Perhaps this as International timetable

[Kurt Angle]

One argument about holding tests, or more importantly test series is the time table.

There is the vs NZ, Anzac day, mid year, after gf. The time table doesn't look that good really.

And even though RU did ok with its WC after the gf, it's only because of the size of the event.

I don't think we could have a 3 test series vs NZ after every grand final, after all the grand finals special appeal is it IS the close to the season.

Perhaps would should play more towards championships rather than series, following soccer, are even closer, UEFA's schedule. Resembling 4 year time tables.

So for league the 4th year would be the WC.

In the second year it would be our region championshi, like the European nations Cup, held in europe.

To start would be Australia, NZ, PNG and Pacific Nations.
Europe could run their European Nations championship, replacing England 'A' with a full strength England.

The 1st and 3rd years of the cycle could see tours, outbound and inbound.

 

[Jeffles]

It's a start. I'm working on a timetable myself.

 

[bazza]

That's similar to what I think
1st and 3rd years would be when qualifying tournaments for the regional tournament or world cup.
At this stage the only real regions could be Europe (you can put in Lebanon and Morroco for now) and Asia-Pacific (you could add in South Africa)

The schedule would be

Year 1: European and Asia-Pacific qualifiers
If we assume that Australia, NZ and England would be automatic qualifiers for their region - you could run a NZ tour of the UK

Year 2: European and Asia-Pacific championships. 6 nations in each

Year 3: World cup qualifiers. Assume an 8 team comp with Australia, NZ and England automatic qualifiers - you would have 2 from Europe and 2 from Asia-Pacific with the final place going to the winner of a play-off between the next best from each region.
Kangaroo tour this year

Year 4: World cup

 

[Kurt Angle]

Well at the moment regions would be

1. Oceania - Australia, NZ, Polynesia, PNG, Fiji, New Caledonia

2. Europe - England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France, Russia

Sure there are left overs.

Future would be good with Americas groups (USA, Canada, Argentina) and Mediterranean/Black Sea (Lebanon, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Morocco, Ukraine)

All about the same playing levels.

Hehe, I don't see the need for qualifiers.

Also championship don't really prove the best team as well as 3-test series.

The championships though are bigger selling points, and it provides a lot of controversy for discussion.

NZ could beat Australia even now with a one off victory in a championship final such as a world cup.
But have very little chance of beating us over 3 games.

It'd be great to see the controversy over who is the better team, the WC holders NZ, or the tran-tasman trophy holders Australia.

This would in turn generate more discussion and publicity for upcoming tournaments.

 

[griff]

Jeffles - I'd be interested to see what you come up with. Below is what I think would be a good way to do it.

Kurt Angle - Don't really see how that would all hang together. If there are only 2 years out of a 4 year cycle for tours, which tour will get canned? Lions, Kangaroo or Kiwi? I know I'd much rather see a traditional tour than see meaningless cakewalks like Australia v Polynesia in a regional championship tournament. I don't think a regional championship would be a selling point at all. Where regional tournaments should come in is as second tier tournaments - like the Pacific, European and Mediterranean Cups.

Here is what I think is a better format for international RL over the next 10 years. It mostly uses proven events without having to take the risk of new tournaments which may or may not be successful. I'll start in 2006, because it has already been decided that there will be Tri-Nations series in 2005. This list is mostly limited to GB, Aus, and NZ matches, but there would be other matches and tournaments that slot in around this structure as well. I've included possible venues just to show how having the structure planned ahead enables you to share around test matches and have matches in places that wouldn't normally see them.

It's pretty detailed, so if you don't care about the detail the line in bold just shows what the main events are in each year. It is based on a 4 year cycle of a World Cup, a Lions Tour, a Kiwi Tour and a Kangaro Tour. All comments welcome.

2006 (Lions Tour of Australasia):

April

Aus v NZ (Canberra)

October/November

GB v France (Widnes)

GB v PNG (Port Moresby)
Aus v NZ (Wellington)

GB v NZ (Auckland)
Aus v PNG (Port Moresby)

GB v Aus (Brisbane)

GB v Aus (Perth)

GB v Aus (Sydney)

2007 (All Golds Centenary Kiwi Tour):

April

Aus v NZ (Melbourne)

July

Aus v France (Gosford)

October/November

Aus v NZ (Auckland)

NZ v Eng A (London)
GB v France (Perpignan)
Aus v PNG (Parkes)

NZ v France (Albi)

NZ v Wales (Wrexham)

NZ v GB (Wigan)

NZ v GB (Hull)

NZ v GB (Huddersfield)

2008 (Centenary Kangaroo Tour)

April

Aus v NZ (Auckland)

October/November

Aus v NZ (Sydney)

Aus v France (Carcasonne)

Aus v Eng A (Warrington)
GB v France (Toulouse)

Aus v Wales (Swansea)

Aus v GB (Wembley)

Aus v GB (Huddersfield)

Aus v GB (Bolton)

2009 (World Cup, Centenary of Maori Tour of Aus)

April

Aus v Maori (Woolongong)
PNG v GB (Bradford)

October/November

World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea

2010 (Centenary Lions Tour)

April

Aus v NZ (Newcastle)

October/November

Aus v NZ (Hamilton)
GB v France (Leeds)

GB v Maori (Rotorua)

GB v NZ (Wellington)

GB v NZ (Christchurch)

GB v NZ (Auckland)

GB v Aus (Brisbane)

2011 (Kiwi Tour)

April

Aus v NZ (Sydney)

October/November

Aus v NZ (Dunedin)

NZ v France (Avignon)

NZ v Eng A (London)
GB v France (Carcasonne)
Aus v Maori (Greymouth)

NZ v Wales (Cardiff)
Aus v Fiji (Suva)

NZ v GB (Huddersfield)
Aus v Tonga (Nuku'alofa)

NZ v GB (Bolton)
Aus v Samoa (Apia)

NZ v GB (Wigan)

2012 (Kangaroo Tour)

April

Aus v NZ (Auckland)

October/November

Aus v NZ (Townsville)

Aus v Eng A (London)
GB v France (Paris)

Aus v Wales (Pontypridd)

Aus v GB (Manchester)
NZ v France (Hamilton)

Aus v GB (Hull)
PNG v France (Port Moresby)

Aus v GB (Bolton)
PNG v France (Goroka)

Aus v Russia (Moscow)
PNG v France (Lae)

2013 (World Cup)

April

Aus v NZ (Brisbane)
GB v Russia (Featherstone)

October/November

World Cup in Great Britain and France

2014 (Lions Tour)

April

Aus v NZ (Gold Coast)
GB v France (St Helens)

October/November

GB v PNG (Port Moresby)
Aus v NZ (Wellington)

GB v NZ (Auckland)
Aus v PNG (Port Moresby)

GB v Aus (Brisbane)

GB v Aus (Perth)

GB v Aus (Sydney)