Report: 2025 World Cup on verge of collapse

[Jim from Oz]

I am just too speechless to say anything… Apart from pointing out that I am absolutely gutted… I don’t think I can take any more international rugby league rubbish like this… It is just too depressing trying to be a fan.

[Just Browny]

Very sad news and I feel for those who have worked on this only for it to come to nowt. Ultimately a world cup is too big a challenge for all but two of our governing bodies, and even those two have made a pig's ear of it in recent memory.

[moorside roughyed]

Just read about it. Really bad news indeed. We are not a world sport after all or so it seems. Apart from the odd test series hear and there,the international game is dead.

[Nate90]

I'm gutted for French Rugby League. It's not their fault it's the French government's.

Worst thing to happen to Rugby league in France since the Vichy regime

[crashmon]

1 minute ago, moorside roughyed said:

Just read about it. Really bad news indeed. We are not a world sport after all or so it seems. Apart from the odd test series hear and there,the international game is dead.

We are not even a national sport lol

[Mr Frisky]

1 minute ago, Nate90 said:

I'm gutted for French Rugby League. It's not their fault it's the French government's.

Yes, there will be a bit of back slapping and celebrations in certain circles in France tonight..... one thing is for sure the RU WC was never in any danger.

[Jughead]

Feel desperately sorry for the women and wheelchair players. Their tournaments papered over the cracks of the men’s tournament last year and especially the wheelchair tournament was superb and gained some real good viewing figures and some good traction on social media. All that lost though. 

[moorside roughyed]

5 minutes ago, crashmon said:

We are not even a national sport lol

Good point.

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, Nate90 said:

I'm gutted for French Rugby League. It's not their fault it's the French government's.

Worst thing to happen to Rugby league in France since the Vichy regime

How's this the case? The French Government provided funding on the condition that the organisers matched the financial conditions. The organisers failed to do this.

[Madrileño]

21 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

 one thing is for sure the RU WC was never in any danger.

Why?

-Because it makes a profit?

-Because it generates huge amounts of positive media coverage for its host nation?

-Because it attracts tens of thousands of tourists from other countries and also within France?

-Or... Because it is governed globally by a professional governing body who actually do proper due diligence on the multiple bids to host it every 4 years?

Take your pick. 

[Madrileño]

2 hours ago, Gomersall said:

None whatsoever over the Aussies, Kiwis or English in my opinion. How we ever break this mentality is anyone’s guess. If the IRL tried to pull any of the three into line they’d just laugh at them and do their own thing.

You break it by getting buy in from the main nations.

You effectively cede control to the big nations, as it is them who will always drive the sport.

The IRL should be 'run' by the professional nations effectively.  With them holding the bulk of the decision making power. They are the ones who are also most likely to benefit from a bigger global game. 

[Mr Frisky]

4 minutes ago, Madrileño said:

Why?

-Because it makes a profit?

-Because it generates huge amounts of positive media coverage for its host nation?

-Because it attracts tens of thousands of tourists from other countries and also within France?

-Or... Because it is governed globally by a professional governing body who actually do proper due diligence on the multiple bids to host it every 4 years?

Take your pick. 

As I said, it was never in danger! - not sure what your point is mate. RU is massive in France so their WC was never in danger - as I said. You seem to want to make an argument out of valid point i made for some strange reason....

[JohnM]

The press release indicates, it seems to me, that the French RL authorities have not been able to meet the matched-funding conditions necessary to trigger the French government  funding.

In my view,  we should try to organise a long-term International programme that goes something like this, on a four year cycle for 12 years ahead.  

Of course, we can't afford it, no one would agree on anything, we'd change it at the first opportunity and Australia would pull out at the last minute.  But FFS,......someithing!

Year 1:  World Cup in Australia

year 2: Women's World Cup in UK

year 3:  World Club series in UK

year 4:  Wheelchair World Cup in France

year 5:  World Cup in UK

year 6: Women's World Cup in Aus

year 7:  World Club series in Aus

year 8:  Wheelchair World Cup in UK

World Club series being some sort of UK top 4 clubs vs Aus top 4 clubs so a series of 8 clubs in a mini-league.

IN addition, an annual International program of gave vs Tonga, Fiji etc 

 

[Mr Frisky]

30 minutes ago, crashmon said:

We are not even a national sport lol

Never forget PNG mate- our one nation.

[JohnM]

32 minutes ago, Nate90 said:

I'm gutted for French Rugby League. It's not their fault it's the French government's.

Worst thing to happen to Rugby league in France since the Vichy regime

But it IS their fault. Nothing to do with wartime Vichy govt.

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, Madrileño said:

You break it by getting buy in from the main nations.

You effectively cede control to the big nations, as it is them who will always drive the sport.

The IRL should be 'run' by the professional nations effectively.  With them holding the bulk of the decision making power. They are the ones who are also most likely to benefit from a bigger global game. 

Paragraphs 2 and 3 are the case anyway. The overwhelmingly strongest nation isn't particularly interested in paragraph 1 though because the game there is largely ran and controlled by its clubs. 

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, JohnM said:

But it IS their fault. Nothing to do with wartime Vichy govt.

Yes.

I mean, I'm sure the national French government isn't exactly heartbroken, but the French Rugby League have not been able to raise their funds. What that essentially means is that even if the French government had passed over their money in full there would still be no World Cup.

[binosh]

We still flogging the “France is great for the National game” horse then.

[fcl]

it is not the fault of the French politicians but the economic model which was totally unrealistic.
The treizist cities cannot afford to pay €200,000. how do you expect us to find 40 small towns with no treizist culture that will pay?

[crashmon]

TBH this has killed the International Game IMHO, at least for next 5 years.   Also will this have any impact on the Sky money at end of year, as the game just seems to be shrinking every week

[gogledd]

A very sad day for International RL. 

[gingerjon]

Just now, crashmon said:

TBH this has killed the International Game IMHO, at least for next 5 years. 

There's not going to be a (men's) World Cup now. I think that's a given.

[Madrileño]

2 minutes ago, crashmon said:

Also will this have any impact on the Sky money at end of year, as the game just seems to be shrinking every week

It is shrinking as you say. In Europe anyway. 

Australia is doing well, but it will be a lone outpost of professional rugby League before long. 

[Madrileño]

2 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

There's not going to be a (men's) World Cup now. I think that's a given.

This is probably the most outrageous thing about the whole saga. That we are not even capable of a back up option. 

 

[Madrileño]

1 hour ago, Gomersall said:

 

IRL chair Troy Grant added : “The board meets face to face in July and we will then be able to determine together our next steps forward and consider the other bids we have received for not only 2025, but 2029, 2033 and World Cup 9s events in the future. 

Good lad, Troy... no point in rushing these things!

It's not as if there is a crisis situation....