GB to replace England?

[eal]

Does this just mean England + Jackson Hastings touring Australia?

[BristolDevonCharlie]

9 hours ago, corkonian77 said:

In my opinion  this an admission that Ireland  and Scotland  in particular  won't be showing  anywhere  too soon. 

Wales may have a future  but only in World  Cups. 

Maybe not even in those, for the men's team!

One assumes France will win the Euros this year and get into the World Series, with Jamaica, Cook Islands and South Africa. 

[BristolDevonCharlie]

1 hour ago, Gomersall said:

GB have never played a home game outside of England either.

Hate to be a pedant, but it is almost if it is the exception that proves the rule:

16th December 1911 - Great Britain 11 - 11 Australia, Tynecastle, Edinburgh 

[RP London]

14 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

The best solution would be for England to use an adapted version of the GB brand. We play in a navy and white shirt these days, might as well chuck a bit of red back on and make it a similar V. Make the lion logo a white one.

England White Lions. Sorted.

Have the nostalgic things being sought over (the badge and kit mainly), but still keep the nations separate.

The current shirt (I say current one, the one we wore against Tonga.. god knows whats happening this year) is red white and blue.. they also already have developed a lions head for a lot of the branding (its on the bottom of the world cup shirt) so just slap that on.. I'd be happy for those tweaks as the badge at the moment is a bit meh.. 

[Harry Stottle]

17 hours ago, Dunbar said:

I have recently been rewatching the 1978 Ashes tests with the Aussie commentators.

When we were called Great Britain, the Aussies always referred to us as England anyway.

For the life of me, I can’t see how Great Britain would have more traction than England over there – not since England regularly play Australia in cricket and RU etc. I would have thought that would mean England would be the bigger brand.

Unless they are thinking of playing up to the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.

When the International Calendar was published prior to Covid which threw everthing into the air, GB not England was scheduled to tour Australia in a test series, from memory I can not remember if it was '23, '24 or '25.

[Chrispmartha]

Personally Id love this as Im planning a trip to Australia around the time this would happen - whether its the right thing to do Im not so sure.

One thing if the do go with GB and they in any way mess with the GB logo - the sport is dead to me

Edited July 16, 2024 by Chrispmartha

[Harry Stottle]

17 hours ago, Dunbar said:

My point is that even with those Welsh players (and Scot George Fairbairn in '78) playing, the Aussies still called us England. 

These are Aussies we are talking about Dunny!

[rlno1]

The article says the RFL want to cash in on the RU Lions being in Australia at the same time. So a pure cash grab typical RL. So by calling them Gt Britain they hope the union mob will watch. Call them England and those Welsh, scottish and Irish union fans won't go.

Edited July 16, 2024 by rlno1

[Sports Prophet]

16 hours ago, JM2010 said:

If they do go to GB then maybe that will encourage players to declare for Ireland, Wales and Scotland as they will be playing for a spot in the GB squad. GB will have to play at least 2 of the 3 years between WCs though or the players won’t see the point in declaring for the other home nations.

I think it also needs to come with a commitment to develop the domestic game in the other nations otherwise it’s just a name change 

I hold a similar opinion. I will start by saying a change to GB for next year’s tour will not make a huge amount of difference. Let’s not think though that any confirmed GB decision will not have future opportunities and threats. 

Nothing I say next will be of value, unless the main governors in world RL get their backsides into gear and set a strategy for the development of the sport in Wales, Scotland and Ireland including a suitable international game strategy for those and the other NH nations.

All being well above, then I think a successful GB can be used in addition to the individual home nations as an opportunity for future Welsh, Scottish and Irish representatives to play at the highest international level every two or so years in addition to inevitably lower profile (at the beginning) home nation representative opportunities. With time, it would be great to see those lower profile opportunities grow to become of greater significance to the wider international game.

Edited July 16, 2024 by Sports Prophet

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, BristolDevonCharlie said:

Hate to be a pedant, but it is almost if it is the exception that proves the rule:

16th December 1911 - Great Britain 11 - 11 Australia, Tynecastle, Edinburgh 

My bad.

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, eal said:

Does this just mean England + Jackson Hastings touring Australia?

Only if he has Irish/Welsh/Scottish heritage.

[Pulga]

This is a massive red flag. It proves that what they're doing with England hasn't worked and now they want to appeal to the nostalgia of a generation they really shouldn't be targeting. I'm nearly 40 and have no real memories of GB at all and I'd say if you're even targeting my age group as a sport you've got a massive problem. 

[nadera78]

I'm sorry, did I imagine Nigel Wood resurrecting the GB team a few years back, based on nothing but nostalgia, and it proving to be a financial and sporting disaster? The team got spanked and the tour lost money. 

The sport is in a hole and nonsense like this is just a distraction. 

[Damien]

22 minutes ago, Pulga said:

This is a massive red flag. It proves that what they're doing with England hasn't worked and now they want to appeal to the nostalgia of a generation they really shouldn't be targeting. I'm nearly 40 and have no real memories of GB at all and I'd say if you're even targeting my age group as a sport you've got a massive problem. 

I don't think this is the case though. England has worked perfectly fine and attracted crowds. Getting two 40k+ crowds v Samoa and 67k v New Zealand was unimaginable in the supposed hugely popular GB era.

The problem is the haphazard international calendar and not enough games. England have never even played Australia in an Ashes series. That is what people are really fawning over and being nostalgic about when they talk of GB and they aren't really comparing like for like.

[BristolDevonCharlie]

21 minutes ago, Pulga said:

This is a massive red flag. It proves that what they're doing with England hasn't worked and now they want to appeal to the nostalgia of a generation they really shouldn't be targeting. I'm nearly 40 and have no real memories of GB at all and I'd say if you're even targeting my age group as a sport you've got a massive problem. 

Disagree with you there. I am just 40 and my memories and affinity is much more with Great Britain than England.  

Just a classic brand, distinct from the other mainstream sports with much more history and depth. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Agreed, we need matches and professional organisation not rebrands.

4 minutes ago, Damien said:

I don't think this is the case though. England has worked perfectly fine and attracted crowds. Getting two 40k+ crowds v Samoa and 67k v New Zealand was unimaginable in the supposed hugely popular GB era.

The problem is the haphazard international calendar and not enough games. England have never even played Australia in an Ashes series. That is what people are really fawning over and being nostalgic about when they talk of GB and they aren't really comparing like for like.

 

[Dave T]

18 hours ago, Damien said:

Typical RL, just looking of that quick fix when the name is the least of the issues in international Rugby League. I really can't see how the buzz will be any greater whether it is GB or England. The administrators obviously think it's a quick solution though despite every poll showing fans aren't bothered .

The whole it was a hugely popular concept for much of rugby league’s existence, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, is extremely rose tinted too. I remember going to some grim games indeed in the 1980s. It's just not the case that GB always got great crowds or that England can't attract them.

Indeed. I just don't think it makes much difference either way. The national team name isn't anywhere near the biggest issue around our international efforts here. 

[Dave T]

26 minutes ago, BristolDevonCharlie said:

Disagree with you there. I am just 40 and my memories and affinity is much more with Great Britain than England.  

Just a classic brand, distinct from the other mainstream sports with much more history and depth. 

I don't have too much of a preference as to whether my national team is England or GB. But I do think there is a point there about the actual brand identity - even those who believe it should be England are very vocal in bashing the logo and kit etc. 

It's weird to me, as GB had some absolutely godawful kits when I watched them! 

[StandOffHalf]

18 hours ago, Welshleaguelover said:

It will make no difference to a tour in Australia.

It will make a difference over here though. The England shirt always looks tacky and our heritage is as Great Britain. It's something that differentiates us from football and rugby union.

It's a nobrainer for me.

100 per cent. Tacky is a good word. GB is an iconic RL entity. We should cherish GB v Kangaroos and Kiwis.

 

[17 stone giant]

1 hour ago, rlno1 said:

The article says the RFL want to cash in on the RU Lions being in Australia at the same time. So a pure cash grab typical RL. So by calling them Gt Britain they hope the union mob will watch. Call them England and those Welsh, scottish and Irish union fans won't go.

When is the RL Ashes likely to be? The RU Lions begin their tour in Australia on 28th June and finish on the 2nd August.

I had assumed that the Ashes would be November time.

So same time would only mean same year. And if it is in November, how many union fans do we think will still be out there after August 2nd?

[ATLANTISMAN]

2 hours ago, rlno1 said:

The article says the RFL want to cash in on the RU Lions being in Australia at the same time. So a pure cash grab typical RL. So by calling them Gt Britain they hope the union mob will watch. Call them England and those Welsh, scottish and Irish union fans won't go.

The Union mob won't watch 99% of union fans have no interest in RL.

I remember a double header at the Broncos once Harlequins v Plymouth Albion (Who fielded a 48 year old) 12000 crowd after Broncos v Giants the entire Quins crowd left and went home 

[Pulga]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

I don't think this is the case though. England has worked perfectly fine and attracted crowds. Getting two 40k+ crowds v Samoa and 67k v New Zealand was unimaginable in the supposed hugely popular GB era.

The problem is the haphazard international calendar and not enough games. England have never even played Australia in an Ashes series. That is what people are really fawning over and being nostalgic about when they talk of GB and they aren't really comparing like for like.

That makes it more of a head-scratcher.

 

[Gomersall]

35 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

When is the RL Ashes likely to be? The RU Lions begin their tour in Australia on 28th June and finish on the 2nd August.

I had assumed that the Ashes would be November time.

So same time would only mean same year. And if it is in November, how many union fans do we think will still be out there after August 2nd?

The Australian ones.

[BristolDevonCharlie]

40 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

When is the RL Ashes likely to be? The RU Lions begin their tour in Australia on 28th June and finish on the 2nd August.

I had assumed that the Ashes would be November time.

So same time would only mean same year. And if it is in November, how many union fans do we think will still be out there after August 2nd?

It would be better to tie it in with cricket's 2025/26 Ashes series.

From my reckoning, based on recent (non-Covid effected tours) that will start around 20th November. 

I'd imagine, due to RLPA / NRL CBA rules, the ARLC would organise RL Ashes tests for: 25th October, 1st November & 8th November, at the latest.

If the two series can be a week closer together a dual purpose trip is more viable. 

[ATLANTISMAN]

5 hours ago, Pulga said:

This is a massive red flag. It proves that what they're doing with England hasn't worked and now they want to appeal to the nostalgia of a generation they really shouldn't be targeting. I'm nearly 40 and have no real memories of GB at all and I'd say if you're even targeting my age group as a sport you've got a massive problem. 

This will 100% kill off the international game and the progress being made in Wales complete and utter lunacy