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Pacific Tests/Championships

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
Nice!

Finally a Pacific Cup - please hold it annually without fail! There is no reason that New Zealand can't enter this in years when Australia is playing England / GB.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
Nice!

Finally a Pacific Cup - please hold it annually without fail! There is no reason that New Zealand can't enter this in years when Australia is playing England / GB.

Bi-annually, years 1 and 3 in the cycle. A bit of time for the trophy holders to hold their status gives it more prestige, I think. And gives the Pacific nations more time to branch out and play others in the off-year.

As for this year, it's probably too late to organise and promote a full tournament but there's still something that can be salvaged.

Play Tonga v PNG in October then have the winner play Australia in November.
 

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,965
Any room for the Cook Islands to participate in this comp?

Why not have a qualifier between the 4th placed team and the Cooks?

This could be done each tournament the loser of the play off v 4th placed.
 

adamkungl

Immortal
Messages
42,955
Any room for the Cook Islands to participate in this comp?

Why not have a qualifier between the 4th placed team and the Cooks?

This could be done each tournament the loser of the play off v 4th placed.

There's room for all things... the people with the money lack the will and the people with the will lack the money.
 

IntRLEnthusiast

Juniors
Messages
127
There's room for all things... the people with the money lack the will and the people with the will lack the money.
Yep... but hopefully the two can come together because there is money to make from this! While it shouldn't have to be at the point of making money to invest in such a venture, it is now the case that if you pick the right venue there is a great desire to see especially Tonga play. I went to the pacific test (as i always do when it's in Sydney) and the people who came were not the normal NRL supporters you see when you go to NRL games. It's a growth area and there is more potential for big crowds for these sorts of games then there is for most NRL matches and even many matches involving the Kangaroos. Andrew Fifita was right when saying that Tonga has the potential to draw more people to an international than Australia. Sydney international crowds in the past 10 years have become an embarrassment except for what is now happening with the pacific tests. In NZ, it is possible that a NZ vs Tonga test may be a bigger drawcard. A few years ago Steve Mascord wrote that International Rugby League will have taken off when Australia can play Tonga at ANZ stadium and get 60000. We may not quite be there yet, but, i think we can now see the day that it could happen. All it will take is 1 person with money and with the right vision and right strategy and the international game could take off. What will fast track this is the NRL clubs getting out of the way and allowing it to happen. Drop 2 games during the year, make it 22 rounds, fill the void with internationals..
 

StadiumXIII

Juniors
Messages
176
Any room for the Cook Islands to participate in this comp?

Why not have a qualifier between the 4th placed team and the Cooks?

This could be done each tournament the loser of the play off v 4th placed.
Australia, NZ, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, PNG, Fiji. Beneath that should be a qualifying tournament (Asia Pacific Shield) to play off vs the last place - Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Niue, Philippines. Wonder if Tokelau, Tuvalu or Kiribati can field rugby league teams..

I remember in 2009 Samoa failing to qualify for the tournament losing to the Cook Islands and PNG winning the tournament in PNG. The games would have to be played in Aus, NZ, and even the Pacific Islands, sending NZ or Aus over to Pacific Islands makes the most sense in attracting the biggest crowd and interest. Imagine one of the PI teams shocking Australia in their homeland. That would be massive for rugby league in the Pacific and you'd have to think it will overtake RU (once our World Cup attracts a big profile and we add 9s it definitely will). Samoa are still yet to get one over Aus, NZ or Eng.. perhaps sending NZ over there. Just hoping we can hear confirmation of this tournament but I'm not holding my breath!
 
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Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,022
If we end up with any expansion of the pacific cup outside of PNG, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, then I hope they include the USA and possibly Canada. They are on the pacific, could have games played in Hawaii and would give those two nations which are critical in expanding RL both geographically and financially regular high quality games to improve.

The game would benefit so much more than by including Cooks, Niue or the Solomon Islands in any comp.
 

StadiumXIII

Juniors
Messages
176
If we end up with any expansion of the pacific cup outside of PNG, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, then I hope they include the USA and possibly Canada. They are on the pacific, could have games played in Hawaii and would give those two nations which are critical in expanding RL both geographically and financially regular high quality games to improve.

The game would benefit so much more than by including Cooks, Niue or the Solomon Islands in any comp.
You could even add South American teams when they are ready by adding Cook Islands, Niue, Solomon Islands etc.. you'd give their players something to play for as well.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,402
I''d go along with countries along the Pacific.The Pacific Rim Rugby League .Would encompass a hell of a lot of nations.
The mind boggles how this could end up ,done properly.Then again ,we are talking about rugby league.Rugby league and properly are distant cousins who rarely meet.
 

deal.with.it

Juniors
Messages
2,086
With the support Tonga, Samoa, Fiji & PNG are getting, the Pacific Championship that the RLIF are starting isn’t such a financial risk. You could simply play 4 double headers over consecutive weekends in Auckland, Sydney & Port Moresby and a Finals and have all as sell outs. Play it in 2018, 2020, 2022 etc...
Winner qualifies for confed cup in 2019.
 

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