China and Paul Broughton

[adamkungl]

Twitter:
Paul Boughton OAM‏@broughto8 Jul 16
Back from Pacific Games Nines straight to a "Friendly"between India and Columbia as Emerging Nations. India will join with China in November 2020 at a soon to be announced RL initiative. The streaming of China V India at this event is anticipated to be up to 7million.



There's been talk for years about Paul Broughton's plans to build the game in China, and the NRL ignoring his ideas and pleas for funding.

But why not go the grassroots/heritage route that is paying off for other nations?
Build a following in Aus, get local Chinese players and businesses involved, and use that to plant the seeds in China.
The most notable example of this working recently is Chile's rise to the World Cup Qualifiers. Starting with a few blokes in Sydney and Brisbane 7 or 8 years earlier.

Is he too entrenched in the Aus professional system and thinks the NRL should run this kind of project? A generational gap, not aware of the ability of social media to spread the seeds of this kind of project internationally?

I reckon there would be enough Chinese background players, fans, sponsors in Sydney to get a team off the ground and traveling to China within 18 months.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Afl heartland,... time to buy some shares in catering tents

 

[miguel de cervantes]

tbf, if I were the NRL I would be ignoring pleas for funding for China too

 

[adamkungl]

tbf, if I were the NRL I would be ignoring pleas for funding for China too

As much as I think the NRL should invest in internationals, I'm not sure throwing money at nothing is the way to go.

Build something, then ask for funding. If someone can do it in Brazil, why not China?

It will be interesting to see how/if India progresses.

 

[DIOGENES]

But if only 0.1% of the population became league fans we would have a competition to riVal the NRL

 

[adamkungl]

But if only 0.1% of the population became league fans we would have a competition to riVal the NRL

Ha

At the risk of sounding like the fumblers - in a place like China, which has about 15 cities larger than Sydney or Melbourne, the right person should be able to sell ANYTHING. Even AFL.

 

[yakstorm]

The NRL actually did give Paul some money back just before the 2017 World Cup after this meeting: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...op-rugby-league-in-china-20160416-go7wyz.html

Anyway, Paul has done some questionable things which have strained various relationships he has, which is a shame, as there is opportunities in China.

For me, the best opportunities for gaining a presence in China are Shenzen, just due to its geographic proximity to Hong Kong, there is an opportunity there for a team to 'piggy back' onto the Hong Kong Rugby League competitions and events, and in the Yunnan province.

The later is again due to geographic proximity. Both Rugby League in Laos and Thailand is nearish there, and there are plans by NRL Asia to target the area over the coming years.

Creating a Chinese heritage team(s) here in Australia and New Zealand also makes a lot of sense, as it has worked for so many markets now, and for a country like China a multi-pronged approach should be taken.

 

[DlEHARD]

I think the Shenzhen idea and the heritage idea are both goers.