Man of Kent Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 Honestly don’t see how it goes ahead in 2021. It’s not just the men’s tournament affected by Australia and New Zealand pulling out, the women’s and presumably the wheelchair tournaments are damaged too. The football World Cup starts on 21 Nov 2022, I would hope that if rearranged the RLWC ends before then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkw Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 Absolutely pathetic, disgusting from those nations who have no interest in the players and only self interest in their clubs. Cut all ties with them, let them have their ###### little sport "down under" and invite all the other countries into a fully integrated international calendar for each year, no entry for the pathetic NZ and Australians. Honestly I hope we just tell them to sod off then, carry on the world cup with 2 invite teams made from any players from their pathetic competition that has the balls to come and play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rocket Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 1 minute ago, Man of Kent said: The football World Cup starts on 21 Nov 2022, I would hope that if rearranged the RLWC ends before then. As if anyone is going to care mate, all eyes will be on the soccer, we`ll just look like some poxy little side-show before the real thing. Did the geniuses who called this off think of that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moove Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 So if we go ahead regardless that's six fixtures cancelled, likely Fiji vs either Ireland or Lebanon in the semi at Headingley, then likely Tonga or England vs Fiji in the final. Maybe open up their spots to NZ and Aus invitational teams if there are enough players who still want to come. Plus presumably the women's and WC tournaments going ahead as planned. I'm up for that. Too optimistic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 3 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: Honestly don’t see how it goes ahead in 2021. It’s not just the men’s tournament affected by Australia and New Zealand pulling out, the women’s and presumably the wheelchair tournaments are damaged too. The football World Cup starts on 21 Nov 2022, I would hope that if rearranged the RLWC ends before then. The women’s and wheelchair tournaments are irreparably damaged by Australia and NZ being absent whereas the men’s tournament would just look weird, though could maybe ride it out. Postponing to next year will be a grim scenario all round. Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 Even money says an Australia v New Zealand test happens this year 1 Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 18 minutes ago, RP London said: its easy... we have one of the biggest testing regimes in the world that is picking people up and then keeping others safe my isolating them. But by October/november (3 months way) if the modelling of experts is correct we will be one of the safest countries on the planet. Vaccinate your players (500 x £3 a shot that we paid for astra zenica vaccines is £3k ffs!).. and get on.. if the excuse is concern of players getting it then this is rubbish.. Longer away from home after being bubbled for so long is perhaps a more understandable argument but then let players decide. I agree with all that, but we can't ignore that the Aussie strategy is different. They are doing all they can to avoid cases and coming somewhere where we are opening up with millions of cases a month is easy to badge as a player welfare reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 4 minutes ago, The Rocket said: As if anyone is going to care mate, all eyes will be on the soccer, we`ll just look like some poxy little side-show before the real thing. Did the geniuses who called this off think of that. I think people will care over here if the RLWC takes place before the football one starts. You can’t watch a tournament that hasn’t started yet, if you see what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Chopra Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 5 minutes ago, Moove said: So if we go ahead regardless that's six fixtures cancelled, likely Fiji vs either Ireland or Lebanon in the semi at Headingley, then likely Tonga or England vs Fiji in the final. Maybe open up their spots to NZ and Aus invitational teams if there are enough players who still want to come. Plus presumably the women's and WC tournaments going ahead as planned. I'm up for that. Too optimistic? If everyone except NZ and Oz came then yes, I'd say go for it. But hard to see how this won't now open the floodgates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave T Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 12 minutes ago, Spidey said: They’ve pounced on that for sure - they should be called out on that Especially NZ if all “conditions” have been met on their signed agreement We need to think carefully about response. Calling them out, and a public civil war may not be the best way. Personally this may be the end of any financial involvement in RL for me and I'll follow a proper international sport. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 10 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: Honestly don’t see how it goes ahead in 2021. It’s not just the men’s tournament affected by Australia and New Zealand pulling out, the women’s and presumably the wheelchair tournaments are damaged too. The football World Cup starts on 21 Nov 2022, I would hope that if rearranged the RLWC ends before then. I looked at this a few weeks ago. Assuming we used roughly the same dates as this years tournament, the competition only overlaps when our final is due to be played, though you and I know the resolution to that (move the tournament back a week and the domestic seasons), though that won’t happen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 1 minute ago, Dave T said: We need to think carefully about response. Calling them out, and a public civil war may not be the best way. Personally this may be the end of any financial involvement in RL for me and I'll follow a proper international sport. With London contracting and now this happening, there may not actually be anything to keep me interested beyond just enjoying the occasional game. That’s minor in the scheme of things but it’s not like there aren’t alternatives for everyone out there. 2 Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life. (Terry Pratchett) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RP London Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 4 minutes ago, Dave T said: I agree with all that, but we can't ignore that the Aussie strategy is different. They are doing all they can to avoid cases and coming somewhere where we are opening up with millions of cases a month is easy to badge as a player welfare reason. but its balls... there is 3 months to go and they are ignoring the experts (of which we have many) who are saying that will drop away... and yet they are happy to send olympians to a nation that is in a state of emergency as they go there ffs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommygilf Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 As a side note, do you tamper with the groups now to put England and Tonga on opposite sides of the knockout draw? Obviously Australia and NZ can't be replaced by tier one teams (unless they have rebel/invitational sides). So that side of the draw is both wide open and lacking a tier one nation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rocket Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 Just now, Man of Kent said: I think people will care over here if the RLWC takes place before the football one starts. You can’t watch a tournament that hasn’t started yet, if you see what I mean. I really hope so mate, but will there be a lot of warm-up matches before the soccer WC that might get in the road. I suppose the other thing is, with your country doing so well at the Euros, does that mean there will be extra attention on the home team, might that overshadow the League WC. Suppose it might be a better time than ever for England to do well at our Cup and ride a bit of the patriotism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17 stone giant Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 11 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: The football World Cup starts on 21 Nov 2022 The 21st is a Monday, so the RLWC final could be played on Saturday 19th or Sunday 20th. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 1 minute ago, Hela Wigmen said: I looked at this a few weeks ago. Assuming we used roughly the same dates as this years tournament, the competition only overlaps when our final is due to be played, though you and I know the resolution to that (move the tournament back a week and the domestic seasons), though that won’t happen. Don't see why not. It's not like we haven't moved things around recently! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Chopra Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 2 minutes ago, Dave T said: We need to think carefully about response. Calling them out, and a public civil war may not be the best way. Personally this may be the end of any financial involvement in RL for me and I'll follow a proper international sport. I'm as angry as you are Dave. But walking away from English rugby league - which was about to put on the best world cup ever - due to what the Aussies have done seems self defeating. Maybe instead the sport splits, and we have one version based around England, which includes world cups etc and one version around Aus. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spidey Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 4 minutes ago, Dave T said: We need to think carefully about response. Calling them out, and a public civil war may not be the best way. Personally this may be the end of any financial involvement in RL for me and I'll follow a proper international sport. Doesn’t have to be public. But I hope the organizers are taking them to task Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RP London Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 2 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said: I looked at this a few weeks ago. Assuming we used roughly the same dates as this years tournament, the competition only overlaps when our final is due to be played, though you and I know the resolution to that (move the tournament back a week and the domestic seasons), though that won’t happen. its not just the fixtures.. how long do the papers and tv spend building up to this sort of thing... everything will be around the world cup, especially if we qualify in any sort of style for it and the confidence of the nation is high.. no one will give a toss about us more so than normal.. and thats saying something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 I feel for the clubs here who’ll now lose out on the income from hosting. I know Saints had Australia v Italy and having lost a couple of home games since the return of fans on top of last year’s loss of fans and a Little Mix concert, it’s not going to be easy financially for some time for us and most likely other clubs in a similar boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkw Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Dave T said: We need to think carefully about response. Calling them out, and a public civil war may not be the best way. Personally this may be the end of any financial involvement in RL for me and I'll follow a proper international sport. I think the opposite, we literally have nothing to lose by going to war with them or just cutting all ties now. They have made it clear they have no interest in furthering the sport via international rugby and dont care for anything beyond their clubs. This will damage mens RL in this country, but it will recover. But will the Womens and Disability game be able to recover from this? There are now thousands of players and fans waking up to hear this news and expecting a cancellation of a sport they have only just grew to know, a sport that has given many of them an outlet they didnt know existed and now this pathetic insular decision has possibly taken that all away from them. Fantastic. Edited July 22, 2021 by dkw 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 Just now, The Rocket said: I really hope so mate, but will there be a lot of warm-up matches before the soccer WC that might get in the road. I suppose the other thing is, with your country doing so well at the Euros, does that mean there will be extra attention on the home team, might that overshadow the League WC. Suppose it might be a better time than ever for England to do well at our Cup and ride a bit of the patriotism. Not really. As I say, most people only turn their attention to tournaments when they are actually being played. Same as the Olympics - who's really bothered until it's actually on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hela Wigmen Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 1 minute ago, RP London said: its not just the fixtures.. how long do the papers and tv spend building up to this sort of thing... everything will be around the world cup, especially if we qualify in any sort of style for it and the confidence of the nation is high.. no one will give a toss about us more so than normal.. and thats saying something. Everything is all around Football anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Chopra Posted July 22, 2021 Share Posted July 22, 2021 1 minute ago, Tommygilf said: As a side note, do you tamper with the groups now to put England and Tonga on opposite sides of the knockout draw? Obviously Australia and NZ can't be replaced by tier one teams (unless they have rebel/invitational sides). So that side of the draw is both wide open and lacking a tier one nation. The more questions we ask, the more it becomes clear that it simply can't go ahead, however much we wish otherwise. I just hope we had decent insurance, contracts and governmental guarentees. As bad as this is, even worse would be if it had a negative financial effect on the English game immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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