Tonga coach Kristian Woolf wants an organised international calendar for the benefit of the representative game.
The St Helens coach believes the two hemispheres should better co-ordinate after being forced to watch Tonga’s match against New Zealand from England because the international round in the Southern Hemisphere came a week after that in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Tongans lost 26-6 to New Zealand in front of a full house at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, but without Woolf being there to coach his team.
“It is frustrating,” said Woolf of a situation which also meant nations on both sides of the world were unable to pick from all their potential players.
“If we’re going to have an international week, you’d like to think it’s easy to put them on at the same time.
“We’ve only got two professional competitions, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”
Woolf reckons the long-term solution is a fixed calendar guaranteeing international periods and enabling matches to be planned well in advance.
Such a schedule has been promised for years but is yet to be delivered by International Rugby League.
“The first step is everyone coming up with what an international calendar looks like, and actually having a plan for more than a year in advance,” added Woolf.
“I’ve been involved in international Rugby League since 2013, and as a coach since 2014, and we’ve never really known what’s coming next. I can’t tell you what’s happening next year.”
IRL chair Troy Grant last week confirmed that, due to the NRL’s new TV deal, there will be no mid-season International window “in the immediate future”.
“If that’s the case I’m comfortable because I think the most important internationals happen at the end of the year,” said Woolf.
“It’s a better time to play because of the lack of interference (from club rugby).
“Whichever way we go I’m comfortable, but it would be great to know exactly what is happening next year, then for 2024, 2025 and so on.”
Woolf says that would be of particular help to the emerging Pacific nations, such as Tonga, as they look to gain on the traditional ‘big three’ countries and create a more competitive international environment.
“That’s going to be the biggest help, because being able to plan, you can tell the players you’re convincing to play for Tonga that this is what you’ve got coming up every year, this is the occasion and the opportunities.
“That’s how we keep building the strength of Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and PNG. We’re all improving and getting closer to the mark and that’s how we keep that going.”
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