Rugby League World Cup 2021 (Merged Threads)

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

6 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Yes. It's full of lies.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/08/05/2021-world-cup-officially-postponed-due-to-covid-19-pandemic/

The N** is an absolute disgrace 

[JohnM]

1 minute ago, Harry Stottle said:

Just been on the BBC news that it is official the WC is postponed for another year, best thing for it, you really can't have the Lord Mayor's Show with the carriage absent.

The carriage would have been present. It's the horse droppings that will be missing.

[mozzauk]

I heard this in the car on my way to the Office and a few things came into my head

 

1. What happens if all the grounds turn round and say no? 

2. How much is the postponement costing? 

3. Why are we going to hold the RLWC in the same year as the World Cup in DOHA? 

4. What about those teams who dont have a professional RL setup and players and officials work outside of RL, 

I think a lot of people are now thinking if they Aus and NZ can send 200+ athletes to the Olympics then why not the RLWC, it smack of the NRL taking away their toys and NZ following to not upset the apple cart.  The (what used to known as) RLIF and the RLWC should have grown a pair... 

[Scubby]

The only positive, and I am saying this as absolute scraps, is that a number of young England players like Newman, Oledzi etc. will have another year of top level RL behind them before they play in the big one.

[Devon Ram]

35 minutes ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

correct decision, but I do feel really sorry for the hundreds of people who have hotels booked in various cities, hopefully the hotels will allow them to cancel or move their bookings.

Very disappointing but the RFL's hands were tied once the aussies made the decision not to travel

I went through Hotels.com allows you free cancellation you get a certain date to cancel after that buggered. Its the poor buggers who used Split Ticketing for train travel, i waited before booking train travel just incase it was put back or cancelled. 

[Man of Kent]

Over to you, ARLC.

If you pull out next year, we’ll send over Ryan Bailey with a rusty spanner. 

[Mark S]

On a positive note, the tournament is getting loads of free publicity. I have said it before, nothing galvanises UK sports fans like being made fools of by rivals. 
 

it also gives the organisers more time to develop commercial partnerships.

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

9 minutes ago, mozzauk said:

I heard this in the car on my way to the Office and a few things came into my head

 

1. What happens if all the grounds turn round and say no? 

2. How much is the postponement costing? 

3. Why are we going to hold the RLWC in the same year as the World Cup in DOHA? 

4. What about those teams who dont have a professional RL setup and players and officials work outside of RL, 

I think a lot of people are now thinking if they Aus and NZ can send 200+ athletes to the Olympics then why not the RLWC, it smack of the NRL taking away their toys and NZ following to not upset the apple cart.  The (what used to known as) RLIF and the RLWC should have grown a pair... 

they will have been in discussions with all the stadium owners since the aussies pulled out, but I'm sure they'll be compensation to some and not others and no doubt venue changes for next year as not all rounds will be available 

[Scubby]

2 minutes ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

they will have been in discussions with all the stadium owners since the aussies pulled out, but I'm sure they'll be compensation to some and not others and no doubt venue changes for next year as not all rounds will be available 

The whole tournament will now be held in a bio security bubble at Leigh Sports Village. 

[dkw]

1 minute ago, Scubby said:

The whole tournament will now be held in a bio security bubble at Leigh Sports Village. 

Ive heard it will all be done in 48 hours so the NRL chicken ####### can fly in and out as quickly as possible.

[Mr Frisky]

7 hours ago, Tom F said:

It is strange to think that Australia has only seen 927 covid deaths and NZ just 26. 

But they are 2 not very important countries on the otherside of the world that arnt on any travel routes or on the world stage.

The UK is the 2nd most visited country in the world and London is one of the only 3 world cities.

As has been said before- its easier to quarantine Australia and NZ than Watford.....

The real shambles is Australias ###### poor vaccination program - and that's before we get into the NRLs hatred of the WC and hiding behind covid even though their RU team is in the UK at the same time as the RLWC was due to be played.....

[Mr Frisky]

22 minutes ago, Scubby said:

The only positive, and I am saying this as absolute scraps, is that a number of young England players like Newman, Oledzi etc. will have another year of top level RL behind them before they play in the big one.

But our real stars - Roby and Tomkins get a year older.....

[Hopping Mad]

26 minutes ago, Devon Ram said:

I waited before booking train travel just in case it was put back or cancelled. 

I waited before booking anything - even match tickets - just in case it was put back or cancelled. Never had any confidence the tournament would go ahead this year.

[frank]

The situation will be the  same (maybe apart from Covid) next year, with the  Aussies not wanting to disrupt their preseason. Could be quite a  stressful year so don't get your hopes up.

[lucky 7]

1 minute ago, Hopping Mad said:

I waited before booking anything - even match tickets - just in case it was put back or cancelled. Never had any confidence the tournament would go ahead this year.

And my moneys on it won't happen next year either as the Aussies administrators don't want it. They don't want to give oxygen to anything that challenges SOO.

Lets also not forget that THE KANGAROOS HAVE LOST 2 OF THEIR LAST 4 INTERNATIONALS.

[lucky 7]

2 minutes ago, frank said:

The situation will be the  same (maybe apart from Covid) next year, with the  Aussies not wanting to disrupt their preseason. Could be quite a  stressful year so don't get your hopes up.

You just beat me too it.

[Chris22]

NZRL signed a participation agreement and went back on it. Sanctions must follow.

[wiganermike]

36 minutes ago, Mark S said:

They need to get the Aussies and NZ to sign a confirmation agreement. 

The tournament needs to finished well before the soccer World Cup.

What is needed is for both to sign participation agreements (preferably with a huge bond attached) but also for a legally binding agreement that regardless of Australia or NZ participating that NRL registered players will be released to play in any and all internationals. We also need to put USA and Serbia on standby immediately to compete instead. If three months out from the rescheduled tournament ARLC and NZRL won't commit then USA and Serbia are in (same applies if those two pull the same stunt as this year). That way the tournament goes ahead with or without them. I could no longer give a monkey's whether Aus or NZ play. It is the other nations and their players that we need. Aus and NZ are like a rotten bit on the side of an apple.

[Cheshire Setter]

Just now, frank said:

The situation will be the  same (maybe apart from Covid) next year, with the  Aussies not wanting to disrupt their preseason. Could be quite a  stressful year so don't get your hopes up.

I really don’t think it will go ahead at all. Not with Aus or NZ. So we may as well have staged a diminished tournament this year.

I honestly think it will be a long long time before we see any international RL, by which time the sport in this country will be much smaller and less relevant to the UK sporting calendar. If anything future international RL will just be trans-Tasman tests.

[JohnM]

So part one of Vlandis and Gould's plan has succeeded. They will now start on part two, the actual take over. 

[Harry Stottle]

50 minutes ago, Scubby said:

another year of top level RL behind them before they play in the big one.

Moot point, I don't think that Sky would agree with that statement!

[Dunbar]

The World Cup, the Olympics or the World Championships are the pinnacle of many many sports and nations are desperate to qualify and play.

In Rugby League we are advocating that we get teams to sign participation agreements 12 months ahead so we can force them to come.

How utterly utterly depressing. 

[The Rocket]

Odd quote at the very end of this article.

NRL Covid Peter V’landys (theaustralian.com.au)

 

"SHOOSH"

Which rugby league reporter on the NRL’s payroll has been slamming the governing body on social media over its stance on the Rugby League World Cup?"

[Damien]

A sad, sad day but one we have been expecting. 

I can only take 1 positive from this. I think postponement will suit the England team more than anyone else. Let's face it preparation this year has been shambolic with SL games called off all over the place. This would have badly affected the England team compared to the NRL stacked teams that have barely been affected and played a full season. Plus our young players will be a year older too. I do think as a team England will be better for it.

I hope that all of this publicity will generate even more sales for next year. Without doubt more are now aware of the World Cup than they were 2 months ago. Next year simply has to go ahead no matter what tricks the NRL pull. Contingency plans need to be put in place and if sides have to be built around residence teams then so be it.

I also sincerely hope next year is the most profitable World Cup ever to give the IRL a bit of clout to push back against the NRL. The game needs a strong IRL now more than ever.

[DavidM]

I’m gutted for all the teams and all the players who wanted to come and who were looking forward to this so much . I read a piece by Alex Young on being selected alongside his brother to play for Jamaica , and when he told his Jamaican grandmother her face just lit up with pride . There are numerous stories like this , but a narrow but all powerful self interest stamps on everything else . Such a shame