Potential new RL playing nations?

[Cumbrian Mackem]

Indonesia and Bougainville?

Indonesia has 2 provinces on the western half of New Guinea island in Papua and west Papua which could benefit from RL being the National sport in neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

Boungainville recently voted for independence from Papua New Guinea in 2019 and has a long history of RL being played on the island which has a population of 300k.

[langpark]

I think this topic has come up before.

RL gains nothing if this happens. If Qld became independent from Aus tomorrow, what do we gain? Do the number of people playing and watching the game, magically go up overnight? 

[Cumbrian Mackem]

28 minutes ago, langpark said:

I think this topic has come up before.

RL gains nothing if this happens. If Qld became independent from Aus tomorrow, what do we gain? Do the number of people playing and watching the game, magically go up overnight? 

What do you mean if??

Bougainville is already an independent country and to the best of my knowledge there’s zero RL activity going on in Indonesia.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

Bougainville is already an independent country 

It remains an Autonomous Region within Papua New Guinea that may, at the earliest, become an independent territory in 2025.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

8 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

It remains an Autonomous Region within Papua New Guinea that may, at the earliest, become an independent territory in 2025.

So it’s a case of when and not if?

[gingerjon]

9 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said:

So it’s a case of when and not if?

Reading around it, it's about 70/30 likely. But four years off is the absolute earliest it could happen.

[Norfolk]

I seem to recall 'West Papua ' playing a game in the past but that it was made up of exiles.  Checking wikipedia it seems they were PNG-based.  It might be similar to RL's brush with Catalonia.  People would play RL if they could play as West Papua but their inclination to play as representatives of Indonesia might be very limited indeed.

[Eddie]

How about Antarctica? May need a short summer season mind you. 

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Norfolk said:

I seem to recall 'West Papua ' playing a game in the past but that it was made up of exiles.  Checking wikipedia it seems they were PNG-based.  It might be similar to RL's brush with Catalonia.  People would play RL if they could play as West Papua but their inclination to play as representatives of Indonesia might be very limited indeed.

I have no idea what life is like on the ground there but the only reports we ever seem to see seem to show a place in almost permanent conflict.

[Cumbrian Mackem]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Reading around it, it's about 70/30 likely. But four years off is the absolute earliest it could happen.

I wonder if the PNGRL would allow a Bougainville based franchise compete in the digicel cup?

[Cumbrian Mackem]

1 hour ago, Norfolk said:

I seem to recall 'West Papua ' playing a game in the past but that it was made up of exiles.  Checking wikipedia it seems they were PNG-based.  It might be similar to RL's brush with Catalonia.  People would play RL if they could play as West Papua but their inclination to play as representatives of Indonesia might be very limited indeed.

I wonder if the Indonesian government forbids or is hostile towards the natives playing RL?

[Cumbrian Mackem]

39 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I have no idea what life is like on the ground there but the only reports we ever seem to see seem to show a place in almost permanent conflict.

It would appear that The native population feel no affiliation to the Indonesian government and flag and will never do so.
 

Makes you wonder if there’s any large deposits of minerals or oil&gas reserves in the western half of new guinea for the Indonesian government to persist in suppressing  and  ruling over the native population?

[RugbyFan99]

Good grief!

[Cumbrian Mackem]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

How about Antarctica? May need a short summer season mind you. 

And who would pay for it Eddie?

[Cumbrian Mackem]

12 minutes ago, RugbyFan99 said:

Good grief!

Excuse me??

[mickmike wilson]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

I have no idea what life is like on the ground there but the only reports we ever seem to see seem to show a place in almost permanent conflict.

Should be twinned with West Cumbria then

[Cumbrian Mackem]

7 minutes ago, mickmike wilson said:

Should be twinned with West Cumbria then

Easy marra