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Raiders, Manly in Shenzhen match-up
Fifteen years after Super League wanted to take rugby league to China, the Canberra Raiders hope to do just that by playing Manly in a fully-fledged NRL premiership match there in 2014.
The Raiders yesterday held initial talks with the Sea Eagles about the prospect of playing a game at Shenzhen Stadium, a newly-built 60,000 seat venue an hour north of Hong Kong.
Manly's main backer, Kaspersky, last month signalled its interest in helping facilitate a trial game in China against Canberra, who signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Chinese technology giant Huawei in April.
But after meeting Kaspersky and Manly officials at Huawei's Sydney offices yesterday, Raiders boss Don Furner confirmed the Sea Eagles are willing to play one of their 2014 premiership home games in China.
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Russian IT company Kaspersky was the major sponsor of AFL club Melbourne Demons when they played an exhibition game in China against Brisbane in 2010.
Super League supremo John Ribot's vision of playing in China never unfolded 15 years ago, but Manly and the Raiders are confident of succeeding where he failed.
Huawei's head office is based in Shenzhen, regarded as one of the fastest-growing megalopolises in China.
''They're keen now on a competition game, not a trial game, if Manly want to do that we're fine by it [because] they'll be easier to beat up there than at Brookvale,'' Furner said. ''We need to talk to the NRL and get it sanctioned, then start the process of looking at the stadium over there, it's certainly in the very early concept stages.
''We'll go and see Fox Sports with the NRL about the idea, obviously they'll have more production costs there than in Australia, so there's those issues.
''All we would [have] to make sure of is that all our costs would be covered.''
Both clubs believe a match with two competition points on the line, contested by full-strength teams, stands a greater chance of capturing the Chinese public's imagination.
''It should get guaranteed coverage on Fox, and it's a better chance that Chinese TV will take that broadcast as well,'' Furner said.
''For a game that involves so much travel, if both teams could get a bye in April [the week after the match] we'd try and play the game then, because it gets a bit warm up there coming into May and June.''
Furner confirmed all parties would consider making the clash a regular fixture if it proved a resounding success in 2014.
''If it worked and the NRL got behind it, we'd have the option of going there again in 2015,'' Furner said.
Manly currently moves two of its home games to different venues each season.
This season they played South Sydney at the Central Coast's Bluetongue Stadium and the New Zealand Warriors at Perth's Patersons Stadium.
It is believed the Sea Eagles are considering playing in China each season from 2014, which could jeopardise Perth's prospects of hosting future Manly games.
Fifteen years after Super League wanted to take rugby league to China, the Canberra Raiders hope to do just that by playing Manly in a fully-fledged NRL premiership match there in 2014.
The Raiders yesterday held initial talks with the Sea Eagles about the prospect of playing a game at Shenzhen Stadium, a newly-built 60,000 seat venue an hour north of Hong Kong.
Manly's main backer, Kaspersky, last month signalled its interest in helping facilitate a trial game in China against Canberra, who signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Chinese technology giant Huawei in April.
But after meeting Kaspersky and Manly officials at Huawei's Sydney offices yesterday, Raiders boss Don Furner confirmed the Sea Eagles are willing to play one of their 2014 premiership home games in China.
Advertisement
Russian IT company Kaspersky was the major sponsor of AFL club Melbourne Demons when they played an exhibition game in China against Brisbane in 2010.
Super League supremo John Ribot's vision of playing in China never unfolded 15 years ago, but Manly and the Raiders are confident of succeeding where he failed.
Huawei's head office is based in Shenzhen, regarded as one of the fastest-growing megalopolises in China.
''They're keen now on a competition game, not a trial game, if Manly want to do that we're fine by it [because] they'll be easier to beat up there than at Brookvale,'' Furner said. ''We need to talk to the NRL and get it sanctioned, then start the process of looking at the stadium over there, it's certainly in the very early concept stages.
''We'll go and see Fox Sports with the NRL about the idea, obviously they'll have more production costs there than in Australia, so there's those issues.
''All we would [have] to make sure of is that all our costs would be covered.''
Both clubs believe a match with two competition points on the line, contested by full-strength teams, stands a greater chance of capturing the Chinese public's imagination.
''It should get guaranteed coverage on Fox, and it's a better chance that Chinese TV will take that broadcast as well,'' Furner said.
''For a game that involves so much travel, if both teams could get a bye in April [the week after the match] we'd try and play the game then, because it gets a bit warm up there coming into May and June.''
Furner confirmed all parties would consider making the clash a regular fixture if it proved a resounding success in 2014.
''If it worked and the NRL got behind it, we'd have the option of going there again in 2015,'' Furner said.
Manly currently moves two of its home games to different venues each season.
This season they played South Sydney at the Central Coast's Bluetongue Stadium and the New Zealand Warriors at Perth's Patersons Stadium.
It is believed the Sea Eagles are considering playing in China each season from 2014, which could jeopardise Perth's prospects of hosting future Manly games.
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