Is international Rugby League catching up the other code?

[Martyn Sadler]

The rugby union media seem to be gloating about the performance of Joseph Suaali'i at Twickenham.

But are we catching them up?

The signs look positive.

[Dullish Mood]

No.

[welshmagpie]

It is growing and looks ready to explode in the southern hemisphere - we just need the northern equivalent to hatch a plan and stick with it (this is the bit I’m fearful of.)

A home ashes in 2025 will be a good start but we really need to build up and expose France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Co to commercially lucrative opportunities to foster further growth within their own organisations.

As the NRL expands in number of teams the quality of import to SL will surely decrease though the interest in young European talent will increase their end to fill squads with emerging talent. European rugby league needs more pathways and high quality opportunity for youngsters in Glasgow, Swansea, Avignon, Brixton, Rotterdam and Birmingham et al

[DI Keith Fowler]

Well, it's catching up in the sense that international RU is kind of maxed out in terms of popularity, so anything RL does above the usual bare minimum would represent a narrowing of the gap yes.

Edited November 11 by DI Keith Fowler

[gingerjon]

I think the answer is no and also that we should stop comparing to RU at every turn and get on with being the best that RL can be.

But, for reference, this past weekend saw home internationals in RU for:

Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, UAE, Hong Kong, Canada, Spain, Romania, Portugal, Georgia, Kenya, Ukraine*, Czechia.

We're not close to that and we're not likely to get much closer right now. The comparison makes us look small time.

[Damien]

Until we play more games and have 2 international windows any progress will be limited. International RL will always be limited when it is just 3 games in a 1 month window then forgot about for 11 months.

Catching up is all relative too as we are coming from a very low bar. Countries playing 3 games to decent crowds is catching up compared to the largely wasted decade prior. 

[Dave W]

It's interesting to note that RU manages to play internationals yet still have club cup fixtures on the same day.

Clubs seem happy to have weakened teams and lower crowds because the game exists for the internationals because that's where the money flows from. In RL that doesn't happen because parochial self-interest reigns: The NRL and SL club chairmen call the shots and internationals during the season are too often seen as an inconvenience. 

Edited November 11 by Dave W

[Barley Mow]

Should this have been posted in cross code?

It is explicitly about comparing RL and RU from the start, it isn't even one of those threads that starts off as something else and then drifts.

[gingerjon]

13 minutes ago, Dave W said:

It's interesting to note that RU manages to play internationals yet still have club cup fixtures on the same day.

Clubs seem happy to have weakened teams and lower crowds because the game exists for the internationals because that's where the money flows from. In RL that doesn't happen because parochial self-interest reigns: The NRL and SL club chairmen call the shots and internationals during the season are too often seen as an inconvenience. 

England have played on the same weekend as club fixtures before now. As we have the issue that we're selling games to the same people, the overlap creates problems.

[dealwithit]

I would pit France against Wales in an annual series and get a promoter on board to sell it. Two professional teams deserving of proper coverage. 
Unfortunately, the respective governing bodies aren’t up to the task. 
As for England? You’re in the wrong hemisphere. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Definitely not. Why does it matter though? We are a different sport. Is international Gaelic Football catching up with Rugby Union? Is international Lawn Bowls catching up with Rugby Union? They are basically the same questions. Just cos the name of our sport has a word the same as RU, we are comparing all the time. It doesn't matter!

[WN83]

I think we have an opportunity to make International Rugby League as strong as it's been in my lifetime over the next 5-10 years. Forget International Rugby Union because that's been built correctly over decades and our international game has been an after thought and sadly, I'm not sure it's much more at the minute or that it will be anything more in the coming years.

The opportunity to change that is staring the powers that be in the face but it will all be built on what the NRL wants/allows and I suspect it won't be enough to make the huge strides forward that it could do. Until it is treated as the pinnacle and takes precedence over the NRL and even Origin, it'll continue to just have the minor peaks and then the troughs it's always had over the last however many years. 

[JM2010]

26 minutes ago, WN83 said:

I think we have an opportunity to make International Rugby League as strong as it's been in my lifetime over the next 5-10 years. Forget International Rugby Union because that's been built correctly over decades and our international game has been an after thought and sadly, I'm not sure it's much more at the minute or that it will be anything more in the coming years.

The opportunity to change that is staring the powers that be in the face but it will all be built on what the NRL wants/allows and I suspect it won't be enough to make the huge strides forward that it could do. Until it is treated as the pinnacle and takes precedence over the NRL and even Origin, it'll continue to just have the minor peaks and then the troughs it's always had over the last however many years. 

If the NRL can generate big money from the Pacific Championship like they do from Origin then I think we’ll see a much more organised International game, particularly in the SH. 
The NH has to find a way to create something meaningful 

[Hopie]

[Archie Gordon]

14 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

... 

The NH has to find a way to create something meaningful 

It does. And it is very important that it does. But it seems beyond anyone's abilities to sort something.

[Tommygilf]

Not even in the slightest.

Compare the fixture list on Sky Sports for the past few weekend in Union with League and it's miles apart sadly - that's not helped by us seemingly being unable to get a system which gives all of our fixtures to the big apps.

League internationals are often now good quality. But our top teams are still playing only 3 games per year. 

[gingerjon]

Just now, Tommygilf said:

our top teams are still playing only 3 games per year. 

Wales RU are on a ten game losing streak. It takes them back to this time last year.

[Damien]

16 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Wales RU are on a ten game losing streak. It takes them back to this time last year.

If Wales RL were on the same it would take them back to 2018, which says it all.

[sam4731]

9 minutes ago, Damien said:

If Wales RL were on the same it would take them back to 2018, which says it all.

Without World Cups to give them 3 guaranteed games every 4 years, we might now be waiting much longer that that to get 10 games played now.

[Charlie]

Simple answer in no, it’s the pinical of union. I don’t care much for union but there international is so far ahead, although the NRL is by far a better league then any of there’s. 
 

we really need France to kick on so we have 6/7 competitive sides 

[JonM]

 

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

But, for reference, this past weekend saw home internationals in RU for:

Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, UAE, Hong Kong, Canada, Spain, Romania, Portugal, Georgia, Kenya, Ukraine*, Czechia.

I mean obviously the answer is always "no" for any newspaper headline that asks a question. But perhaps worth pointing out that the North America women's 2026 RLWC qualifiers took place this week - USA, Canada & Jamaica all played two internationals. And Poland played Wales Dragonhearts twice this week.

[EagleEyePie]

In a very specific part of the southern hemisphere international RL has probably seen more growth than international RU (which is already a big deal and has less room for growth). Other than that I don't see any indication that RL is ever going to get anywhere near the size of international RU in the next few decades.

That's not to sound defeatist, it's just the reality of where international RL currently is and why there needs to be a long term plan to make sure that at some point in the future the sport can rival RU on the global stage.

Unfortunately for rugby league the growth is largely that of the NRL rather than the game as a whole. It's great for the Pacific Nations that the NRL is now willing to invest in international RL because they see the huge growth opportunities for the NRL itself. It's also helped by the fact the Australian government is desperate to ensure the Pacific islands remain politically and culturally linked to Australia to stave off China's rising influence in the region.

The problem is the northern hemisphere is in no position to see much growth and it's not like we can follow the same blueprint because of the vast differences financially, culturally and politically. It's fine saying the RFL needs to grow the game in France but with limited resources how on earth can you justify diverting funding to a larger country that already has its own governing body? There's very little that can be done to improve things in the northern hemisphere without massively increasing the profile of Super League.

[corkonian77]

Not in terms of attendances and viewership  in Europe  not even close. Ireland U20 Rugby Union matches in Cork get attendances of 8,000.  

In Australia totally  different.  

 

[Dunbar]

Cross Code forum surely.

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Cross Code forum surely.

Take it up with a moderator. Oh wait