Emerging Nations Tournament 1995

[RayCee]

Remember this in '95? Can't be done now as the sport cannot afford it I guess but what a great idea it was. Moldova and Morocco? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Rugby_League_Emerging_Nations_Tournament

[Whippet13]

Moldova (Chisneau) were allegedly up for the fabled Euro 13 competition.

No chance of a 95 repeat, but we now have more nations (most with domestic leagues) playing each other regularly in international competition across Europe and wider, I think that approach is more beneficial to their development.

[gingerjon]

Six years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Emerging_Nations_World_Championship

[RayCee]

7 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Six years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Emerging_Nations_World_Championship

What I liked about the 1995 event was it was run in association with the World Cup of the top nations which gave it more exposure and awareness. 

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, RayCee said:

What I liked about the 1995 event was it was run in association with the World Cup of the top nations which gave it more exposure and awareness. 

Indeed. But the concept was revived in 2000 and again in 2018.

So there's really no reason it can't be done again, at any time.

[RayCee]

1 hour ago, Whippet13 said:

Moldova (Chisneau) were allegedly up for the fabled Euro 13 competition.

No chance of a 95 repeat, but we now have more nations (most with domestic leagues) playing each other regularly in international competition across Europe and wider, I think that approach is more beneficial to their development.

I need to look deeper into what's going on in Europe but the impression I get is marginal improvements in some countries and going backwards in others. 

[RayCee]

4 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Indeed. But the concept was revived in 2000 and again in 2018.

So there's really no reason it can't be done again, at any time.

It can be done again but as a stand alone tournament it would surely lose money.  

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

15 hours ago, RayCee said:

Remember this in '95? Can't be done now as the sport cannot afford it I guess but what a great idea it was. Moldova and Morocco? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Rugby_League_Emerging_Nations_Tournament

I do remember it, RayCee, and, more specifically, taking my almost 10-years-old son to the final at Gigg Lane.  Sadly, it remains the only game of RL he has attended.  He turned 39 last week.

[Eddie]

3 hours ago, RayCee said:

I need to look deeper into what's going on in Europe but the impression I get is marginal improvements in some countries and going backwards in others. 

I think it’s fair to say they’re making strides in Holland, Czech and Norway. 

[burnleywelsh]

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

I think it’s fair to say they’re making strides in Holland, Czech and Norway. 

Norwegian Rugby League facing the usual disruption........

 

[gingerjon]

10 minutes ago, burnleywelsh said:

Norwegian Rugby League facing the usual disruption........

 

We shouldn’t be in a joint federation.

Especially not one that apparently also include Gaelic Football and Aussie rules.

[Leyther_Matt]

20 hours ago, RayCee said:

Remember this in '95? Can't be done now as the sport cannot afford it I guess but what a great idea it was. Moldova and Morocco? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Rugby_League_Emerging_Nations_Tournament

This link has the attendances included too. Some decent gates in there! 

https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/emerging-nations-cup-1995/summary.html

[burnleywelsh]

14 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

We shouldn’t be in a joint federation.

Especially not one that apparently also include Gaelic Football and Aussie rules.

I think the problem is that in many countries, the Sports Ministries don't get it that League and Union are separate sports. When Rugby League tries to establish itself in these countries, they get told that there is already a 'Rugby' Federation in existence.

[JonM]

It was worth it just for the banner "Russian sub sinks America" headline in the Warrington Guardian (after a last minute 28-26 win at Wilderspool). That would surely have gone viral these days. I like to think the sub-editor responsible never reached such dizzy heights ever again in his career and looks back fondly on that moment.

[OriginalMrC]

These tournaments were brilliant. Really hope it can be resurrected. 

That was a good Ireland team by the way. Mostly amateur but some real talent there and some of the Irish based players went on to play pro/semi pro. 

Sadly most of the countries in the 1995 tournament have gone backwards since at least in terms of the local game.

[RayCee]

9 hours ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

I do remember it, RayCee, and, more specifically, taking my almost 10-years-old son to the final at Gigg Lane.  Sadly, it remains the only game of RL he has attended.  He turned 39 last week.

He's just not into the game?

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

21 minutes ago, RayCee said:

He's just not into the game?

Sadly not.  The only sport he follows is Formula 1 motor racing.  I'm the opposite.  I don't get excited by any sport that just involves going round and round the same track - whether it's horses, athletes, bikes or cars.

[Eddie]

4 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

This link has the attendances included too. Some decent gates in there! 

https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/emerging-nations-cup-1995/summary.html

I wonder why there were two games in Northampton. 

[sam4731]

4 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

This link has the attendances included too. Some decent gates in there! 

https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/emerging-nations-cup-1995/summary.html

Someone needs to find out who managed to sell over 2000 tickets for Morocco vs Moldova in Northampton and put them in charge of selling tickets for any event ever. Not just Rugby League but anything.

[preid]

9 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

Someone needs to find out who managed to sell over 2000 tickets for Morocco vs Moldova in Northampton and put them in charge of selling tickets for any event ever. Not just Rugby League but anything.

 .... maybe Peter Deakin was involved ? He passed in 2003 at just 49 but would have been in his prime around 1995.

[sam4731]

11 minutes ago, preid said:

 .... maybe Peter Deakin was involved ? He passed in 2003 at just 49 but would have been in his prime around 1995.

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and I don't think I'm gonna beat this:

https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/world-cup-european-qualifiers-2006/game-1/georgia-vs-the-netherlands.html

 

Georgia vs The Netherlands in Tbilisi

Attendance: 10,935

To put that into context, England just 5 months later, got an attendance of 16,633... a combined attendance across 4 matches against France, Samoa and Tonga twice. Three of which were played at traditional RL stadiums.

[Leyther_Matt]

17 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and I don't think I'm gonna beat this:

https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/world-cup-european-qualifiers-2006/game-1/georgia-vs-the-netherlands.html

 

Georgia vs The Netherlands in Tbilisi

Attendance: 10,935

To put that into context, England just 5 months later, got an attendance of 16,633... a combined attendance across 4 matches against France, Samoa and Tonga twice. Three of which were played at traditional RL stadiums.

TBF it was still in the days of GB so was a not-so-glorified reserve team (I went to the game at the HJ)

The real one for the rabbit hole was Russia getting 40,000 for an international game

[corkonian77]

I remember  this tournament  I was  a teenager  at the time.

The tournament  got decent  coverage on radio and newspapers in Ireland. 

 

[Leyther_Matt]

1 minute ago, corkonian77 said:

I remember  this tournament  I was  a teenager  at the time.

The tournament  got decent  coverage on radio and newspapers in Ireland. 

Completely unrelated to the thread but arrived back this evening from a lovely weekend in Cork  

[corkonian77]

4 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Completely unrelated to the thread but arrived back this evening from a lovely weekend in Cork  

Hope you had a lovely  time.