Commonwealth Championship

[2blackrooks]

Bit of fun but could a commonwealth championship be an interesting option between world cups

for instance top 6 teams in the current world rankings for example play off in 2 groups of 3 NZ Tonga Aus Eng PNG Fiji 

top 2 into semi n so on 

Then have a section 2 of groups for qualifying for the main tournament in 4 years time Cameroon, Canada, Ghana, Malta, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Samoa, SA, Vanauatu, Sco Ire Wales (you could include Samoa and say wales in the main event)

Then top 2 from this play off against bottom 2 from the main event to see who joins the main event 

Just need someone with deep pockets to run it 

like I said a bit of a fun idea 

[17 stone giant]

France need to be included too.

[gingerjon]

14 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

France need to be included too.

I'm not sure French pride would tolerate being entered into a Commonwealth competition.

[nadera78]

58 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I'm not sure French pride would tolerate being entered into a Commonwealth competition.

I don't know, most of their former colonies seem to be joining the Commonwealth, maybe they'd also like to join the fun?

[crashmon]

we need to boost the Northern game, so IMHO any competition with England, should also include France, and any NZ / Tonga tour (I'm not including AUS as we all know they will never come to the NH unless its a WC) should have a warm up game vs France before the England test series.
 

For instance next year I'd love to see (but it will not happen)
Fra v England (warm up game)
Fra v NZ (warm up game)

Then the three Eng v NZ tests

[Harry Stottle]

17 minutes ago, crashmon said:

we need to boost the Northern game, so IMHO any competition with England, should also include France, and any NZ / Tonga tour (I'm not including AUS as we all know they will never come to the NH unless its a WC) should have a warm up game vs France before the England test series.
 

For instance next year I'd love to see (but it will not happen)
Fra v England (warm up game)
Fra v NZ (warm up game)

Then the three Eng v NZ tests

Agree with the warm up concept for England and NZ, but France are nowhere near providing stiff opposition in proper test matches.

[Programme Guy]

Tournament would be a waste of time, but more importantly, a waste of resources. "Commonwealth" championship, but not in Commonwealth Games (which would at least be a stepping stone to Olympic recognition). Total waste of time, sorry. 

International Rugby League had a chief exec from cricket a few years ago, and he planned to introduce a tournament similar to the ICC Champions Trophy to split World Cup cycles. It would have meant the top 8 nations playing a tournament every 4 years. For Rugby League, that would have been a perfect fit IMO. Australia, NZ, Tonga,Fiji, PNG, Samoa, France, England. 

It would have meant the World Cup would have it's minnows, it's blow our scores and be an all round celebration of League, whereas the Champions Trophy would have meant some really competitive Test matches. Given our limited international profile, it was a great model I felt. 

Usual story.  Cricket guy moved on, and we never heard another thing about it. 

[Keith989]

16 hours ago, 17 stone giant said:

France need to be included too.

May as well be given Ireland are randomly included in this too. 

[yipyee]

36 minutes ago, Keith989 said:

May as well be given Ireland are randomly included in this too. 

NI are in the commonwealth and seeing as most Irish players are heritage players they would probably not even know the difference

[yipyee]

8 hours ago, Programme Guy said:

Tournament would be a waste of time, but more importantly, a waste of resources. "Commonwealth" championship, but not in Commonwealth Games (which would at least be a stepping stone to Olympic recognition). Total waste of time, sorry. 

International Rugby League had a chief exec from cricket a few years ago, and he planned to introduce a tournament similar to the ICC Champions Trophy to split World Cup cycles. It would have meant the top 8 nations playing a tournament every 4 years. For Rugby League, that would have been a perfect fit IMO. Australia, NZ, Tonga,Fiji, PNG, Samoa, France, England. 

It would have meant the World Cup would have it's minnows, it's blow our scores and be an all round celebration of League, whereas the Champions Trophy would have meant some really competitive Test matches. Given our limited international profile, it was a great model I felt. 

Usual story.  Cricket guy moved on, and we never heard another thing about it. 

Not really a waste of resources as commonwealth game participants are funded, as too are Olympic athletes.

RL is missing a trick not being evolved in these games and thus missing out on funding.

Its a perfect way to expand the game internationally, get the sport infront of neutrals eyes (how many different sports are we all watching this week that we wouldn't dream of watching normally) and its self funding. Win win

Watching Uganda in the sevens some of those boys would make fabulous league players.

[Programme Guy]

2 hours ago, yipyee said:

Not really a waste of resources as commonwealth game participants are funded, as too are Olympic athletes.

RL is missing a trick not being evolved in these games and thus missing out on funding.

Yes. 

He isn't proposing Rugby League in the commonwealth games. He is proposing a separate championship. That is why it would be a waste of time and resources. Why on earth would you exclude countries from a non-CWG rugby league event, just because they are not in the British commonwealth?? 

To be clear: I would be a massive proponent of Rugby League 9s in the commonwealth games. It is a clear step towards Olympic recognition which would be an incredible boost for the sport. This is precisely why union pushed for CWG involvement initially.

It won't happen however. 

[Keith989]

3 hours ago, yipyee said:

NI are in the commonwealth and seeing as most Irish players are heritage players they would probably not even know the difference

Then the team would have to be called NI and the heritage players would have to have NI heritage to qualify. 

[yipyee]

On 05/08/2022 at 11:25, Keith989 said:

Then the team would have to be called NI and the heritage players would have to have NI heritage to qualify. 

You don't need NI heritage to play for NI just Irish heritage.

[Niels]

1 hour ago, yipyee said:

You don't need NI heritage to play for NI just Irish heritage.

Yes you are correct.

In football a player born in the republic of Ireland can play for Northern Ireland but they have to have a parent or grandparent born in the North.

In practice I can't remember any player having done so.

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Niels

[bobbruce]

8 hours ago, Niels said:

Yes you are correct.

In football a player born in the republic of Ireland can play for Northern Ireland but they have to have a parent or grandparent born in the North.

In practice I can't remember any player having done so.

 

The being born in the Republic of Ireland seems irrelevant here as if a player was born anywhere and had a parent or grandparent born in the North they would be able to qualify.