England v Australia 2025 - coming to the UK!

[Father Gascoigne]

1 minute ago, Barley Mow said:

This is an outright 'no' from me. If we're using a stadium that large, it should be Wembley. Personally I think a London Ashes Test next year should be looking at somewhere like the Emirates.

Also, why start a new thread for this? We already have two discussing next year's internationals, this fits in fine with the stadium discussions already going on in 'England v Australia 2025'.

Not just about capacity.

Is there an RL statue outside Allianz? Wembley's the national rugby league stadium. 

[RigbyLuger]

No.

[Damien]

On 30/10/2024 at 10:35, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

This was plastered all over the tube at the time

Brilliant, ages since I've seen that.

[Damien]

The fact we have a 14 page thread where venues have been discussed, and no one mentioned Twickenham, says it all.

Surely this should be merged with that thread too

[FearTheVee]

It should go without saying, but if it doesn't: no.

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, Damien said:

Brilliant, ages since I've seen that.

Lovely stuff.

Unlike the absolutely horrendous kit he's wearing!

[Just Browny]

It's a much less unthinkable notion than it was in the early 2000s when we actually used Twickenham for a few big games. While there are still some ghastly union folk, I think the animosity and bad will isn't there as people have realised we are not really fighting over the same territory in most areas. I think there's a lot of union folk in SW London who would be quite interested in attending a big RL match.

I've never been so I've no idea if it would be a better ground to use than some of those already under discussion. 

[The Masked Poster]

Regardless of the history and animosity between the codes, Twickenham is not a great stadium in my experience - and it isn't in a particularly great location, so no thanks. 

[Just Browny]

5 minutes ago, Damien said:

Brilliant, ages since I've seen that.

I've never given it much thought but there's a lot to be said for the 1985-1988 and 1989-1992 world cup format. A medium term programme of meaningful games and, as we see above, a good lead in to knock out games so you can focus the promotion on who's actually playing.

Considering how much we've struggled with the financials of a football-style world cup tournament since, we should probably consider if we chucked away something that might be a better fit for RL if we adapted it a bit.

[StandOffHalf]

It's not in great repair and some areas are pretty bad when it rains.

Big NO from me, mainly because it's a RU stadium - Headquarters, Twickers.

Wembley, Tottenham and The Emirates all better options IMO.

[Hopie]

Wasn't the 2000 opener famously a disaster? Poor weather and a poor crowd, not on terrestrial TV, best forgotten.

[Odsal Outlaw]

Let’s not forget how underhand and discriminatory union is towards league in many parts of the world. Let’s go nowhere near twickenham unless it’s accompanied by a letter from ‘world rugby’ acknowledging the existence of RL globally as a completely separate sport.

[Just Browny]

9 minutes ago, Hopie said:

Wasn't the 2000 opener famously a disaster? Poor weather and a poor crowd, not on terrestrial TV, best forgotten.

True (except I'm pretty sure that game was on terrestrial TV).  Using the 2000 World Cup as the benchmark implies we should have written half about 15-20 grounds from ever holding an RL match again. I don't think the poor weather was due to it being a union ground.

Edited October 31, 2024 by Just Browny

[DI Keith Fowler]

Fully in favour of this as a tanks on the lawn move.

[JonM]

35 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I've never been so I've no idea if it would be a better ground to use than some of those already under discussion. 

It's really not. I don't think it should be ruled out if it's cheap and available, but it's objectively nowhere near as good as the other London stadia mentioned.

I would've thought they would organise an Autumn international on the same day as any RL Test match, in any case. 

[gingerjon]

42 minutes ago, Damien said:

The fact we have a 14 page thread where venues have been discussed, and no one mentioned Twickenham, says it all.

That is quite revealing.

Leaving aside any union bits, it's not the right venue. It's not great getting to/from from outside SW London or the immediate Home Counties, and it has been surpassed by the other London grounds. Unless it's basically given for free then it shouldn't be in the conversation.

[17 stone giant]

35 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I've never given it much thought but there's a lot to be said for the 1985-1988 and 1989-1992 world cup format.

It may have fulfilled a purpose at the time, but surely you wouldn't want it above a proper World Cup tournament?

[Big Picture]

35 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I've never given it much thought but there's a lot to be said for the 1985-1988 and 1989-1992 world cup format. A medium term programme of meaningful games and, as we see above, a good lead in to knock out games so you can focus the promotion on who's actually playing.

Considering how much we've struggled with the financials of a football-style world cup tournament since, we should probably consider if we chucked away something that might be a better fit for RL if we adapted it a bit.

The format RL has struggled with isn't unique to soccer though, it's the norm for World Cups in all serious international sports, so it's what the game has to have if it's going to be one of those too.

[Sports Prophet]

It’s not the worst idea in the world and I’ve heard many more worse on this forum alone (none of mine of course), but, Wembley is the RL Stadium.

Stand up to the challenge England. 

Book Wembley! Fill 80+ in it and go get a win which captures the imagination of the public and press like never before and the rest of the series cannot be ignored.

This is the moment the RFL and English RL fans have been waiting for.

Carpe Diem

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

44 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

Regardless of the history and animosity between the codes, Twickenham is not a great stadium in my experience - and it isn't in a particularly great location, so no thanks. 

This 

Went to both Challenge Cup Finals that were held there and wouldn't have went to the 2nd when it was moved there if it wasn't for the fact that we'd bought the tickets and booked the hotel on a non-refundable basis.

Zero atmosphere in the place, nightmare to get to and I object to giving the RFU any of my money 

[The Masked Poster]

Just now, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

This 

Went to both Challenge Cup Finals that were held there and wouldn't have went to the 2nd when it was moved there if it wasn't for the fact that we'd bought the tickets and booked the hotel on a non-refundable basis.

Zero atmosphere in the place, nightmare to get to and I object to giving the RFU any of my money 

I've been 3 times and not enjoyed any of them. Local pubs seemed non existent (although there were one or two) and all round pretty poor atmosphere. Even if it wasn't RU headquarters, it'd be a no from me. 

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

8 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

I've been 3 times and not enjoyed any of them. Local pubs seemed non existent (although there were one or two) and all round pretty poor atmosphere. Even if it wasn't RU headquarters, it'd be a no from me. 

Yes, we went to a pub in Richmond and it ran out of beer and that was before the game kicked off 

[Eddie]

I’ve been to Twickenham once, which I appreciate is one too many times but in my defence I went with a couple of mates who gave me a free ticket and it was a good sesh. Anyway I did think it was a great stadium for watching rugby and I’d be happy for England to play there if Wembley was unavailable. As others have said it might drag a few Yawnion fans out to watch too, who’d hopefully realise how inferior their game is to ours, or at least enjoy it enough to go again in future or watch on tv. 

[M j M]

Absolutely not, no way. There are better stadia in better locations with better people to rent from than that.

I went to all three of the events we've held there and all were miserable and uncomfortable experiences.

[Pen-Y-Bont Crusader]

4 minutes ago, M j M said:

Absolutely not, no way. There are better stadia in better locations with better people to rent from than that.

I went to all three of the events we've held there and all were miserable and uncomfortable experiences.

Absolutely agree and just like you I was at all three. Been several other times at invitation of family members and never liked going there both journey-wise and atmosphere-wise.