Your international calender

[The Hallucinating Goose]

What would a realistic international calender, that you'd be happy with, look like? 

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For England; 5 games a year would be fine for me. A mid-season test against either France or Wales and a 3 test series (outside World Cup years) with a warm up game against the other one of France or Wales.

The test series would be the Ashes every other year interspersed with the World Cup every 4 years, and a test series against NZ or a Pacific Island nation also every 4 years.

The mid-season test and warm up game do not need to be at a massive venue, just say around 10,000 capacity in the heartland. The Ashes should be in venues of at least 30,000 capacity, and the Pacific Island series should be in venues around 20,000. 

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The rest of the world; there should be an annual European Championship with 4 teams, Wales, France, Scotland and Ireland. Doesn't need to be a massive tournament, even just play it across the heartlands, again in around 10,000 capacity venues. Playing it all close together and close to the hardcore fans might encourage people to attend multiple games.

And then in the Pacific have the Pacific Championship with whichever teams aren't touring England.

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I'd be happy enough with that. Its not a massive calender but it is a consistent and regular calender with a lot of options to attend games for heartland fans.

So, what would you be happy with?

[welshmagpie]

Here’s what I’d like to see (across a 4 year cycle).

*End of Y4*
All prospective nations apply to the IRL to be included in the next cycle of the calendar. Inclusion would be based on a redesigned criteria (similar to current membership) i.e X amount of domestic fixtures in previous 4 year period, X amount of domestic players, X% growth in overall player base and so on…

YEAR 1

Mid-Season (1 round)
- Australia vs New Zealand
- Fiji vs PNG
- England vs France
- Samoa vs Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
International Premiership
- Australia, England, NZ, Tonga 
International Championship
- Fiji, France, PNG, Samoa

Mid & Post-Season (3 rounds)
Multi-Tiered Continental Championships
- Euro 1, Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro 5
- Americas 1, Americas 2
- AsiaPacific 1, AsiaPacific2
- Africa 1, Africa 2, Africa 3

YEAR 2

Mid-Season (1 round)
- Australia vs New Zealand
- Fiji vs PNG
- England vs France
- Samoa vs Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
International Premiership
- Australia, England, NZ, Tonga 
International Championship
- Fiji, France, PNG, Samoa

Mid & Post-Season (3 rounds)
Multi-Tiered Continental Championships
- Euro 1, Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro 5
- Americas 1, Americas 2
- AsiaPacific 1, AsiaPacific2
- Africa 1, Africa 2, Africa 3

YEAR 3

Mid-Season (1 round)
- Australia vs New Zealand
- Fiji vs PNG
- England vs France
- Samoa vs Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
Ashes/Baskerville Series
- England vs Australia/New Zealand
Southern Cup
- Australia/New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
World Cup Qualifiers (Europe)
- France + Top 3 from Europe 1
World Cup Qualifiers (AsiaPacific)
- Fiji, PNG + Top 2 from AsiaPacific 1
World Cup Qualifiers (Atlantic)
- Top 2 from both Africa 1 & Americas 1

YEAR 4

World Cup (3x4)
- Australia
- England
- New Zealand
- Samoa
- Tonga 
- 1st WCQ (Europe)
- 2nd WCQ (Europe)
- 1st WCQ (AsiaPacific)
- 2nd WCQ (AsiaPacific)
- 3rd WCQ (AsiaPacific)
- 1st WCQ (Atlantic)
- 2nd WCQ (Atlantic)

General Rules

- All fixtures & ticket availability must be announced at least 300 days before they take place.
- All teams must include 5 players born in that country in any game. 
- Nations operate with 3 jerseys per cycle: alternate for colour clashes only e.g Samoa vs France, a traditional jersey and a jersey for the World Cup should they qualify. 

[Hopie]

2 windows, applicable across the world, where there are no top level domestic games and just rep games. (Oz can opt out of the mid-season window to play origin if they agree to not disrupt the other teams, but I'd suggest they would change their mind eventually and do both origin and mid season internationals).

England play Tier 1 opposition in every window.

3-4 weeks mid season and 4-6 weeks post season.

Each team plays a series/tournament matches in its home base once per year.

No team finished an international without knowing where and when its next one is, and always knows when and where its next home game is. 

[bobbruce]

Mid season a two match series SL England v NRL England would require origin to be played in a 3 week block. Then a game against France at the end of every season plus a game against any country that’s over here to play France then a 3 match series against Aus/NZ/Tonga/Samoa. If we are touring down under I’d still play France before we left but I’d play PNG as well as prep for the series once we got there.  

[sam4731]

2 hours ago, welshmagpie said:

Here’s what I’d like to see (across a 4 year cycle).

*End of Y4*
All prospective nations apply to the IRL to be included in the next cycle of the calendar. Inclusion would be based on a redesigned criteria (similar to current membership) i.e X amount of domestic fixtures in previous 4 year period, X amount of domestic players, X% growth in overall player base and so on…

YEAR 1

Mid-Season (1 round)
- Australia vs New Zealand
- Fiji vs PNG
- England vs France
- Samoa vs Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
International Premiership
- Australia, England, NZ, Tonga 
International Championship
- Fiji, France, PNG, Samoa

Mid & Post-Season (3 rounds)
Multi-Tiered Continental Championships
- Euro 1, Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro 5
- Americas 1, Americas 2
- AsiaPacific 1, AsiaPacific2
- Africa 1, Africa 2, Africa 3

YEAR 2

Mid-Season (1 round)
- Australia vs New Zealand
- Fiji vs PNG
- England vs France
- Samoa vs Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
International Premiership
- Australia, England, NZ, Tonga 
International Championship
- Fiji, France, PNG, Samoa

Mid & Post-Season (3 rounds)
Multi-Tiered Continental Championships
- Euro 1, Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro 5
- Americas 1, Americas 2
- AsiaPacific 1, AsiaPacific2
- Africa 1, Africa 2, Africa 3

YEAR 3

Mid-Season (1 round)
- Australia vs New Zealand
- Fiji vs PNG
- England vs France
- Samoa vs Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
Ashes/Baskerville Series
- England vs Australia/New Zealand
Southern Cup
- Australia/New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga

Post-Season (3 rounds)
World Cup Qualifiers (Europe)
- France + Top 3 from Europe 1
World Cup Qualifiers (AsiaPacific)
- Fiji, PNG + Top 2 from AsiaPacific 1
World Cup Qualifiers (Atlantic)
- Top 2 from both Africa 1 & Americas 1

YEAR 4

World Cup (3x4)
- Australia
- England
- New Zealand
- Samoa
- Tonga 
- 1st WCQ (Europe)
- 2nd WCQ (Europe)
- 1st WCQ (AsiaPacific)
- 2nd WCQ (AsiaPacific)
- 3rd WCQ (AsiaPacific)
- 1st WCQ (Atlantic)
- 2nd WCQ (Atlantic)

General Rules

- All fixtures & ticket availability must be announced at least 300 days before they take place.
- All teams must include 5 players born in that country in any game. 
- Nations operate with 3 jerseys per cycle: alternate for colour clashes only e.g Samoa vs France, a traditional jersey and a jersey for the World Cup should they qualify. 

The only thing that I'd add to this is P&R galore, between Premiership, Championship and regional Championships (playoffs may be necessary to ensure fairness)

[JT RL]

World Cup every 5th Year (England)

Lions v Aus tours every 5th Year 

England v France once a year (alternating home and away)

 

 

[welshmagpie]

1 hour ago, sam4731 said:

The only thing that I'd add to this is P&R galore, between Premiership, Championship and regional Championships (playoffs may be necessary to ensure fairness)

Good idea. I’ve always avoided such due to them being additional fixtures in a tight schedule. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

As I've said on other threads, I don't think the number of games really matters, it doesn't have to be a massive amount as long as it is set in stone so fans know when games will be a long time in advance and there can be much more build up over a longer period of time.

5 games a year would be fine for me, even if it meant only a couple of them were home games. I know football and union play at least 10 a year but it doesn't matter. Perhaps less games would actually be better in a way because it might encourage fans to attend more if there is less opportunity to see their team play.

[17 stone giant]

I'm not a fan of only one match mid-season. Either have a proper window with several matches or wait until the autumn.