Sky Sport increase sponsorship of Women’s Rugby League in New Zealand

[DoubleD]

https://www.asiapacificrl.com/2019/12/12/sky-sport-increase-sponsorship-of-womens-rugby-league-in-new-zealand/

 

[unapologetic pedant]

Sky sponsored and broadcast last week`s two Pacific tests ( Kiwi Ferns v Fetu Samoa and Tonga v Niue) which are up on YouTube.

Both games were interesting, but curiously I enjoyed the Tonga 66 Niue 8 game the most. It was 38-0 after 27 minutes and 38-8 at the 54 minute mark. They play 80 minutes, so this was the ultimate game of three thirds and a caution not to judge a game only by the final score.

The Niue women produced more than enough to indicate they deserve to keep playing internationals, and the general reaction of their RL community regarded the whole event as a success.

Perhaps the next time the Jillaroos play the Ferns in Auckland it could be a triple header with Cook Islands v Niue and Samoa v Tonga.

[Futtocks]

 

[Futtocks]

 

[unapologetic pedant]

All 7 of last year`s women`s national premiership games have recently been posted on NZRL`s YouTube page.

Given the dominance of Auckland in RL it`s no surprise that the only really competitive contests were between first and second, and third and fourth. Games between either of the top 2 and either of the bottom 2 were various degrees of one-sided. Even those have sub-games within games and are still an enjoyable watch if you know something of the background. Lots of space and ball movement.

Two other likeable aspects - Honey Hireme is an excellent co-commentator and pundit. And Rochelle Tamarua`s refereeing. As with all current Aus/NZ officials she suffers a bit from knock-on derangement syndrome, but the reading of the ruck and general control of the game is as good as any. It`s a pity there don`t seem to be pathways into the NRL for those based in NZ. The top Auckland refs are the equal of NRL incumbents.

[unapologetic pedant]

Canterbury beat Wellington 20-8 in the final of the women`s national competition on Saturday. The two sides fought out a 20-20 draw a fortnight earlier in the group stage.

Neither Akarana nor Counties were able to participate this year due to the Auckland lockdown. 

Both Canterbury and Wellington will have benefited from being able to run small club competitions this year, Wellington for the first time in a while. It illustrates how competitive rep RL can be across NZ when Auckland are out of the equation.

On an unrelated cross-code theme, I watched the England v New Zealand women`s game on Sunday.

It had all the usual drawbacks of Union, and I didn`t enjoy it half as much as our France/England game last week, but I was struck yet again by the number of times the ref played on where a league ref would have called a knock-on or forward pass. And if one of the England tries had happened in League, we`d have spent 5 minutes with the VR looking for a possible obstruction. In Union, they just give the try and move on.

The instinct of Union refs to play advantage is a huge blessing for RU. The contrasting instinct of League officials to blow their whistle when the ball goes to ground is a terrible curse on RL.