What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

US World Cup hosting plans torpedoed by money trouble

milton

Juniors
Messages
245
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/us...rpedoed-by-money-trouble-20181204-p50k5p.html

Plans to stage the Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) in the US for the first time in 2025 have been aborted and organisers have put the event out to tender again due to the would-be promoter’s financial troubles.

The Rugby League International Federation conditionally awarded the RLWC to North America two years ago, signifying the first time it was be taken out of traditional heartland areas. However, the event now needs a new home because the promoter, Moore Sports International (MSI), is no longer in a position to bankroll the event.

It means the international event is again up for grabs and raises the prospect of it returning to Australia if an alternative option can't be found.

“At the last board meeting last month, we made a decision to re-tender the 2025 World Cup,” said RLIF CEO Nigel Wood.
“That doesn’t indicate in stone we’re not in the United States, but we weren’t in a position to go forward under the existing proposition that had been made.
“We will be re-tendering that during the course of 2019.
“It could go anywhere, we’re not ruling anything in or out at this stage. We’ll see what the market tells us.”

MSI made history by taking an England-New Zealand Test to Colorado earlier this year, a game that was well received in the Denver region. However, a crowd of less than 20,000 resulted in chief executive Jason Moore suffering a seven-figure loss. While the players have been paid, the New Zealand Rugby League and the Rugby Football League (the governing body for professional rugby league in England) were out of pocket to the tune of more than $400,000.

It marks the latest blow to plans to take the game into the potentially lucrative American market. The NRL had been deep in negotiations to take the opening match of the 2019 season to the US but couldn’t quite make the numbers stack up. Head office is still hopeful the "round zero" project could go ahead the following season. An attempt to stage the season-ending Australia-Tonga Test in New York also fell at the last hurdle – the financial guarantee required to make it happen.

Last year’s World Cup gave the game a huge boost. Only six points separated Australia and England in the final, while Tonga’s rise captured the imagination of fans. There has been a push to elevate Tonga to tier-one status alongside Australia, New Zealand and England, although Wood said the RLIF’s ambition was to scrap the tiered system altogether.

“In the fullness of time we’d like to see everyone competing on the same terms as everyone else,” he said.

“That’s what a mature sport should look like and we recognise there’s a bit of work involved but we have to set that aspiration.


“We’re on the cusp of moving the international game significantly and I think that’s overdue.

“Everyone’s excited about Tonga, the Pacific nations. There’s more depth and breadth than there has ever been, and it’s the RLIF’s job to provide meaningful international competitions to allow those nations to compete.

“We all know players want to play international rugby league. They all want to wear their colours, salute their flag and sing their national anthem. It’s our job to create playing opportunities.”

At present, the Kangaroos earn up to $20,000 per Test, while players for some of the so-called "minnow" nations sometimes find themselves out of pocket when representing their country. It’s an issue the RLIF is addressing ahead of the next World Cup.

“It’s not lost on the Federation that it’s not right at the moment, the discrepancy is too wide,” Wood said.


“It’s not the federation’s job to dictate to other nations, but it’s something we’re looking at, putting a minimum payment in. To do that, we have to make sure there’s enough revenue in international league to make that happen.”
 

Golden point

Juniors
Messages
456
The Aus players don't need 20k a game. If they made the Aus team, chances are they're already around the 1M a season anyway.
There's been a few good decision lately and I have to read it twice just to make sure it's Rugby League.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Put it out to tender? Lol who do they think is going to be interested? Let’s be honest there’s only two locations the tournament can be held.
 

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
Put it out to tender? Lol who do they think is going to be interested? Let’s be honest there’s only two locations the tournament can be held.

The NSW government has expressed interest in hosting the whole thing..so that's a option
 

Whatwhere

Juniors
Messages
365
The NSW government has expressed interest in hosting the whole thing..so that's a option

They set out to host 10 WC's in 10 years as part of justifying the spend on rebuilding ANZ and Allianz. Whether that happens now depends a lot on if Labor win and how serious Daley was in his statement of not funding them.
 

Whatwhere

Juniors
Messages
365
As for this development. Honestly, it's probably a blessing in disguise. The promoter has had issues getting more than one off events going for some time.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
a crowd of less than 20,000

Had the AFL pulled 19,320 it would have been hailed by the media as evidence of their imminent north american domination. When RL pulls a crowd of 19,320 it is...... a crowd of less than 20,0000.

Also what was conveniently not mentioned is that MSI had budgeted for a loss in the first year, his budgeting skills aside, this kind of reporting that constantly seeks negatives in the game needs to stop.
 

miguel de cervantes

First Grade
Messages
7,468
if you wanted a RLWC with low costs, but small crowds and did absolutely nothing for spreading the game, you'd host it entirely in NSW.
 

deluded pom?

Coach
Messages
10,897
Had the AFL pulled 19,320 it would have been hailed by the media as evidence of their imminent north american domination. When RL pulls a crowd of 19,320 it is...... a crowd of less than 20,0000.

Also what was conveniently not mentioned is that MSI had budgeted for a loss in the first year, his budgeting skills aside, this kind of reporting that constantly seeks negatives in the game needs to stop.
I agree about the reaction to the attendance but what also didn’t help was the late or none payment to the competing teams. I don’t even know if that was ever resolved.
 

langpark

First Grade
Messages
5,867
USA was never gonna work, it was a nice dream while it lasted, but the sooner the idea got put to bed, the better IMO.

What I'd now like to see:
WC2025: NZ hosting 3 groups, Aus hosting 1 group, and PNG again getting to host it's matches. Put PNG in as a #1 seed so they won't be in the same group as either Aus or NZ.
WC2029: Joint France-Wales bid. 2 groups each, then playoffs split evenly between them. GF in Paris or Cardiff.
 

Coastbloke

Bench
Messages
4,051
Dumping the US was just another example of the amatuer hour that our sport is a exponent of in terms of International exposure.

The RLIF couldn't spend another 6-12 months trying to source or look to tender for further interest in the 2025 RLWC?

There is no hope for this sport while the current twerps are in charge.. :confused:
 

Whatwhere

Juniors
Messages
365
Dumping the US was just another example of the amatuer hour that our sport is a exponent of in terms of International exposure.

The RLIF couldn't spend another 6-12 months trying to source or look to tender for further interest in the 2025 RLWC?

There is no hope for this sport while the current twerps are in charge.. :confused:

Didn't Moore Sports approach the RLIF? The company who's CEO and Founder is Australian. Which is most likely the reason there was any interest to begin with. I doubt there was any other parties in the US interested or capable of lodging a bid.
 

Latest posts

Top