African development keeps rollin along.

[taipan]

It is pretty obvious rugby league has better opportunities to grow the game,in less developed countries,if Sierra Leone is an example.

http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/835/rugby-league-takes-further-steps

The game provides a diversion from other problems that may exist eg unemployment ,the opportunity to show their athleticism,and the code doesn't need a kings ransom to set things up.

Every time I hit the RLEF website,something new crops up.

With all the media negativity about rugby league we get in Sydney,it's refreshing to "get out of the country"to get good news.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Agree, although I think eastern Europe is more of a goer.

 

[RedVee]

Good on 'em.

 

[Springbokfly]

Better off growing the game in South Africa.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Why?

 

[yakstorm]

Surely the more African nations playing Rugby League will help South Africa's development?

As it currently stands, South Africa is a bit on their own geographically, with places like France and UK over 10 hours away, Australia is around 14 and North America even worse, surely having anyone closer who could play internationals against the Rhinos is a good thing.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Anyone wants a rhinos jersey, you can get one here

http://store.sarugbyleague.co.za/products/

 

[Steve Davy]

Better off growing the game in South Africa.

There is a reasonable assumption in this post that effort being put in across a region would be better concentrated in one place. This is reasonable.

However, most development work in new places is done by amateurs who put their own money behind it. If there are people with connections in Sierra Leone who are keen to do something, that cannot be moved over to South Africa, it is a localised oppotunity.

The RLEF in many ways agree with what you say. Financial investment was put into Norway and not Sweden or Denmark and it did work. There are a number of clubs there now and an establihed Norway helped give Sweden and Denmark regular fixtures. However, there was no way that I would have given up my job and moved to Norway, nor would any of the Swedish lads, and it would have been insane to ask us to do so.