Report: 2025 World Cup on verge of collapse

[RP London]

31 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

Agreed, I think their purpose for putting their hands up is to foster good p.r. in Oceania for investment opportunities. Perhaps even buy an NRL club, like they're attempting to do with Man Utd. Though with salary capping,  the sky isn't exactly the limit.

I would be surprised if buying an NRL club wasn't on the radar to be honest. biggest sport in the region, return on investment and relatively cheap (compared to football etc)

[Sports Prophet]

6 hours ago, Damien said:

Stop being obtuse. 

 

I can’t help it. I love food too much and I hate running.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

13 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Preference is NZ though (with PNG games in PNG). 

And seen as Fiji have expressed interest, it would be great to have their games in Suva. National Stadium looks decent enough and has a 15,000 capacity according to wiki. 

[Man of Kent]

Heard it all now.

[pahars]

7 hours ago, JohnM said:

What's in it for Qatar? No one would go to any games.

The 2019 World Athletics Championship was poorly attended and that same years World Beach Games basically had nobody in the stadiums despite being free to enter. Qatar didn’t seem to care, they just like holding world events and have the money to do so. 

[RP London]

25 minutes ago, pahars said:

The 2019 World Athletics Championship was poorly attended and that same years World Beach Games basically had nobody in the stadiums despite being free to enter. Qatar didn’t seem to care, they just like holding world events and have the money to do so. 

Looking at the Handball world cup that was held there in 2015 there were an awful lot of round numbers but in some games only 500 people were there.. I doubt they will be worried about numbers (even if we are) the key is that, to them, its a big occasion. They'll get some people through the gates and that will be fine.. 

the money to the IRL will be important.. 

so will who the host country is... Qatar cant just chuck a team in surely.. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

1 minute ago, RP London said:

Looking at the Handball world cup that was held there in 2015 there were an awful lot of round numbers but in some games only 500 people were there.. I doubt they will be worried about numbers (even if we are) the key is that, to them, its a big occasion. They'll get some people through the gates and that will be fine.. 

the money to the IRL will be important.. 

so will who the host country is... Qatar cant just chuck a team in surely.. 

Qatar is dirty filthy corrupt money AVOID if we take this it will be disgraceful.

Australia with New Zealand for their group matches and PNG at home in group matches if the Pacific islands nations get at least one game at home as well that would be fantastic.

 

Paul

[graveyard johnny]

how far is Qatar from the M62? would it be too warm for a flat cap? do we need to take our own black pudding and tea bags? what a great opportunity to showcase the game to a whole new audience and not bankrupt ourselves in the process- some people on here need to get real 

[EastLondonMike]

Qatar is a big NO from me also.

Would be nice if the tournament could feature in places like Suva or even Apia, if held predominantly in either NZ or Aus. The scenes in Apia after Samoa defeated us in the Semi final should be reason enough to think about taking one game there.

[pahars]

14 minutes ago, RP London said:

Looking at the Handball world cup that was held there in 2015 there were an awful lot of round numbers but in some games only 500 people were there.. I doubt they will be worried about numbers (even if we are) the key is that, to them, its a big occasion. They'll get some people through the gates and that will be fine.. 

the money to the IRL will be important.. 

so will who the host country is... Qatar cant just chuck a team in surely.. 

Yeah to them it would seem a very inexpensive tournament to host. They won’t have to accommodate thousands of athletes unlike the multi sport events and they won’t have to build a half dozen temporary stadiums unlike the Beach Games. 
 

All the infrastructure for training and stadiums was already built for the FIFA  World Cup and they have to use it for something. Literally they just need to meet the tournament costs and guarantee a few million to the IRL. 
 

Whether we should hold the tournament there is another matter and one that’s difficult to avoid commenting on without a drift to AOB. 
 

However the fact that so many international sport governing bodies have held there major events there in the last few years probably means we wouldn’t get as much stick for doing so. 

[Tommygilf]

18 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Qatar is dirty filthy corrupt money AVOID if we take this it will be disgraceful.

That is a rather extreme position. 

[RP London]

7 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

1. how far is Qatar from the M62? 2. would it be too warm for a flat cap? 3. do we need to take our own black pudding and 4. tea bags? what a great opportunity to showcase the game to a whole new audience and not bankrupt ourselves in the process- some people on here need to get real 

1. I believe its very much expansion territory.

2. not at all, I believe it can get quite sunny so will be vital to shield your eyes... a handkerchief wedged in the back to protect your neck could also be useful. 

3. I believe you would but with it being pigs blood you may find it hard to get in.. 

4. Yes they have a lot of immigrant labour from India so they will have tea... but it wont be Yorkshire Tea.. 

I think that just shows there are definitely pros and cons.. weather is good but its expansion, tea will be rubbish and no pig based products.. its a tough call.. i think it may come down to the IRL needing 

[RP London]

23 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Qatar is dirty filthy corrupt money AVOID if we take this it will be disgraceful.

Australia with New Zealand for their group matches and PNG at home in group matches if the Pacific islands nations get at least one game at home as well that would be fantastic.

 

Paul

I agree in principle.. but all the other sports seem to take it and get away with it... a high horse and moral high ground is great as long as it isnt bankrupt.. 

 

 

 

That all being said I really really dont see it happening and think it will be in NZ

Edited May 17, 2023 by RP London

[Eddie]

Has the Qatar idea been made up by this forum in order to generate argument, or is it an actual proposition?

[Keith989]

29 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Qatar is dirty filthy corrupt money AVOID if we take this it will be disgraceful.

Australia with New Zealand for their group matches and PNG at home in group matches if the Pacific islands nations get at least one game at home as well that would be fantastic.

 

Paul

You know the West is just as bad with "dirty filthy corrupt money" right? This is literally the last reason Qatar shouldn't host it. 

[Tommygilf]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Has the Qatar idea been made up by this forum in order to generate argument, or is it an actual proposition?

Troy Grant has said that a bid from the Middle East has been received hasn't he?

[JonM]

6 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Has the Qatar idea been made up by this forum in order to generate argument, or is it an actual proposition?

There is a quote from Troy Grant on the subject in an article on this very website.

https://www.totalrl.com/qatar-expresses-an-interest-in-staging-rugby-league-world-cup/

[audois]

In yesterdays ‘L’Equipe’ the directer general of the France 2025 Michel Wiener seemed to say the goverrment was going to make-up in some way, « L’État va aider le rugbyà XIII à se développer avec des tournées dans l’hemisphère Nord and Sud notamment »

« Dans un pays ou seuls les Dragons Catalans évoluent au plus haut niveau européen, cette décis-

-ion sonne comme une énorme désillusion alors que le equipes nationals majeures . »

There was a problem in that the country have only one team were in countries like England /Australia have many.

 

[David Shepherd]

1 hour ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Qatar is dirty filthy corrupt money AVOID if we take this it will be disgraceful.

Australia with New Zealand for their group matches and PNG at home in group matches if the Pacific islands nations get at least one game at home as well that would be fantastic.

 

Paul

Can't say I'm overly worried about the origin of any brass that Qatar may or may not put in. World sport is awash with grubby money so we'd be in very good company.

We could of course take the moral high ground and remain a p!ss poor sport that hardly anyone in the world has heard of, or we could do what all other sports do: Look the other way and use any cash we make to drive the sport forward.

There's a myriad of reasons not to choose Qatar, be it the heat or their LGBT laws or even the treatment of their migrant workers. But again, we either hold our nose and pocket the brass, or we take a moral stand. 

The provenance of the financing should be the least of your concerns.

Personally, I'd bite their hands off. We're not a sport that can afford to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Edited May 17, 2023 by David Shepherd

[David Shepherd]

47 minutes ago, RP London said:

 

4. Yes they have a lot of immigrant labour from India so they will have tea... but it wont be Yorkshire Tea.. 

 

Important note: Yorkshire Tea is sold in Qatar, so we're good on that score.

[David Shepherd]

3 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

Can't say I'm overly worried about the origin of any brass that Qatar may or may not put in. World sport is awash with grubby money so we'd be in very good company.

We could of course take the moral high ground and remain a p!ss poor sport that hardly anyone in the world has heard of, or we could do what all other sports do: Look the other way and use any cash we make to drive the sport forward.

Duplicate

Edited May 17, 2023 by David Shepherd

[Eddie]

39 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Troy Grant has said that a bid from the Middle East has been received hasn't he?

I hadn’t seen that. Amazing if so, though of course the USA put a bid in a few years ago too and that was pie in the sky. 

[David Shepherd]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I hadn’t seen that. Amazing if so, though of course the USA put a bid in a few years ago too and that was pie in the sky. 

Thing is, they've got the stadia and the authorities aren't scared of rounding up the populace to ensure a good crowd for the cameras.

There are plenty of negatives to taking it to Qatar, but the brass and the exposure could be game changing.

Edited May 17, 2023 by David Shepherd

[crashmon]

So this is my thinking

1) Right now International RL does not exist in any meaningful format (yes Tonga are touring the M62), but compared to Union, Cricket, Football, Internationally we are really small beer (smaller than basketball even)
2) International RL does not have a pot to XXXX in

3) We just have had our world cup cancelled owing to financial reasons

4) Finances in the next couple of years are going to shrink not grow, and will become more challenging.

So lets look at Qatar

1) Qatar does not have a RL team, ok but most International RL teams are heritage players anyway, how many Lebanon players live and play RL in Lebanon? Same with Italy, Greece, Ireland, Scotland etc...   Don't see Qatar much different here.  Just pay 21 Aussies $1M each to become Qatari for a few years, job done
2) IRL would make money from the Tournment, it would have a big profit owing to the fact Qatar would basically pay for it all.
3) Very Unlikely Qatar would pull out, I don't trust Aus or NZ from not pulling out or delaying it, they have form here

As much as I hate the idea of playing in Qatar, from a money perspective I think its the best chance IRL will get

[The Future is League]

3 hours ago, GeordieSaint said:

I’d be half tempted with the Qatar offer if it works financially ie £10-15m into the IRL coffers.

Preference is NZ though (with PNG games in PNG). 

If there is an opportunity to put that sort of money into the IRL coffers we would be fools to turn it down