 920]

 

 

6 hours ago, redjonn said:

I agree with internationals - The comparison with the other code you have to remember that the clubs continue to play their league games, without the international players.  I think I read that Farrell only played 30% of club games the past year due to international duties. Pity we don't take a similar approach.

This is the point. The RU have priority of players and even then the players are complaining that the play too many games.

[Damien 7,084]

10 hours ago, Dave T said:

I like it when even the RLIF join in with this fantasy stuff. But then forget about it when it comes round to it.

To be fair its more a case of quietly dropping it when the NRL says no.