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.”
