European shield 2012-13 details announced

[obsulete]

RUGBY LEAGUE EUROPEAN SHIELD 2012-3 DETAILS ANNOUNCED
20th December 2011
The format has been announced for an expanded and more meaningful Rugby League European Federation European Shield in 2012-13. The competition will now take place over two years with the four selected nations playing each other home and away. The side finishing bottom of the league will be relegated to the European Bowl, with the winner from that 2013 tournament taking their place in the 2014-5 Shield.

Pending RLIF confirmation of the format for the 2017 RLWC, the RLEF has proposed that the 2014-15 Shield acts as a qualifying tournament, meaning that all 24 European Shield matches between 2012 and 2015 are essentially world cup qualifiers.

The dates for the opening six matches in 2012 have been agreed among the competing nations; holders Germany, 2013 World Cup qualifiers Italy, Russia and Serbia will effectively form a ‘Champions League’, bringing together the countries which have previously won the tournament* - Serbia in 2007, 2010 (West); Italy 2008, 2009; Russia 2010 (East) and Germany 2011. Interestingly, none of those nations went on to defend their titles because of the changing formats of the competition.

Dan Stocks, head coach of the current champions Germany, who begin the competition on the 12th May at home to Serbia, commented, "We are very much looking forward to playing in the new look European Shield over the next two years. We are well aware that our opponents have all had the experience of the world cup qualifiers recently, however, we are pleased with the steps we are taking and believe it’s only right that we test ourselves against the strongest teams possible. The lads that played in the win against Malta in the summer all valued their experience massively and are desperate for the new year so they can get back into rugby league training, improve and stake a place in the squad for 2012".

For Carlo Napolitano, head coach and technical director of the favourites, according to the world rankings, Italy, there is a different imperative. “The European Shield is a very important cog in our lead up to the world cup in 2013,” he said. “It will be an opportunity for us to ensure our domestic development structure is working and allow those players to represent Italy at a higher standard.”

Serbia supremo Marko Janković added, “This is the first time since we competed internationally that we have known our schedule this much in advance. It is great to have our fixture list confirmed and now it is easier to plan both our domestic and representative activities. The opposition is now better known because we played against all three last year. Each team will host and tour the other nations over the next two years which gives us equal opportunities."

Edgard Taturyan, President of the Russian Association of Rugby League Clubs concurred. “We were missing such a tournament with a transparent, understandable schedule which permits long-term planning and training for the Russian national team,” he noted.

The changes to the Shield are part of the RLEF’s eight-year strategy, which in addition to focusing on participation, also encourages longer-term planning and a robustly structured international calendar.

Pictured: Germany and Serbia line up before the first ever European Shield match in July 2007.

EUROPEAN SHIELD 2012 FIXTURES
12th May 2012 – Germany v Serbia
19th May – Germany v Russia
9th June – Serbia v Italy
7th July – Italy v Germany
8th September – Russia v Italy
22nd September – Russia v Serbia

These fixtures will be reversed in 2013, dates to be confirmed.

 

[langpark]

One thing I can't say I agree with is qualifiers being played before the WC2013, terrible. It's 5 years before the tournament, half the squad could have retired by then!

 

[obsulete]

It says the 2014-15 comp could act ad qualifiers, not next seasons.

The 2012 reference is due to P&R nature of competition

 

[TommyGun]

Looks promising. Would have thought Lebanon would have been more competitive than Germany but its good to see that they will all be playing games in the coming years

 

[deluded pom?]

Italy will absolutely hammer the Germans.

 

[langpark]

It says the 2014-15 comp could act ad qualifiers, not next seasons.

The 2012 reference is due to P&R nature of competition

Pending RLIF confirmation of the format for the 2017 RLWC, the RLEF has proposed that the 2014-15 Shield acts as a qualifying tournament, meaning that all 24 European Shield matches between 2012 and 2015 are essentially world cup qualifiers.

 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

One thing I can't say I agree with is qualifiers being played before the WC2013, terrible. It's 5 years before the tournament, half the squad could have retired by then!

As obsulete says, the only implications the next two years will have is that teams could be relegated to the European Bowl, effectively eliminating them from the next WC as they won't be able to win the competition the season after if they're not in it.

I like that aspect. Will there be a P&R eliment with the European Cup as well then? If so, there could be a genuine pyramid system in international RL from the 4N to the European Bowl.

 

[deal.with.it]

Will Lebanon be in the Euro Cup perhaps? Alongside scotland, ireland, wales, france, and england if they want to.

Who will be in the bowl? Malta, Czech, Norway?

 

[TommyGun]

Wouldnt lebanon be in the bowl?

 

[Evil Homer]

One thing I can't say I agree with is qualifiers being played before the WC2013, terrible. It's 5 years before the tournament, half the squad could have retired by then!

Agreed. I guess they are trying to ensure that nations field their strongest sides for every international, but WCQs should be a seperate tournament.

 

[Der Kaiser]

Madness here from the RLEF. Why invite and push a Nation that has NO Domestic comp, has currently NO Sponsors and hence next to NO Money in to this comp? The Scheduling of the games is also very poor. Germany for example will see players still playing Union in May and will have no time for a warm up game or even any domestic friendlies. The players will end up paying for the flights but when you are forced to find around atleast 400 Euros for Flights and visa in a year (2013) and face the real prospect of some hammerings as Germany have never even come close to matching Serbia let alone Russia and a Italy side preparing for the WC.Germany are on a hiding to nothing here. It just makes no logical sense here for Germany to be in this Comp. Its all well and good having things announced early but you cant have nations entering when they are not in a position at the start of the Comp to be able to afford it. Thats poor from the RLEF and poor from the people running RLD. I just hope this doesnt send RL Deutschland backwards and end up like the Dutch after playing in the WC Qualifiers a few years ago. Seriously this is very poor decision making from the RLEF and Germany.

 

[obsulete]

Madness here from the RLEF. Why invite and push a Nation that has NO Domestic comp, has currently NO Sponsors and hence next to NO Money in to this comp? The Scheduling of the games is also very poor. Germany for example will see players still playing Union in May and will have no time for a warm up game or even any domestic friendlies. The players will end up paying for the flights but when you are forced to find around atleast 400 Euros for Flights and visa in a year (2013) and face the real prospect of some hammerings as Germany have never even come close to matching Serbia let alone Russia and a Italy side preparing for the WC.Germany are on a hiding to nothing here. It just makes no logical sense here for Germany to be in this Comp. Its all well and good having things announced early but you cant have nations entering when they are not in a position at the start of the Comp to be able to afford it. Thats poor from the RLEF and poor from the people running RLD. I just hope this doesnt send RL Deutschland backwards and end up like the Dutch after playing in the WC Qualifiers a few years ago. Seriously this is very poor decision making from the RLEF and Germany.

Their hands are likely tied as Germany are the current champs of this tournament. So despite their issues it's hard not to give them a chance to defend their trophy, besides they might surprise us. Italy won't be as strong given the time of year the comp is held, although I still think they'll be the favourites.

 

[billy2]

Germany is the richest country in Europe and the 4th richest in the world.
It is also a country with a sporting heritage in all sorts of sports that is the equal of any country.

This tournament is pretty prestigious, or as prestigious as it is possible for a League tournament to be at below the professional level.

If Italy can get funding after one or two years, Germany should be able to after getting on towards a decade.

 

[Der Kaiser]

I cant speak about Italy but in Germany sponsorship is not easy for a very small sport that has no domestic league and only in the past few months finally got legal acceptance after a couple of years going through all the legal red tape etc. For example you need to have a minimum of 7 people to start a club and have a constitution that needs to be agreed and fits the German law. What do you offer the Sponsor in return? One or two home fixtures in front of a couple of hundred fans is not good. Also not being an olympic sport shuts down pretty much any government money coming in. And it has a Sporting Culture but them Sports pretty much stop other Sports getting big. The Rugby Union Club in Munich is 35 years old yet still doesnt have its own place and cant train on where it plays and is forced to train in two areas of the city. Soccer, Handball, Skiing & Winter Sports, Cycling, Swimming, Boxing, Motor Sports, Athletics and American supported Sports like Baseball, American Football and Basketball basically stop any other sport from getting much money. The German RU has been going over 100 years and still only has around 100 clubs and has debts of 200,000 Euros and cant even get Adidas, Puma or Assics to sponsor them. SAP do but only because a number of Union people from Heidelberg work for them. The Event is prestigious to us but not to Sponsors who have never heard of Rugby League and are not going to get much back with no TV, games played before a couple of hundred in the Nations except maybe Italy.


Certain areas of Germany especially the East and Northern areas have massive unemployment problems and virtually every Town has big debts. Some areas have over 12% Unemployment rates. Also the economical scene in Germany like much of Europe is a big concern and jobs are being shed. The German Army is cutting its army by over 32,000. Nokia-Siemens will cut 17,000 jobs etc. The German economy is not as strong as it looks and getting money for a Federation which has little to offer except for one or two Home International fixtures before a couple of hundred people is very hard.

Italy has the luxury that "Rugby" is a known sport and hence probably easier to get money and enjoys a decent relationship with Rugby Union. Germany has no real rugby culture and a number in Union at the DRV hate League and refuse to even accept it and in the past has done everything to stop it. The RLEF with Kevin Rudd saw this first hand and even he couldnt do anything to help as they just laughed in his face!

Every country is unique and their are factors why some get more money are able to grow etc. You cant just criticize without understanding various factors. What will work in Italy wont or isnt as easy to do elsewhere. Developing a unknown sport is tough and trying to sell it to sponsors with nothing to offer back is even harder.

 

[siv]

Good to see a 2nd Tier Euro comp being put into place

 

[nadera78]

Maybe Norway would have been a better bet, if the situation in Germany is so difficult.

 

[crimpo]

It seems a good idea to me - but like others my main question would be the participation of Germany. Both on and off the park it seems that its a big ask. The Lebanon would seem better qualified.

 

[NRL-TGG]

This will separate the men from the boys and gets a lot of the 'minnow countries' playing more often. A good thing for the game if you ask me.

 

[deluded pom?]

This will separate the men from the boys and gets a lot of the 'minnow countries' playing more often. A good thing for the game if you ask me.

Not so good for the minnow nations if there's a chance the money required is the straw that breaks the camel's back.

 

[Der Kaiser]

The RLEF should have in place set rules as well as take a close look at things for the Shield. Here are a couple of things to look at that should be in place for me:

1. A Domestic Comp with Match reports, Photos and teamlists from games on the Website-
Germany doesnt have a national Comp. The Website hasnt been updated for months and there is No communication anywhere.

2. A nation should have a Business plan thats been approved on how it will host as well as travel to away games and how this will be funded. The Business plan should not just be looked at by the RLEF but also an independant body who will then say whether a nation is fit or not off the field to compete at such an event.
Germany like most Nations will just fill in a form about the years activities and income and out goings. No real Business plan is done to say how they will go about doing things and how they will pay to make sure the games they have committed to will happen. The RLEF will just read the formular and push ahead without really looking to see if a nation like Germany can afford it or has the off field team (Trainer, Co Trainer, Doc, Physio, Team manager etc) to pull it off in a professional manner.

3. The RLEF must look at not just the National team but the standard of the game in the Nation. Is there the quality for a nation to play in a Comp and not be hammered if they are missing a couple of Heritage players?
Germany is lucky to have some quality heritage players like Jimmy Keinhorst and his brothers. But you take them out of the German team and you are left with domestic players who would struggle to beat- with respect - the Czech Republic, Netherlands etc. Jimmy Keinhorst is likely playing for Leeds U20s in 2012. Possibly he wont be allowed to play for Germany. Kris Keinhorst is getting married in 2012-again possibly not available to play. That will weaken Germany in a big way. Likely replacements will be young Germans with next to no experience of Rugby League. Is it wise to put them up against Serbians, who Germany have never even come close to beating or Italians who will be preparing for the 2013 WC? I dont think so