England v Australia 2025 - coming to the UK?

[Chris22]

Please be right! First test at St James' Park, second test at Tottenham, third at Elland Road. If Australia are here next year, this is the time to go big!

[Hopie]

I ain't paying to read that article but two reactions to the Aussies suggesting the ashes be here and not Australia next year.

1) Yes, book it in yesterday and lets get the games announced before next week.

2) Seriously jfc, the NRL really are a useless bunch of etc, you have to make plans in advance you absolute etc.

Edited October 27 by Hopie

[Sports Prophet]

This doesn’t stack up, we are told all too often this NRL administration have no interest in international RL. Must be a mistake.

My preference would be Wembley, then Newcastle and finally Manchester. I think Elland Rd is setting the bar too low.

Actually, maybe St James, with a series victory opportunity to fill Wembley and then hopefully take a 1-1 series to Etihad to finish it off.

32 minutes ago, Chris22 said:

Please be right! First test at St James' Park, second test at Tottenham, third at Elland Road. If Australia are here next year, this is the time to go big!

 

Edited October 27 by Sports Prophet

[WN83]

I really hope it does happen but whatever the case may be, let's just get it sorted and announced. The lack of forward planning needs to stop. 

Thinking positive and presuming it does happen I hope they have some ambition with the venues and people really back it. Maybe younger fans don't really have the same nostalgia around Ashes Rugby League but personally I'd be like a kid at Christmas should it go ahead and I think plenty would be the same.

[17 stone giant]

Well isn't this a wonderful early Christmas present!

I have to say that it makes perfect sense, because why would you want the current plan of an England away Ashes in Australia one year, and then a World Cup in Australia the following year? You surely want at least a year or two off between those things, so that England fans can potentially go to both.

Playing the Ashes at home next year instead is much more sensible.

Bring it on!

[Damien]

I think this would be great for the game in this country, as the cancelled 2020 Ashes tour would have been.

It is though ripping up the already agreed international because the Aussies have changed their mind. Or cant be arsed hosting. Yet again.

This time though it will be a positive for England.

[Sports Prophet]

11 minutes ago, Damien said:

I think this would be great for the game in this country, as the cancelled 2020 Ashes tour would have been.

It is though ripping up the already agreed international because the Aussies have changed their mind. Or cant be arsed hosting. Yet again.

This time though it will be a positive for England.

Could it have been at England’s request?

Even if this is solely at the behest of the NRL, you can’t even see that the NRL might be making a positive decision for the benefit of the international game. Maybe the NRL are seeking to correct what they think is a mistake in the current international schedule up to 2028.

Its just another opportunity for you to have a crack at the NRL.

Edited October 27 by Sports Prophet

[DoubleD]

I’m hearing that Leigh Sports Village, Doncaster and the Salford Community Stadium are being lined up 

[Damien]

7 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Could it have been at England’s request?

Even if this is solely at the behest of the NRL, you can’t even see that the NRL might be making a positive decision for the benefit of the international game. Maybe the NRL are seeking to correct what they think is a mistake in the current international schedule up to 2028.

Its just another opportunity for you to have a crack at the NRL.

I compliment the NRL far more than I criticise it. Stop being so precious.

There is nothing to indicate anything you say here in either report I've read. It literally says Australia have approached the IRL. This is simply you making stuff up and framing a narrative.

Again I think this is great for England and hope it happens. Let's not pretend though this isn't just the usual ###### the NRL has pulled over the last decade though.

[Sports Prophet]

2 minutes ago, Damien said:

I compliment the NRL far more than I criticise it. Stop being so precious.

There is nothing to indicate anything you say here in either report I've read. It literally says Australia have approached the IRL. This is simply you making stuff up and framing a narrative.

Again I think this is great for England and hope it happens. Let's not pretend though this isn't just the usual ###### the NRL has pulled over the last decade though.

I don’t have a subscription so haven’t read the article, but you are saying the article confirms the NRL have approached the IRL?

Is there anything in the article to substantiate your claim the NRL can’t be bothered hosting next year? I figured this was an unsubstantiated theory, at which point I followed that lead by presenting others.

Yes this is a great opportunity for England should this actually happen. Maybe best keeping to that positive part rather than fulfilling the need to give the NRL a backhander at the same time.

[GeordieSaint]

18 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

I’m hearing that Leigh Sports Village, Doncaster and the Salford Community Stadium are being lined up 

Nah. Hull, Huddersfield, Wigan. Nailed on.

[GeordieSaint]

I hope it does come over here. We won’t have any competitive internationals here in 2026 due to the WC so next year is a must. 

[Hopie]

32 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Could it have been at England’s request?

Even if this is solely at the behest of the NRL, you can’t even see that the NRL might be making a positive decision for the benefit of the international game. Maybe the NRL are seeking to correct what they think is a mistake in the current international schedule up to 2028.

Its just another opportunity for you to have a crack at the NRL.

Oh the irony...

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

I don’t have a subscription so haven’t read the article, but you are saying the article confirms the NRL have approached the IRL?

Is there anything in the article to substantiate your claim the NRL can’t be bothered hosting next year? I figured this was an unsubstantiated theory, at which point I followed that lead by presenting others.

Yes this is a great opportunity for England should this actually happen. Maybe best keeping to that positive part rather than fulfilling the need to give the NRL a backhander at the same time.

You are making stupid claims based on nothing. Now you are saying you've not read the articles on this . This is just your normal blind defence of everything NRL and Australian. Then you are shocked when people reply on it.

What we do know is that zero venues or dates have been announced for the tour to Australia. Seemingly diddly squat has been done and there has been next to no mention in the Australian press. All the while we have had surveys from the RFL asking fans questions regarding this tour and various news pieces about it. It's has always been like one side has expected to tour, the other nothing. Of course we've seen all of this before.

Then we get this less than a year away now when venues should be booked and dates locked in. To anyone with half a brain it's clear what has happened and is happening.

 

[Damien]

Just now, Hopie said:

Oh the irony...

Hilarious isn't it.

[17 stone giant]

Let's just agree to give IMG the credit.

[Hopie]

4 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

Let's just agree to give IMG the credit.

Locked and Merged

[Exiled Wiganer]

7 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

Let's just agree to give IMG the credit.

I tell you what, he’s intern of the week for thinking that one up. 

[Sports Prophet]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

You are making stupid claims based on nothing. Now you are saying you've not read the articles on this . This is just your normal blind defence of everything NRL and Australian. Then you are shocked when people reply on it.

What we do know is that zero venues or dates have been announced for the tour to Australia. Seemingly diddly squat has been done and there has been next to no mention in the Australian press. All the while we have had surveys from the RFL asking fans questions regarding this tour and various news pieces about it. It's has always been like one side has expected to tour, the other nothing. Of course we've seen all of this before.

Then we get this less than a year away now when venues should be booked and dates locked in. To anyone with half a brain it's clear what has happened and is happening.

 

I haven’t made a single claim, let alone a stupid one, I just presented a potential theory. That is not a claim. Unlike yourself making unsubstantiated claims.

There was only one article quoted and that is a subscription. Do you have the subscription? You said…

1 hour ago, Damien said:

It literally says Australia have approached the IRL

It’s fair for me to assume you are talking about the only article quoted in this entire thread so far, not some other random article you haven’t quoted.

Dates, venues haven’t been booked yet. Vegas dates and teams competing were announced less than 12 months from the fixtures and with the existing Pacific series still with a fortnight left to run, I wouldn’t say it’s uncommon or terrible that these are not set yet, but sure, it would be nice to know more than a year out. I’m not gonna get my knickers in a knot about dates not being set yet though.

Just because you think the dates and venues should be booked in already, doesn’t mean you are right.

The Australian press hardly even touched the Pacific Cup until after the SOO, three months before the Cup was due to start, so no surprises there either and not that it hasn’t proved to be a successful series so far and a massive improvement on last year.

First I’ve heard of the RFL surveys. That’s interesting. What were the question? Is there a link, I’d love to see it?

I would love to see more of the press articles on the potential change of tour as well. Do you have links to the other articles you say you e read?

The only one I can find is this, which is subscription also… https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/kangaroos-and-jillaroos-set-to-tour-england-after-2025-season-historic-revival-comes-after-22year-hiatus/news-story/d65286d4b4e26da15693d221f3e076a8?amp although the cover summary on google says “The ARL Commission and England's RFL are considering the tour of England after 2025 for the men's Kangaroos and women's Jillaroos.”, so that insinuates the RFL are equally behind this potential change.

Anyway, keep on with your quest to damn the NRL, the rest of us can just focus on the positives of a potential Kangaroos tour to England in 2025, which would be the third successive SH national tour to England and all of which were supported heavily by the NRL.

Edited October 28 by Sports Prophet

[UTK]

The game gets far more out of an Ashes series in England than it does in Australia, so this would be a good move.

England/GB haven't been a drawcard in Australia for years and a Pacific Championship top tier of NZ/Tonga/Samoa no longer needs Australia to give credibility/crowds to that competition. 

Breaking a 22 year hiatus will certainly be a drawcard in England, while the Kangaroos playing away from home assists England on their search for the elusive win that would be necessary before an Ashes series could be considered relevant in Australia again.

A sensible decision in a poorly constructed calendar at least.

[Sports Prophet]

I hope the Kangaroos can consider a match against France and perhaps a Celtic select, but I expect the NRL Commission will struggle to get more than three tests past the RLPA with a WC due the following year.

Edited October 28 by Sports Prophet

[Jim from Oz]

If the Ashes tour of the UK is on, and at the same time the RLWC Men's Qualifying World Series (South Africa, Jamaica, Cook Islands and France) is on in France at (roughly) the same time, would make it attractive for Aussie RL fans to go on a supporters' tour to Europe to (hopefully)  watch both series …

[Gerrumonside ref]

If it is a tour is there any chance our leading club sides might have a crack at the Aussies?

Nice to see the Jillaroos involved too.

Hope this is true so we can all start making our plans for a game in the big smoke or up in Newcastle at least.

Edit: Just seen club teams won’t be involved

Edited October 28 by Gerrumonside ref

[Henson Park Old Firm]

My prediction s,

Game will be played in Wigan and another England jersey will be released by the end of year.

[gingerjon]

When will Big Picture pop up to tell us that England believing a country that isn't even in the world's top 50 by population will be a boost to rugby league just reveals how tin pot everything is?

As I said on another thread: it does make more sense for an Ashes in England than Australia. You could also do a standard RFL half baked approach and probably do more than okay for attendance (etc). That said, it's very obvious that it's the NRL doing some good PR for themselves but passing on costs and risks to the RFL.

That said, this is exactly why RL Commercial, with IMG involvement, are around and this should be a 'gimme' for them.

Big opener in London though - or don't bother.