Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[Devon Ram]

9 hours ago, JM2010 said:

I hope the RFL and IRL are contacting Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Jamaica, USA, Canada and Nigeria and organising tests and possibly tournament so at least there is some International RL at the end of this year. I cant decide what would be best for England though

Why not the stadiums are booked.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

7 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

So, anyway, perhaps RFL could organise a mini-comp - maybe a couple of Oceania Cup-style round robins consisting of World Cup nations, eg England, France, Wales, Jamaica, Ireland, Scotland?

If it's too late organise such a thing, perhaps an England vs. France 'triple-header' - men, women and wheelchair? 

I always say the phrase 'four nations' resonated with the public..... A rare case of us nicking some shine from union..... People understand it as a concept due to the 6 nation's. No reason why we can't have a 5 or 6 nation's...... One of the few times I've seen RL chalked up outside pubs in Luton was for the 4 nations

[DC77]

4 hours ago, Big Picture said:

Indeed, it spells everything out too.  The game needs a counterweight to the NRL in the northern hemisphere, but unfortunately with the game in England and France so much poorer and weaker than down under SL can't provide that.

That ultimately is the crux of the problem, and until the imbalance is addressed then Aussie apathy will continue. This article during the 2017 RLWC highlights just that:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/nov/13/rugby-league-world-cup-has-been-snubbed-in-nrl-obsessed-australia

“The NRL might be a multi-billion dollar business that attracts attention, huge sponsors and column inches across most of the country, but international rugby league is a different kettle of fish.”

The author of the piece John Davidson (great on Forty20 podcasts) then goes on to call his fellow Aussies “insular”, which I think is head in the sand nonsense. It doesn’t address the issue. Just completely ignores why Aussies may think like they do. He goes on to write about the 2013 RLWC success where it made a whopping £4 million, and in doing so he unintentionally answered Aussie apathy. From a multi billion dollar league, to a tournament that that makes peanuts, and one that has offered next to no competition for a nation that has won every tournament bar one for the past 50 years.

If you offer no incentive, whether it be sporting, or financial, you get apathy. Apathy is 100% understandable. You wouldn’t be human to think otherwise.

I wonder in addition to apathy are Aussies in some way embarrassed about the game outside Aus, because it doesn’t reflect well on the sport. The NRL is (as Davidson says) a multi billion dollar industry, big time in Aus, and having the same product that makes peanuts elsewhere could damage the brand there. Could explain why Channel Nine have refused to show the RLWC on free to air. Aussies playing Ireland at the 2013 RLWC with just 5k spectators rattling round a 30k seater stadium in Limerick. Think they played at Wrexham with a similar crowd. It’s a damaging look for the game in Australia, so hiding it avoids this. One Aussie newspaper article did mention the Limerick game and said it was degrading for Aussie players to play in such surroundings. Showing (or promoting) these games in Australia would counteract the promotional work the Aussie media does to build up the sport there. From an England perspective it has everything to gain from a RLWC, but from an Aussie perspective they have a lot to lose.

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by DC77

[Exiled Wiganer]

The previous page had an excellent article, which looks on the money. What it doesn’t draw out is that it’s actually even worse than that, as the NRL/ARL could have done this at any time at all over the last 10 years.
 

The reality is that the money and the power has resided with them for a long long time. Given that not only are they masters of their own fate they control the media which reports on them, they could have made half a dozen phone calls at any point in time and achieved the same goal without detonating the work of hundreds of true leaguies around the world. 
 

if it was ignorance, that would be inexcusable, if it was contempt (to borrow John’s word) then that would show them for the sorts of people they are, but this deliberately malicious destruction of the hopes and dreams of the rest of the international community must surely be without precedent in any sport at any time. Until this year, what France went through was the lowest point for our game. But that was a different sport, seeking to destroy a competitor… here it’s the Red Wedding. 

[iffleyox]

25 minutes ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

this deliberately malicious destruction of the hopes and dreams of the rest of the international community must surely be without precedent in any sport at any time. Until this year, what France went through was the lowest point for our game. But that was a different sport, seeking to destroy a competitor… here it’s the Red Wedding. 

give that man a coconut

[HawkMan]

Just to emphasise what a selfish calamitous decision by the NRL, proof that the people in this country really get behind International tournaments held here, Women's Football Euro 2022 is going to break attendance records.* RL here definitely gets more bums on seats than Women's football,  though perhaps that'll  change. Personally I think the tournament should go ahead without Aus and NZ.

BTW Italy failed to qualify for Russia 2018 WC , and if they fail to qualify for Qatar along with Germany, Brazil, Netherlands or whatever it'll still go ahead and be meaningful.  Aus and NZ not participating in RLWC is their problem not anyone else's. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58088999

* Leigh will host matches , so apply for your tickets early Harry Stottle......maybe not!!

Edited August 4, 2021 by HawkMan

[Tommygilf]

28 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

Just to emphasise what a selfish calamitous decision by the NRL, proof that the people in this country really get behind International tournaments held here, Women's Football Euro 2022 is going to break attendance records. RL here definitely gets more bums on seats than Women's football,  though perhaps that'll  change. Personally I think the tournament should go ahead without Aus and NZ.

BTW Italy failed to qualify for Russia 2018 WC , and if they fail to qualify for Qatar along with Germany, Brazil, Netherlands or whatever it'll still go ahead and be meaningful.  Aus and NZ not participating in RLWC is their problem not anyone else's. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58088999

The Australia and NZ teams were used as proxy however by the NRL.

They were shocked when the likes of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Lebanon, PNG and the Cook Islands, amongst others, did not immediately follow suit. It demonstrates the sheer arrogance of these people that they believe Aus and NZ can beckon these other nations to heel without even explicitly telling them - or perhaps the NRL forgot they exist altogether?

They then started intimidating their employees, the players, over playing for the national governing bodies they hadn't used as a front.

[Charlie RL]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/57630566

 

[HawkMan]

ni·hil·ism

  (nī′ə-lĭz′əm, nē′-)

n.

Philosophy The doctrine that  values are meaningless.

 Relentless negativity or cynicism suggesting an absence of values.

Psychiatry A delusion, experienced in some mental disorders, that the world does not exist.

 

THE NRL = The Nihilistic Rugby League 

Edited August 4, 2021 by HawkMan

[JonT]

Still could, and should, have put on a great tournament. Our worth as UK fans of Rugby League has never been lower.

[Alan Robertson]

Assuming that the report is accurate, I'm devastated

[Padge]

Absolutely disgusted they have called it off, all because the Aussies don't want to disrupt a few pre-season friendlies.

 

[Mr Frisky]

We new this was coming but now its official im gutted.

NRL win again, and it makes it worse they were never in any doubt they would win.

Nothing to stop them pulling out again next year so their clubs can play some friendlys- if I was France I wouldn't touch the 2025 tournament with a barge pole - why spend years organising, getting sponsors and backing for the NRL to cancel it within 4 or 5 minutes..

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Mr Frisky

[graveyard johnny]

maybe the world will be in a better place covid wise by then - and we can all move onwards and upwards with the international game- the decision has been made - no point moaning about it or chewing the fat on another event in life thats not happening - all good things come to those who wait 

[Hemi4561]

Spineless decision. Now time to leave Australia to their own devices, remove their players from the Northern hemisphere game, and make real overtures to the Island nations that their players would be welcome here, and that as Nations they would be welcomed, but players that chose the NRL would not be considered for their National team. 

 

 

[MattSantos]

3 minutes ago, Hemi4561 said:

Spineless decision. Now time to leave Australia to their own devices, remove their players from the Northern hemisphere game, and make real overtures to the Island nations that their players would be welcome here, and that as Nations they would be welcomed, but players that chose the NRL would not be considered for their National team. 

 

 

Do you realise how daft this is?

[Alan Robertson]

19 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

 

NRL win again, and it makes it worse they were never in any doubt they would win.

 

Completely true, we've been bullied and I hate people who bully

[graveyard johnny]

there will be a lot of disappointment but the disappointment will be short term, all the knee jerk reactions full of hot air in the world wont help or change  anything - the show will go on- just a bit later thats all

[Bedford Roughyed]

 

[Dunbar]

As I said on the other thread.  Every other sport looks for ways to continue through adversity while Rugby League defeats itself from within.

Am I convinced that 2022 will deliver a World Cup?... no.  Will I remain the eternal optimist?... it is getting harder and harder.

This sport is great but it doesn't half have a habit of letting you down.

[Damien]

Still not official reading that so much the same as we've been discussing on the other thread. I'm not really sure why they are dragging this out if it's a done deal anyway.

[theswanmcr]

1 minute ago, graveyard johnny said:

there will be a lot of disappointment but the disappointment will be short term, all the knee jerk reactions full of hot air in the world wont help or change  anything - the show will go on- just a bit later thats all

Well let's hope so. No guarantee of that.

I imagine that the NRL will declare the 'post season' women's comp a huge success and say it needs to stay in that position. Or  they will just come up with some excuse.

Aussies laughing at it yet again as they bully us into doing what they want.

[londonrlfan]

Sad that they've caved into the NRL bullies and they've destroyed the sport, confirming the NRL are bigger than the sport. 

Anyone who thinks there will be a World Cup in 2022, or even 2025, is delusional. This was never about covid. 

[DavidM]

7 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

the show will go on-

Hopefully . Maybe . 

[doc]

What a bag of spanners the Aussies are. But, it's done now. I'll get my money back and find something else to do this October.