Fears 2025 RLWC USA may not happen

[DC_fan]

If USA cant hold it - put it South America or NZ

China!

 

[Perth Tiger]

China!

Just need 1 percent to watch

 

[DC_fan]

Just need 1 percent to watch

I have been calling for a RLWC to be held in China for sometime

 

[Foreign Legion]

Talk of maybe France.. but more of an idea


http://treizemondial.fr/france-2023-paris-2024-et-pourquoi-pas-france-2025/

 

[Perth Red]

We have a terrible track record of RL events being at the whim of sports promoters, what are the RLIF thinking?

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

RL is so made for this country. should've tried jumping in bed with Vince prior to him relaunching the XFL.

f**k we are a dumb code

 

[Perth Red]

Re who hosts, I’d like to see majority NZ with png, Fiji and just a couple of games in Brisbane.

 

[parrawentyfan]

We really need some stability and confidence for this tournament. It wasn't that long ago that it didn't exist. I didn't really agree with the US World Cup to begin with but now that we have announced it we need to try and make it work even if Moore Sports pulls out.

If worse comes to being and it has to be scrapped I would give NZ or France primary hosting rights. A Pacific WC with NZ as primary host would be great. France could do an ok job with some support from nearby countries like UK.

 

[Irish-bulldog]

I really hope they invest in the American market don’t get me wrong, but don’t you think this World Cup is way too early for America ? I mean the domestic league nearly gets 500 people to games, how the hell do they expect to host a successful World Cup ? I’m baffled.

 

[Force]

I really hope they invest in the American market don’t get me wrong, but don’t you think this World Cup is way too early for America ? I mean the domestic league nearly gets 500 people to games, how the hell do they expect to host a successful World Cup ? I’m baffled.

Agree, I wasnt a keen supporter of the World Cup being held in America nor do I like the idea of it being held in China. People assume a huge population will translate favourably to a huge turn out at the WC but it doesnt work like that. If the sport in said Country doesnt have a large following, you're not going to get big crowds showing up.

 

[Springs09]

We really need some stability and confidence for this tournament. It wasn't that long ago that it didn't exist. I didn't really agree with the US World Cup to begin with but now that we have announced it we need to try and make it work even if Moore Sports pulls out.

If worse comes to being and it has to be scrapped I would give NZ or France primary hosting rights. A Pacific WC with NZ as primary host would be great. France could do an ok job with some support from nearby countries like UK.

Was the USA ever formally announced as hosts? Weren't they announced as tentative hosts until we were sure it would work there?

We don't need to try and make it work just because. I'd love for the 2025 RLWC to be in the US but if it isn't sustainable then it isn't sustainable.

A Pacific World Cup has merit.

 

[greenBV4]

A Pacific World Cup has merit.

is there enough/any stadiums in the pacific?

I think a European (mainland) Cup would be great, the game seems to be going great in France and and a lot of other European countries are growing

 

[Springs09]

is there enough/any stadiums in the pacific?

I think a European (mainland) Cup would be great, the game seems to be going great in France and and a lot of other European countries are growing

Yes. Australia and NZ count as 'the Pacific'.

Play majority of the games in NZ and have a few PNG, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands games in their home countries and a few in Australia.

European countries are growing but it doesn't mean they'd suddenly get 10,000 to a rugby league match. We still have a bigger profile in Pacific countries than in most European countries.

The game isn't going great in France, it's going okay. Catalans winning the Challenge Cup is great but it doesn't mean league is suddenly a big sport in France.

 

[greenBV4]

Id love to see games in Fiji, Samoa and cook islands but do they have stadiums? I wouldn't be in a rush to have another world cup in Australia..

 

[Springs09]

Id love to see games in Fiji, Samoa and cook islands but do they have stadiums? I wouldn't be in a rush to have another world cup in Australia..

Yes and they've played there recently. Australia and PNG played Fiji in that 40-40-40 match in Suva last year and Samoa and Fiji played in Apia a few years back.

The World Cup wouldn't be in Australia. There would be a few games there much like how there were a few games in the UK during the RWC in France 2007.

Say there's 24 group matches - 12 in NZ, 3 in PNG, 2 in Fiji, 2 in Samoa, 2 in Tonga, 2 in Australia, 1 in Cook Islands.

 

[Pommy]

Yes. Australia and NZ count as 'the Pacific'.

Play majority of the games in NZ and have a few PNG, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands games in their home countries and a few in Australia.

European countries are growing but it doesn't mean they'd suddenly get 10,000 to a rugby league match. We still have a bigger profile in Pacific countries than in most European countries.

The game isn't going great in France, it's going okay. Catalans winning the Challenge Cup is great but it doesn't mean league is suddenly a big sport in France.

The Cook Islands has a population of 17,000. What’s the size of their largest stadium? I can’t imagine a World Cup game is going to ever be played there.

 

[Springs09]

The Cook Islands has a population of 17,000. What’s the size of their largest stadium? I can’t imagine a World Cup game is going to ever be played there.

5,000.
Yeah it's unlikely that a World Cup game would be played there but we've seen World Cup games in tiny Welsh stadiums before.

I'd rather see 4,000 in the Cook Islands than 4,000 in Cairns.

 

[Pommy]

5,000.
Yeah it's unlikely that a World Cup game would be played there but we've seen World Cup games in tiny Welsh stadiums before.

I'd rather see 4,000 in the Cook Islands than 4,000 in Cairns.

Didn’t the QLD government pay a nice sum of money for those games to be played in Cairns?
It’s also not like for like with Wales as the transport costs involved would be minimal compared to playing a game in the cooks.

 

[langpark]

I never believed North America could pull off a viable WC to begin with. I would love to be proven wrong, but even 2025 seems a bit early.

I'd love to see France host one. With Italy and Spain hosting a few matches each too.

 

[jim_57]

Was the USA ever formally announced as hosts? Weren't they announced as tentative hosts until we were sure it would work there?

We don't need to try and make it work just because. I'd love for the 2025 RLWC to be in the US but if it isn't sustainable then it isn't sustainable.

A Pacific World Cup has merit.

A Pacific World Cup may not be the biggest money spinner but Australia hardly was either from all reports. Even if it makes a meager profit it would be a great sight for the game and something different from Aus, England, repeat.

I'd look at something like:

• PNG - 3-6 Pool Games, Quarter Final
• Fiji - 3-4 Pool Games, Quarter Final
• Tonga - 1 Pool Game
• Samoa - 1 Pool Game

Then some more "out there" options IF they could be proven viable:

• Hawaii (USA Game)
• New Caledonia (France Game)
• Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu

If it was tactically done you could probably plan it to minimize travel and make it likely no team has to change country more than once depending on the finals draw. I'd like to leave Australia out for a change just for something different but it would probably make sense for them to at least host a couple of games.