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RUGBY League International Federation officials want to take over the television rights for all Test matches after announcing yesterday the World Cup had made a profit of more than $5 million.
The RLIF yesterday announced 9 million people in Australia had watched the tournament on TV and 243,349 live - with 120,000 pieces of licensed apparel sold.
Federation chairman Colin Love told The Daily Telegraph the 2013 tournament, to be held in Europe or Australasia, would be expanded to 12 teams.
The RLIF currently gets nothing from television rights to internationals outside the World Cup because they are included in the domestic deals of the NRL and Britain's Rugby Football League.
But from 2011, when the NRL deal is to be renegotiated, the Federation wants Tests to be left out so they can be sold separately to generate more profits.
"I think it's got to happen," the RLWC08 tournament director said.
"It's not a matter of taking games off anyone but it's a far better idea than individual countries negotiating television rights for their own internationals."
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24683371-5006066,00.html
Good move IMO. Origin should also be seperate and sold by the ARL on behalf of the state leagues.