2024 Pacific Championships

[Jim from Oz]

Interesting tidbit about the possibilities for the 2024 Pacific Championships:


The only reason the NZRL moved the game to Hamilton was because the Test schedule was not locked in until the collective bargaining agreement was nailed down.
October remains the best time to play Test football – it is foolish to suggest any other time during the year – and 12 months of promotion will help next year.
Four nations taking part rather than three will also mean there is no rest weekend during the Pacific Championships, which helps the series maintain momentum.
Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and potentially Fiji will make up the Pacific Championships next year, with international officials hopeful Samoa tour England, and Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Lebanon and potentially France round out the tier-two tournament.
 

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/inspired-kiwis-send-australia-crashing-to-their-heaviest-test-loss-20231104-p5ehla.html

[Damien]

Foolish to suggest any other time of year than October? Yes, because it doesn't fit the NRL/media agenda of the SOO being paramount.

Making out there will be 12 months promotion is also a fraud. This result and international RL will now be forgot about for another 11 months then next year will be like starting all over again. The kiwis also won't have another game to build on this, either from a marketing or performance point of view, and then will once again go into cold against Australia next year.

[Eddie]

It would be good to get France involved. 

[Damien]

Aw bless, nothing like a huge defeat to really focus on the important things like what else can you control. Hope the NZRL tell the NRL where to go:

[The 4 of Us]

All negativity apart, there is absolutley nothing wrong with the sport on the pitch. 
 

Administation off it is another matter, but when it’s fixed, the sport could be in a good place to take advantage. 

[Coco]

The international scene is a joke.  The administration of the international game is a disgrace to the fans in the northern hemisphere.  

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, Coco said:

The international scene is a joke.  The administration of the international game is a disgrace to the fans in the northern hemisphere.  

Yeah you've said repeatedly since you joined the forum. Why don't you just cut the ###### and tell us what your last user name was.

[jim_57]

If France go down to play in the Pacific(ish) Bowl next year it will pretty much cement the ARLC’s control over the top end of International Rugby League. At that point they will be pretty much controlling & planning the schedule for the top 10 teams.

4 Nations for the top tier is the way to go though, pretty much means they need some filler teams for tier 2 though hence the France & Lebanon suggestion.

[Damien]

Just now, jim_57 said:

If France go down to play in the Pacific(ish) Bowl next year it will pretty much cement the ARLC’s control over the top end of International Rugby League. At that point they will be pretty much controlling & planning the schedule for the top 10 teams.

4 Nations for the top tier is the way to go though, pretty much means they need some filler teams for tier 2 though hence the France & Lebanon suggestion.

I can see the NRL trying to morph the Pacific Championships into 4 nations that they control, own and profit from.

This is of course opposed to 4 nations tournaments that countries own an equal part of and all profit from.

[jim_57]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

I can see the NRL trying to morph the Pacific Championships into 4 nations that they control, own and profit from.

This is of course opposed to 4 nations tournaments that countries own an equal part of and all profit from.

The narrative already being used is that they have just invented the post season international window. Also that the Pacific Championships are the first of their kind when they are an exact replica of the Oceania Cup which was played in 2019 and scheduled but cancelled in 2020.

Admittedly at least if France are invited they will actually play some games next year. After playing zero post season European games this year I don’t blame them for looking elsewhere, admittedly I don’t know if they tried very hard to find some games after the Euros were cancelled.

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

11 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

If France go down to play in the Pacific(ish) Bowl next year it will pretty much cement the ARLC’s control over the top end of International Rugby League. At that point they will be pretty much controlling & planning the schedule for the top 10 teams.

4 Nations for the top tier is the way to go though, pretty much means they need some filler teams for tier 2 though hence the France & Lebanon suggestion.

The obvious solution for them is Aus, NZ, Samoa and Tonga in the top tier, then PNG, Fiji, Cook Islands and Lebanon in the 2nd tier. But that would mean Samoa not touring England next year. We've chucked around a few theories on here as to why the Samoa tour may not happen next year, and I genuinely think if it isn't set it stone/contracts signed then there's a big chance they won't come.

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

4 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

The narrative already being used is that they have just invented the post season international window. Also that the Pacific Championships are the first of their kind when they are an exact replica of the Oceania Cup which was played in 2019 and scheduled but cancelled in 2020.

It's frustrating when people like Phil Gould talk about the NRL being the only people who can run the international game. He's correct, but not for the reasons he's suggesting - it's not because of their capability, but instead because the NRL have the power to obstruct any other organisation's attempts to run the international game.

[Damien]

10 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

The narrative already being used is that they have just invented the post season international window. Also that the Pacific Championships are the first of their kind when they are an exact replica of the Oceania Cup which was played in 2019 and scheduled but cancelled in 2020.

Admittedly at least if France are invited they will actually play some games next year. After playing zero post season European games this year I don’t blame them for looking elsewhere, admittedly I don’t know if they tried very hard to find some games after the Euros were cancelled.

I've long complained about the narrative that is being put out. It is completely false and made up.

[londonrlfan]

It would be great for France and Lebanon to get more games. But aren't France supposed to be playing WCQ next year?

[Barley Mow]

20 minutes ago, londonrlfan said:

It would be great for France and Lebanon to get more games. But aren't France supposed to be playing WCQ next year?

The 'World Series' to decide the final two places in the World Cup will take place in 2025.

The competition to decide the European entrant into the World Series will obviously need to take place first, but I can't find anything that confirms that it will be during 2024. That would seem the obvious time for it though.

[londonrlfan]

1 minute ago, Barley Mow said:

The 'World Series' to decide the final two places in the World Cup will take place in 2025.

The competition to decide the European entrant into the World Series will obviously need to take place first, but I can't find anything that confirms that it will be during 2024. That would seem the obvious time for it though.

I hope they don't just suddenly decide France are automatic entrants, but it wouldn't surprise me if that happens. They need to play more and win more.

[Barley Mow]

Just now, londonrlfan said:

I hope they don't just suddenly decide France are automatic entrants, but it wouldn't surprise me if that happens. They need to play more and win more.

Assuming IRL don't add any more full members before April next year, Cook Islands, South Africa and Jamaica will automatically qualify for the World Series. Europe is the only region where there is set to be any competition for the WS place - it would be ridiculous to award France the place at the exclusion of the other six European full members (including four who were at the last world cup).

We already (based on current IRL membership) have Greece, USA and Canada and all other African countries excluded from qualification. I think further changes to qualification would be unlikely.

[sam4731]

20 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

Assuming IRL don't add any more full members before April next year, Cook Islands, South Africa and Jamaica will automatically qualify for the World Series. Europe is the only region where there is set to be any competition for the WS place - it would be ridiculous to award France the place at the exclusion of the other six European full members (including four who were at the last world cup).

We already (based on current IRL membership) have Greece, USA and Canada and all other African countries excluded from qualification. I think further changes to qualification would be unlikely.

They could have a 5 team series with France automatically qualifying.

[Gomersall]

34 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

Assuming IRL don't add any more full members before April next year, Cook Islands, South Africa and Jamaica will automatically qualify for the World Series. Europe is the only region where there is set to be any competition for the WS place - it would be ridiculous to award France the place at the exclusion of the other six European full members (including four who were at the last world cup).

We already (based on current IRL membership) have Greece, USA and Canada and all other African countries excluded from qualification. I think further changes to qualification would be unlikely.

The next question is though how many of the European full members actually meet the full membership criteria?

[londonrlfan]

2 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

The next question is though how many of the European full members actually meet the full membership criteria?

Scotland, Ireland and Italy certainly don't. The likes of Czech Republic, Nigeria and Ghana seen to meet the criteria but are only associate members. 

[unapologetic pedant]

8 hours ago, Damien said:

Aw bless, nothing like a huge defeat to really focus on the important things like what else can you control. Hope the NZRL tell the NRL where to go:

The NRL are undoubtedly culpable for the low value placed on international RL. But the NZRL have often been their partners in crime.

Bottom line is that the Kiwis currently have a fantastic team. And for a test with the Aussies in Hamilton, they managed to pull half the crowd the Wahs got at the same venue against the Tigers. 

[dkw]

Winners of the Pacific championship v winner of the European invitational championship....

[Keith989]

2 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

The NRL are undoubtedly culpable for the low value placed on international RL. But the NZRL have often been their partners in crime.

Bottom line is that the Kiwis currently have a fantastic team. And for a test with the Aussies in Hamilton, they managed to pull half the crowd the Wahs got at the same venue against the Tigers. 

A needless headline though, should be focusing on the game and performance of the kiwis to build the competition up and then maybe reflecting on attendances at a later stage. If you could get some sort of consistancy with fixtures you should see attendances rise. 

Besides can the Aussies really talk about attendances? The Kangaroos have their own struggles in that regard. 

[BristolDevonCharlie]

On 04/11/2023 at 10:48, Barley Mow said:

The 'World Series' to decide the final two places in the World Cup will take place in 2025.

The competition to decide the European entrant into the World Series will obviously need to take place first, but I can't find anything that confirms that it will be during 2024. That would seem the obvious time for it though.

Yeah, will have to be 2024, as no other time to do it.

2024 - European Championships / Qualifiers. I suspect two pools and a final.

2025 - Winner plays in World Series against champs (or only reps of) Americas, MEA and Cook Islands.

I would imagine there the IRL may instigate a push to get a few more full members sorted before the cut off at the end of March 2024, just so there are three team qualifying comps in Americas comp & MEA champs in 2024. 

[jim_57]

Looking at the possibilities here, how would France touring and playing in the Pacific Bowl next year work if they need to qualify for the ‘World Series’ in ‘25?

Only way I can see it working is if Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Serbia & Ukraine play a tournament while France play in the Pacific Bowl. Then France plays the winner either after that or mid-season next year which isn’t ideal.

Unless they change the World Series to have 5-6 teams instead and have more than one European entrant but I can’t see that happening as I suspect they’ll want it done as quick and easy as possible.

It is a nice thought but I’d say France will end up staying and they’ll run the Euro Cup that was cancelled this year.