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RLWC News

Coastbloke

Bench
Messages
4,051
According to some media sources like SEN and Sky Sports the WC organisers have deferred the decision till next week, saying "progress has been made."

Looks like Vlandys' and the Clubs are still throwing themselves on the ground like a 4 year old at a shop who's just been told they can't have a toy...
 

morningstar

Juniors
Messages
826
Phil Caplan is speculating NZ & Tonga signed their participation agreements this week. Puts the blowtorch on ARLC if true…

 

BODISGOD

Bench
Messages
3,596
The tournament really should go ahead, a great chance for the game to get in on the ground floor of the sporting attendance boom that I suspect is on the way. I guess a delay to the NRL season could cause issues.
 

latingringo101

Juniors
Messages
585
I know the World Cup is really important for IRL, SL and UK Rugby League but shouldn't it only go ahead once Covid is no longer an issue for players and officials?
 
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KennySterling

Juniors
Messages
1,068
I believe it is now going ahead. Seeing the crowd at Wembley for the Euros Final has convinced Australia's players that the show must go on.
 
Messages
11,354

World Cup organisers are hoping a personal message from chief executive Jon Dutton to Australia will persuade wavering NRL clubs and players to throw their weight behind the tournament.

After months of delay caused largely by the latest spike in Covid-19 cases, officials are ready to confirm the tournament will go ahead as planned this autumn and have called a press conference for Thursday morning to make the announcement.


But it is thought several NRL clubs still have concerns over the players’ safety in the UK and the prospect of them having to go into quarantine on their return home at the end of November.

Half the 16 nations will be travelling from the southern hemisphere, most of them belonging to NRL clubs.

Last-minute lobbying has included a video message delivered to the NRL in which Dutton said: “I do fully understand the current challenges you face.

“The pandemic has brought nothing but challenges for us all to navigate.

“We will stage the tournament this year as planned. It is imperative that we provide the safety possible environment for players and staff.

“We fully appreciate and respect it will be the players’ choice if they get on the plane and come to England. We have undertaken to provide a number of bio-security measures.

“The mandatory 14-day quarantine return home to Australia is the hardest challenge of all.”

READ: World Cup to go ahead as planned this year

It is thought World Cup organisers have agreed to foot the bill for charter flights to bring an estimated 400 players and officials from Australia.

Teams will be able to name expanded squads with provisions to draft in players for late withdrawals.

Australia Rugby League chairman Peter V’landys, who took the decision to re-locate all the Sydney-based clubs to Queensland following a rise in infections in New South Wales, has confirmed the commission has yet to give the go-ahead for Australia to compete.

New Zealand RL chief executive Greg Peters says he signed the participation agreement but that it was conditional on receiving guarantees over coronavirus protocols and procedures being put in place, which he has yet to receive.

And Peters warned on Twitter: “World Cup should be best of best or not at all.”




World Cup officials, who began planning for the event more than five years ago, pointed to the recent success of Euro 2020 and Wimbledon as evidence that England can host global tournaments safely.

It is thought the Government, which provided £25million in funding, pushed strongly for the tournament to go ahead.

Whether the Kangaroos are able to field a full-strength team or not, being able to avoid a postponement will be a major relief to the organisers, who had put in place a host of broadcasting and sponsorship deals and arranged base camps for all 16 teams.

The women’s and wheelchair events will run alongside the men’s tournament and will take place in 21 venues across 18 host towns and cities.

The World Cup will be the most visible rugby league event in history with all 61 games across the three competitions being broadcast live on the BBC.

A 12-month postponement would have put the tournament up against part of the FIFA World Cup but organisers now have the opportunity to capitalise on the feel-good factor generated by Euro 2020 with the likelihood of full stadia.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
If the NRL don't want an international game, they should at least be honest and come out and say it and we can retire the Kangaroo jersey as a relic of the past.

International Union and Soccer are running major tournaments. If the will is there it can be done, sadly though, there doesn't seem to be the will from the Australian administrators.
 

Coastbloke

Bench
Messages
4,051
I just watched a You Tube clip of last night's 100% Footy. Smug **** Gould and his sycophants are saying tye Kangaroos will boycott the RLWC and Clubs won't release players for the other countries..

The IRL needs to forge ahead and f***ing sue the ARLC for this act of bastardry. From day 1 Vlandys has done his level best to destroy the International game. International sports is being played across the globe. The ARLC is playing a dangerous game. It risks being a pariah.
 

yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
5,296
NZ has signed its participation agreement. It does have some caveats, particularly around player safety, etc, which are just requirements being put on the NZRL by the NZ Government, but all things that can be overcome.

The ARL Commission is the only league which hasn't signed the participation agreement. It should be noted the RLPA has signed a MOU with the RLWC2021 and is actually in favour of allowing the players to go, so it will be interesting to see if the Commission / Clubs say no and the players want to go.

Don't be surprised if ScoMo has a word to V'landy about this if the ARLC decide to play hardball for too long. Whilst Boris Johnson couldn't care about RL normally, the fact his government has invested millions of pounds into the tournament and both the UK and Australia are trying to showcase each other as great trading partners, the Politicians will get involved if they run the risk of looking silly.
 
Messages
11,354
Rugby League World Cup organisers have not ruled out playing warm-up games in Australia before teams fly to the United Kingdom after the Kangaroos and Kiwis finally signed participation agreements for the postponed event.

Just 100 days after Australia and New Zealand withdrew from this year’s tournament and provided World Cup officials with 10 minutes notice of the announcement, both countries have belatedly committed to rugby league’s showpiece in 2022.

The earlier fallout even prompted Rugby Football League boss Simon Johnson to label the decision as “selfish and parochial” – he later privately apologised for the remark – and the participation of holders Australia and world No.1 New Zealand will guarantee almost $50 million in government funding.

But World Cup officials face an envious task in trying to delicately balance the logistics of the event, with the tournament start date brought forward a week to accommodate stadia availability.

It means the opening match at Newcastle’s St James’ Park on October 15 will be played only 13 days after next year’s NRL grand final.

Nations are due to discuss next week the possibility of sending players to the UK on differing flights once their NRL team has finished their season, or even organising practice matches in Australia.

The Super League grand final has been brought forward to September 24 to allow English and French-based players the best chance to prepare for the World Cup, which is shaping as crucial event to reinvigorate international rugby league.

“We just want to get people over safely, and perhaps on staggered flights,” World Cup chief executive Jon Dutton said.

 
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