langpark Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rugby-australia-planning-to-include-fiji-tonga-in-2025-lions-tour/ This is what we should be doing! Ideally the kangaroos should do it, as they are a bigger drawcard in the region. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleD Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 18 minutes ago, langpark said: https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rugby-australia-planning-to-include-fiji-tonga-in-2025-lions-tour/ This is what we should be doing! Ideally the kangaroos should do it, as they are a bigger drawcard in the region. This should probably be on cross code but Oz Union are desperate. They know their regional sides are awful and people would not be interested in watching the Lions steam roll them, so they're trying to introduce more attractive games. I can see the draw with Fiji but Tonga are awful at union, so can't see many watching that. Regardless, there's huge pressure to reduce the number of Lions games - the union calendar is already packed, I would expect the number of games they play to reduce rather than go back up to what they were. In terms of RL though, isn't this what GB Lions did in 2019? That was ill fated. The kangaroos play the Pacific Test series which I prefer to this 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langpark Posted August 10, 2021 Author Share Posted August 10, 2021 Yes but for all the noise about the "rise of Tonga" etc. They have not actually played a game on Tongan soil for the last 25 or so years. Games in Campbelltown are not the same thing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerjon Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 2 hours ago, DoubleD said: This should probably be on cross code but Oz Union are desperate. They know their regional sides are awful and people would not be interested in watching the Lions steam roll them, so they're trying to introduce more attractive games. I can see the draw with Fiji but Tonga are awful at union, so can't see many watching that. Regardless, there's huge pressure to reduce the number of Lions games - the union calendar is already packed, I would expect the number of games they play to reduce rather than go back up to what they were. In terms of RL though, isn't this what GB Lions did in 2019? That was ill fated. The kangaroos play the Pacific Test series which I prefer to this Could be an ARU attempt to snaffle some of the Australian Pacific development money which currently gets channelled via the NRL? 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...
DoubleD Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 32 minutes ago, gingerjon said: Could be an ARU attempt to snaffle some of the Australian Pacific development money which currently gets channelled via the NRL? Yeah I’d imagine money is the root cause of it. As well, they’ll know that the provincial Australian sides just aren’t a big draw anymore and they’ll struggle to sell tickets for those games vs the Lions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17 stone giant Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 12 hours ago, langpark said: https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rugby-australia-planning-to-include-fiji-tonga-in-2025-lions-tour/ I think that's a smart move. I'd certainly be more interested in watching those games than I am Lions vs club teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Future is League Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 On 11/08/2021 at 00:52, gingerjon said: Could be an ARU attempt to snaffle some of the Australian Pacific development money which currently gets channelled via the NRL? They could indeed and the insular NRL would only have themselves to blame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Future is League Posted August 17, 2021 Share Posted August 17, 2021 On 10/08/2021 at 22:10, langpark said: Yes but for all the noise about the "rise of Tonga" etc. They have not actually played a game on Tongan soil for the last 25 or so years. Games in Campbelltown are not the same thing. You won't spread the Rugby League word in Tonga by playing games involving Tonga in Campbelltown. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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