Brazil scathing of IRL’s calendar

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

7 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

That reads like you’ve ripped it straight out of a flat cappers rugby league journal. 

IRL funds should not be spent on marketing campaigns and engagement; that’s what national governing bodies are for. 

Fine.....spend the IRL budget on sending tackle bags to Rwanda and Steedens for Denmark or whatever 

Meanwhile stadiums for the Tonga series will not sell out 20,000 stadiums 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Toby Chopra said:

Why? The announcement promises* "Regional Championships and World Cup qualifying process, including a new World Series to help nations develop" - that's what Brazil really needs, not a once in four years stab at a tournament they're not really fit for.

If they were valued then the detail would be there. Not a promise, not some nice words, but, on the understanding that people have been working hard for years as volunteers and fundraisers, there would be a programme for them.

This isn't even jam tomorrow.

Rugby league behaves like this time and again and then has the brass neck to blame other sports for its global position.

[Gomersall]

51 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

* I recognize that the likes of Samoa, Tonga, Fiji et al may not also have strong domestic comps and benefit massively from heritage players that Brasil do not.  That is a different, but related, point.  In fact, I would like to see the clear evidence that having these teams in the World Cup has significantly helped to develop the game on the ground in these nations.

What we need is genuine and sustainable long term development of the sport at grass roots level in these countries and let the reward follow that.

Don’t just stop at the PI nations. Scotland and Italy have been allowed into multiple WCs with very little, if anything, happening on the ground. Both are next to no further down the development track than they were when first competing at the WC. Will they now be stripped of full IRL membership? Do Lebanon meet the necessary criteria?

[Dunbar]

20 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

The IRL have ballsed up - likely caved into pressure from the NRL about the WC and England’s desperation to play Australia in the Ashes - and not thought about the broader game. It’s fag packet stuff.

Would we have a World Cup if the SH hadn't stepped in to host it after France pulled out? Would it be back in the UK in 2025/26 if the IRL hadn't 'caved into pressure' from the NRL?

Edited August 5, 2023 by Dunbar

[The Partisan]

I would think Brazil RL would be more disappointed about their Women's team going from auto qualifiers for the next world cup to having to requalify again.

https://www.totalrl.com/brazil-women-to-qualify-for-2025-world-cup-in-france/

Now only the 2021 semi finalists are auto qualifiers.

The Pacific Nations that did not have teams in the 2021 tournament must be rated as better chances of qualifying than the likes of Brazil. 

 

 

 

 

[Damien]

17 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I think HKR Bronco put it best by suggesting we hav other priorities 

The nation's that currently play RL are struggling to bother / finance internationals. Let's spend our investment and energies on getting that strong first 

It's easy to give vocal support to developing nations and criticize lack of money spent there....it's much harder to suggest who loses out by having their money reduced 

I'd rather money be spent marketing better engagement and crowds for internationals in England and France than worry about a few dozen plucky amateurs and volunteers in San Paulo

A lack of finance is not the reason why established nations are struggling to play RL.

[Damien]

7 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Fine.....spend the IRL budget on sending tackle bags to Rwanda and Steedens for Denmark or whatever 

Meanwhile stadiums for the Tonga series will not sell out 20,000 stadiums 

Which has nothing to do with the IRL. Blame the RFL for that.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

16 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

That reads like you’ve ripped it straight out of a flat cappers rugby league journal. 

IRL funds should not be spent on marketing campaigns and engagement; that’s what national governing bodies are for. 

Many on here talk about what they would like to happen....few can suggest where the money comes from 

I for one am glad the NRL look like taking international RL by the scruff of the neck ....if they can replicate a fraction of the insane success of origin then the whole RL world benefits .....then when resources are strengthened we can talk about funding the Peruvian womens team to tour Germany or whatever 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Bedfordshire Bronco

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 minute ago, Damien said:

A lack of finance is not the reason why established nations are struggling to play RL.

What is?

[Damien]

Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

What is?

The NRL and its clubs.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 minute ago, Damien said:

Which has nothing to do with the IRL. Blame the RFL for that.

So it is the IRL's job to help international  rugby league in Brazil but not international rugby league in England ?

[Dunbar]

 

Troy Grant is being interviewed on Fox League now after the Sharks vs. Rabbitohs game.

Confirmation on what has already been said on 2025 Ashes, 2026 WC, Kiwis to the UK in 2027 and 2028 Kangaroo tour.

The IRL have stipulated a 3 test series for 2025 and 2028 but 'up to the nations' if they want to add more games.

On the World Series.

16 to 10 in the World Cup is being justified as uncompetitive matches not being good for the developing nations and the 2025 being 'the most competitive ever' and so the standards need to be raised via the World Series and a pathway to the World Cup.

Not a lot of details of course.

Mal Meninga and Cooper Cronk both very enthusiastic about the Ashes tours (both hemispheres) and so we shouldn't lump all the Aussies together.

Edit: Meninga stated post interview that we would like to see midweek club games on the Kangaroo tour as well.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Dunbar

[Damien]

1 minute ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

So it is the IRL's job to help international  rugby league in Brazil but not international rugby league in England ?

England are an established country and hosting a test series should be very lucrative for the RFL. They are literally one of its main sources of income. I'm not sure why you want the IRL to also fund that if they will not profit from it.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

1 minute ago, Damien said:

The NRL and its clubs.

The NRL know the Aussie public don't care about meaningless internationals against Brazil or Jamiaca 

With the more intense reduced and higher quality world cup then more games will be entertaining. More people will want to watch. The NRL will then care more. Our main teams will get better as they will play each other in more intense matches.....e.g. England played 2.5 proper matches in the WC.....imagine if every group game was as contest...England would develop better 

[GeordieSaint]

3 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

So it is the IRL's job to help international  rugby league in Brazil but not international rugby league in England ?

The IRL’s responsibility is to strategically develop the sport. Running games for the RFL in Northern England shouldn’t even be on the IRL’s list… it’s tactical level activity and the responsibility of the RFL. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

3 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

 

 

3 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

 and the 2025 being 'the most competitive ever

 

And here is the money shot

The NRL understands what people want to see 

This becomes a roaring success then the game grows bigger and better quickly in our main nations where even in Australia and England  the.capacoty for very quick and lucrative  growth of the intentional game is huge 

[Damien]

Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

The NRL know the Aussie public don't care about meaningless internationals against Brazil or Jamiaca 

With the more intense reduced and higher quality world cup then more games will be entertaining. More people will want to watch. The NRL will then care more. Our main teams will get better as they will play each other in more intense matches.....e.g. England played 2.5 proper matches in the WC.....imagine if every group game was as contest...England would develop better 

This is completely moving the goalposts and has absolutely nothing to do with the point you raised and which we were discussing.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

4 minutes ago, Damien said:

England are an established country and hosting a test series should be very lucrative for the RFL. They are literally one of its main sources of income. I'm not sure why you want the IRL to also fund that if they will not profit from it.

Fund = help in all forms 

The England international games do not sell out. The potential for growth via England internationals in England is massive 

Surely the IRL's main focus is growing the intentional game? The potential in Australia and England for growth dwarfs all other projects in terms of how easy it should be get literally millions of people who do not follow the game interested 

I suspect it would be a lot harder to get millions interested in a non playing country 

[zylya]

34 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

I think HKR Bronco put it best by suggesting we hav other priorities 

The nation's that currently play RL are struggling to bother / finance internationals. Let's spend our investment and energies on getting that strong first 

It's easy to give vocal support to developing nations and criticize lack of money spent there....it's much harder to suggest who loses out by having their money reduced 

I'd rather money be spent marketing better engagement and crowds for internationals in England and France than worry about a few dozen plucky amateurs and volunteers in San Paulo

You keep talking about money, but I haven't mentioned it.

The initial complaint was whether Brazil and their contribution was valued by the IRL.

An announcement that included some details on a South American regional tournament and how the nations there can grow their national teams and domestic scenes over the next 10 years would have been a demonstration that they have value to the IRL. As an example, in their own news article, they included quotes from the NRL and RFL but nothing from their two regional bodies (Europe and Asia-Pacific). 

While money is definitely needed to grow the game entire, the fact is that it's just one of the steps needed. But the IRL can't even be bothered to do any of the steps that don't require money either, so I don't see what point you're trying to make here.

[GeordieSaint]

6 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

 

And here is the money shot

The NRL understands what people want to see 

This becomes a roaring success then the game grows bigger and better quickly in our main nations where even in Australia and England  the.capacoty for very quick and lucrative  growth of the intentional game is huge 

Does it? We have had Test Series, Three Nations, Four Nations, ANZAC Day tests etc etc for as long as I can remember, involving the main RL playing nations. Yet it’s not grown the sport at all.

Why is that? It’s definitely got zip all to do with Jamaica or Brazil having the time of their lives playing in an uncompetitive match in a WC. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

12 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

The IRL’s responsibility is to strategically develop the sport. Running games for the RFL in Northern England shouldn’t even be on the IRL’s list… it’s tactical level activity and the responsibility of the RFL. 

Most people on the North of England don't care about RL.....the potential for growth via international rugby league is massive there 

Fish where the fish are and get England internationals a prioriyy 

[zylya]

6 minutes ago, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Fund = help in all forms 

The England international games do not sell out. The potential for growth via England internationals in England is massive 

Surely the IRL's main focus is growing the intentional game? The potential in Australia and England for growth dwarfs all other projects in terms of how easy it should be get literally millions of people who do not follow the game interested 

I suspect it would be a lot harder to get millions interested in a non playing country 

A governing body that just exists to serve countries that already have functioning systems is hardly a governing body at all. As a membership organisation, its role should be to support and develop the entire game. That means that projects like the RLWC will ALREADY receive most of the IRL revenues, but that doesn't mean that they don't also have a responsibility to their other members to grow and develop the game there.

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

2 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Does it? We have had Test Series, Three Nations, Four Nations, ANZAC Day tests etc etc for as long as I can remember, involving the main RL playing nations. Yet it’s not grown the sport at all.

Why is that? It’s definitely got zip all to do with Jamaica or Brazil having the time of their lives playing in an uncompetitive match in a WC. 

As long as you can remember? How many ashe sseries since 2003?

[gingerjon]

It does reinforce Brazil’s point about how valued they are that this has now become a debate about how often England should play Australia.

[GeordieSaint]

Just now, Bedfordshire Bronco said:

Most people on the North of England don't care about RL.....the potential for growth via international rugby league is massive there 

Fish where the fish are and get England internationals a prioriyy 

That’s the RFL’s responsibility, not the IRL’s. Less the COVID years, it’s had every opportunity to do so but hasn’t delivered the goods. I’d suggest the reasoning why is not too dissimilar to the insular attitude highlighted in your quoted post. The same reasoning why all the Tongan tests this autumn are in the north. The sport is horrific at strategy.