Attendances

[RedVee_8]

When I first started watching RLWCs there were only 4 countries. Then in 1975? They started a new format and Wales was in. Then it was abandoned but now it is back (pretty) consistently and I love it. Of course going from 4 teams to 16 is going to have ups and downs…. But they are playing Rugby League!

 

[The Partisan]

Whilst we may have a longer World Cup history than RU our international footprint is still developing after years of being hampered by English / UK Rugby officiadom.

With their reach into areas where there was an opportunity for spreading the code - namely Universities and the Armed Forces - and the blocking of League playing in these same spheres, the rah rah code has had a handy head start for decades.

Those blocking borders are now gone. This century is an opportunity for league officials worldwide to spread the code. How many countries has league been successfully commenced in pre and post say 1987 when the first Rugby World Cup was held.

I'd guess the post figure is a lot higher than the pre figure.

So I'm not too worried about RLWC 2021 ......RLWC 2045 - the 150th anniversary of the code - will be a more realistic look at where we are in the global sports arena.

 

[baselinepanther]

Fact is nrl is full of players who were either born somewhere else or whose parents did. That’s something that’s a plus for the game tbh and not something to be embarrassed by. Sure be nice if fiji, samoa, Tonga etc had pro leagues but they don’t, yeh be nice if png club was in nrl but It’s unrealistic, be great if we had 4 French clubs in SL but we can’t. So it is what it is. Keep plugging away with the lower tiers, try and get the middle tiers up a level or two and accept that for the seeable future we are likely to continue to have 3 dominant countries. And just enjoy the celebration of the multi cultured game we have in rugby league.

hmmmmmmm

I see
so ... what made the Australian version in 2017 a... how did YOU describe it again ?
a
shit show

any different from this one ... which is apparently a ...celebration of the multi cultured game of rugby league

exactly ?

 

[taste2taste]

Whilst we may have a longer World Cup history than RU our international footprint is still developing after years of being hampered by English / UK Rugby officiadom.

With their reach into areas where there was an opportunity for spreading the code - namely Universities and the Armed Forces - and the blocking of League playing in these same spheres, the rah rah code has had a handy head start for decades.

Those blocking borders are now gone. This century is an opportunity for league officials worldwide to spread the code. How many countries has league been successfully commenced in pre and post say 1987 when the first Rugby World Cup was held.

I'd guess the post figure is a lot higher than the pre figure.

So I'm not too worried about RLWC 2021 ......RLWC 2045 - the 150th anniversary of the code - will be a more realistic look at where we are in the global sports arena.

While union aren't as much of a road block as they have been in the past i think the best way forward is growth in countries where union doesnt already have a strong foot hold. I can't ever see us matching Union in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France .... etc ( although there is still plenty of opportunities in these countries ) but theres a real chance to grow in other areas, Jamaica, Chile, Greece, Netherlands, Brazil, Lebanon, Kenya, Serbia all have domestic competitions that need alot of help but theres a chance for some seeds to be planted. The race to the USA is wide open. Union have recently launched Pro Rugby and are holding the 2031 WC in the USA. The NRL has a '5 year plan' to make inroads into the USA and either the 2029 or 2033 world cup will be held there.

If you're a league fan the next decade will be very interesting.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Stating facts are moaning? Someone stated a point about Rugby getting better crowds during the spring tour than the RLWC....I just stated the facts why they do...

Sorry to disappoint, you I didn't watch any rugby internationals...though I read more people attended Wales vs NZ then the whole RLWC Quarterfinals put together....so must be doing something right....

Yet our codes selling point is two heritage sides playing off in a quarter final...

Are the two heritage sides you mention Tonga and Samoa? Because if so, that is no different a situation to the Tongan and Samoan Union teams.... overwhelming majority of them are heritage players.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

FYI, Stephen Crichton was born in Somoa, so they do have at least have 1 player born there

plus

Kelma Tuilagi and Tim Lafai

It's not much different to the Samoan Union team, overwhelming majority born in NZ or Aus, it's the reality of the low population and lack of resources for top level sports on the islands.

 

[taste2taste]

Are the two heritage sides you mention Tonga and Samoa? Because if so, that is no different a situation to the Tongan and Samoan Union teams.... overwhelming majority of them are heritage players.

Israel Faula plays Union for Tonga. It's OK for union to use heritage players but when league does its a crime.

Having said that, I agree with kiwileaguefan in that either the NRL or IRL need to start making moves in Samoa and Tonga. A decade ago Joey Johns and Freddy visited the islands and told us they were there for the taking, we could wipe rugby off the map, 10 years later and nothing's been done.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Israel Faula plays Union for Tonga. It's OK for union to use heritage players but when league does its a crime.

Having said that, I agree with kiwileaguefan in that either the NRL or IRL need to start making moves in Samoa and Tonga. A decade ago Joey Johns and Freddy visited the islands and told us they were there for the taking, we could wipe rugby off the map, 10 years later and nothing's been done.

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure NRL academies are setup in both countries. We do need their national teams actually playing regularly in their countries int he very near future. They need to get the mix right, because Tonga and Samoa would draw bigger crowds in Auckland and Western Sydney than their own country, but they still need to play there to have a connection with the country.

 

[Wb1234]

Stating facts are moaning? Someone stated a point about Rugby getting better crowds during the spring tour than the RLWC....I just stated the facts why they do...

Sorry to disappoint, you I didn't watch any rugby internationals...though I read more people attended Wales vs NZ then the whole RLWC Quarterfinals put together....so must be doing something right....

Yet our codes selling point is two heritage sides playing off in a quarter final...

Yeh yeh sure you didn’t

if you keep this up people might mistake you for gutterfax

trust me that’s something you don’t want

 

[Perth Red]

hmmmmmmm

I see
so ... what made the Australian version in 2017 a... how did YOU describe it again ?
a
shit show

any different from this one ... which is apparently a ...celebration of the multi cultured game of rugby league

exactly ?

Poor marketing, nsw govt not wanting to participate , 12k turning out for australia, not even being able to sell out Suncorp for final, crowds in what is RL‘s main country being generally poor, no 1/4 final cracking 14k despite 3 of the sides being “at home”, not making any money, critical media. Need I go on? After the relative success of 2013, 2017 being played in the place the game is the strongest should have been a real kick on, it wasn’t.
Not that like anything it was all bad. Tonga were the real highlight. PNG hosting a major tournament. Scotland matching samoa, 15k turning out for england in perth despite sht advertising, that semi final for the ages.
But overall an incredibly disappointing result for what should have been the biggest RLWC ever.
But I still loved it, it’s international rl and for that’s always the most enjoyable aspect of our game.
went to numerous games and got very drunk after the final in a pub in brisbane with some fans from hull we bumped into on way back to hotel lol.

 

[baselinepanther]

Poor marketing, nsw govt not wanting to participate , 12k turning out for australia, not even being able to sell out Suncorp for final, crowds in what is RL‘s main country being generally poor, no 1/4 final cracking 14k despite 3 of the sides being “at home”, not making any money, critical media. Need I go on? After the relative success of 2013, 2017 being played in the place the game is the strongest should have been a real kick on, it wasn’t.
Not that like anything it was all bad. Tonga were the real highlight. PNG hosting a major tournament. Scotland matching samoa, 15k turning out for england in perth despite sht advertising, that semi final for the ages.
But overall an incredibly disappointing result for what should have been the biggest RLWC ever.
But I still loved it, it’s international rl and for that’s always the most enjoyable aspect of our game.
went to numerous games and got very drunk after the final in a pub in brisbane with some fans from hull we bumped into on way back to hotel lol.

need you go on ?
what with the rampant whining & hypocrisy ?

the marketing for this " shit show " has been barely any better then 2017
the complaints coming in from everyone & everywhere & the poor attendances reflecting how poorly its been run
couldn't run a chook raffle this lot

no wonder no one gives a f**k about it over here
just give us the trophy already to go with our full cabinet , its a foregone conclusion like everyone knew it would be & lets start thinking about things that matter

like the 2023 Australian season

 

[kiwileaguefan]

Yeh yeh sure you didn’t

if you keep this up people might mistake you for gutterfax

trust me that’s something you don’t want

Couldnt give two sh*ts to be honest

 

[kiwileaguefan]

12,674 for Samoa vs Tonga

Suprising how many people turn up when the tickets are priced correctly

 

[Gobsmacked]

So that roughly 50k for the quarters?
Previous best being 45k ?
Is that right?
So the quarters have roughly 12% increase ?
Wondering what the semi's comparison will be.

 

[England87]

I’m going to predict 42k at the Emirates thanks to a late ticket surge with The Rock in attendance sitting next to Prince William.

At Elland Road let’s say 25k

Fingers well and truly crossed

 

[Wb1234]

Couldnt give two sh*ts to be honest

Awesome

can’t wait for your next negative post kiwiLEAGUE? Fan

 

[taste2taste]

I've got my fingers and toes crossed Emerites isn't half empty. They are playing in a city where soccer gets 90% of media coverage and the other 10% goes to the Union Internationals. It might be a hard sell with eng playing against a side they have already piled 60 pionts on.

But surely in a city with a population of 9mil they can fill a 60k seat stadium.

 

[Wb1234]

I've got my fingers and toes crossed Emerites isn't half empty. They are playing in a city where soccer gets 90% of media coverage and the other 10% goes to the Union Internationals. It might be a hard sell with eng playing against a side they have already piled 60 pionts on.

But surely in a city with a population of 9mil they can fill a 60k seat stadium.

London gets good crowds

shame the govt made them play most of the tournament up north

they got 42k for the opener so it should be over 50k

 

[Perth Red]

1/4 final attendance. Better than 2017, bit down on 2013.

2021 RLWC 51,139
2017 RLWC 45,058
2013 RLWC 57,011

 

[Perth Red]

what ?... be in here what you are in every other thread in this forum ?

the delicious irony ...

surprised you've got the time with all the union internationals on at moment. Dont worry warratahs will be playing soon and you can leave rugby league to the real fans.