Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Lebanon demotion

[Sports Prophet]

9 hours ago, The Future is League said:

Is it like the Tag we play in Rugby League

NFL tag is not, but Tag Rugby is and it is hugely popular in Ireland.

[Sports Prophet]

14 hours ago, Damien said:

I know RL doesnt have the funds of the NFL but its interesting to see the contrasting development routes taken in somewhere like Ireland. As a sport we are still very much stuck in the people will just play it for just because reasons mentality:

 

 

Auskick is the junior AFL programme, usually for children aged up to 7/8.

As a registered player, for $180 a season, my boys received a sports bag, poster (both branded with their favourite AFL club), 2 sets of player cards, a top quality football, a footy pump and 4 GA tickets to their chosen AFL club.

Every one of the 125,000 registered Auskick participants will receive the same pack, every year. It is astounding.

[lucky 7]

7 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Auskick is the junior AFL programme, usually for children aged up to 7/8.

As a registered player, for $180 a season, my boys received a sports bag, poster (both branded with their favourite AFL club), 2 sets of player cards, a top quality football, a footy pump and 4 GA tickets to their chosen AFL club.

Every one of the 125,000 registered Auskick participants will receive the same pack, every year. It is astounding.

It's obviously not working working in Western Sydney with decling numbers

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/02/07/blacktown-bust-with-no-junior-australian-rules-club-left-in-giants-nursery-is-the-game-under-threat-in-western-sydney/

 

[Sports Prophet]

We don’t know where the next WC will be do we?

With regards to the above named nations, I feel like it would be easier to overlook some of the heritage shortcomings of those nations if they played more regular fixtures which featured their best possible line ups.

It’s funny how some people are willing to overlook Samoa’s and Tonga’s almost exclusively heritage line ups and not that of other nations.

Lebanon for example often are picked on for being a bunch of Aussies, yet in my experience the Australian Lebanese community are just as precious about their heritage as the Pacific Islanders.

If Lebanon were playing annually against tier 1 and tier 2 nations, would we be a little more generous to them? I would like to know how well the Lebanon team were covered in Lebanon during the WC?

[Click]

7 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

We don’t know where the next WC will be do we?

With regards to the above named nations, I feel like it would be easier to overlook some of the heritage shortcomings of those nations if they played more regular fixtures which featured their best possible line ups.

It’s funny how some people are willing to overlook Samoa’s and Tonga’s almost exclusively heritage line ups and not that of other nations.

Lebanon for example often are picked on for being a bunch of Aussies, yet in my experience the Australian Lebanese community are just as precious about their heritage as the Pacific Islanders.

If Lebanon were playing annually against tier 1 and tier 2 nations, would we be a little more generous to them? I would like to know how well the Lebanon team were covered in Lebanon during the WC?

You mean the one next year in Australia?

[The Future is League]

1 hour ago, Click said:

You mean the one next year in Australia?

I think sport's profit in more interested in afl than our game, and it shows by not knowing when our net world cup was.

[Sports Prophet]

On 08/09/2025 at 19:43, Click said:

You mean the one next year in Australia?

 

On 08/09/2025 at 21:33, The Future is League said:

I think sport's profit in more interested in afl than our game, and it shows by not knowing when our net world cup was.

Yes, great pick up guys. You caught me out. I had no idea Aus is hosting the WC in 2026. I’m so embarrassed right now.

Any idea where the next one after that is? I have a feeling IRL have already confirmed it to be another poxy 10 team tournament. 

Can we reasonably expect the nations of the thread to be back up to suitable status by 2030?

[langpark]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

Can we reasonably expect the nations of the thread to be back up to suitable status by 2030?

Ireland and Scotland, possibly.  Although they both have considerable work to do between now and then.

Lebanon and Italy, no chance.

[Sports Prophet]

6 hours ago, langpark said:

Ireland and Scotland, possibly.  Although they both have considerable work to do between now and then.

Lebanon and Italy, no chance.

Yeah and I suppose to be prepared for qualifiers, they have even less time.

[corkonian77]

On 07/09/2025 at 08:23, Damien said:

At a guess its probably the lads who attended the couple of sessions in Dublin who weren't then picked for Ireland for the matches in the summer with heritage players picked instead.

Ireland  are playing  Wales  in Featherstone  and Wales.

Bizarre  situation  where  a federation  hasn't  held a domestic  international  before Covid. 

Edited September 14 by corkonian77