Britain to call for World Cup revival

[DIEHARD]

Source: http://www.FoxSports.com.au

Great Britain is set to call for a return of rugby league's World Cup at an International Federation meeting in Sydney on January 26.
The last rugby league World Cup was staged in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2000 but a bid to turn it into a multi-team event backfired with the inclusion of teams such as Lebanon, which comprised a group of Australian players of Lebanese descent.
The tournament was also plagued by bad weather while the decision of organisers to play matches outside traditional English rugby league venues helped contribute to a financially disastrous event.
Since then rugby league chiefs have reverted to a Tri-Nations series between the sport's traditional powers of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

However, the success of rugby union's World Cup in Australia, where England's dramatic extra-time final win against the hosts in Sydney capped a memorable tournament, has prompted a change of mind.
There are now plans afoot to stage a rugby league World Cup in Australia in 2008, a tournament which would mark the centenary of the code in the southern hemisphere.
The fact that the likes of former league stars such as England's Jason Robinson and Australia's Lote Tuqiri were among the standout performers in the union showpiece made many league officials realise they needed a global event of similar stature if they were not to lose more players to the 15-man code.

However Richard Lewis, the executive chairman of Britain's Rugby Football League, insisted today he had been advocating a World Cup long before the rugby union finals.
"It certainly didn't change my opinion," said Lewis.
"Whether it changed anybody else's opinion and made them realise just what the international game can develop or not I don't know. We might have a better feel after the meeting."
In response to suggestions that Australia league bosses were reluctant to stage the World Cup, Lewis said: "I would have thought there would be recognition in the southern hemisphere of what a successful World Cup can achieve.
"I'm sure it will be on the agenda. There is a lot of discussion about 2008 and, certainly as far as I'm concerned, we're planning towards the World Cup.

"We expect there to be a World Cup and that's why we're playing our part in building up the international game with the European Nations Cup."
English rugby union has experienced huge spin-offs from World Cup success with club matches in the premiership enjoying record attendances while the sport itself enjoys unprecedented media and commercial interest in England.
And Lewis said rugby league could benefit too.
"We are confident that at grass-roots level we can capture youngsters who are interested in playing a game where they pass the ball rather than kick the ball," he said.
However, hopes for a truly competitive rugby league World Cup suffered a blow recently when Australia, despite losing a number of players through injury, defeated Great Britain 3-0 in November's Ashes series in England.

Great Britain last won an Ashes series in 1970.

 

[DIEHARD]

I wouldn't call the inclusion of Lebannon a bad decision. I thought it was one of the few good things of the World Cup 2000. Lebannon has taken off since.

The prospect of a World Cup in Australia to celebrate 100 years of Rugby League in the Southern Hemisphere is probably my biggest dream. Well more so that its a storming success. I just hope the ARL promotes it, we CAN NOT just sit on our hands and not promote this like we do with the NRL and State of Origin.

 

[carlnz]

Have these teams:

1. Aussie,
2. NZ,
3. England,
4. Wales,
5. Scotland,
6. Ireland,
7. France,
8. Lebanon,
9. PNG,
10. Samoa,
11. Qualifiy
12. Qualifiy

11 And 12 postions should be open to teams who will have to qualifiy. Those teams would be:

1. Russia,
2. USA,
3. Italy,
4. Tonga,
5. Fiji,
6. Morocco,
7. Cook Islands,
8. South Africa,
9. Greece,
10. Japan.

This way we will have 10 top teams plus the best of the little nations, Which should bring some of the larger score lines closer. And for the other nations that dont make it, they would have still played other teams in a mini world cup to try and qualifiy for the World Cup. So really the top 20 teams in International Rugby League will play.

Then you have to find money for all of this, Barter Card are good sponsors, Puma, Nike...i dunno its just a matter of getting out there and doing the hard work!!!!

Aussie and NZ is deffently by far the best place in the world to play it, you know you will get at least 10,000 people depending on prices to get it, thats alot better than the 2,000 back in 2000 world cup.

Also note that i believe GB should not play as a whole, due to Scotland, Wales and Ireland would be lost with out there GB players, and the Fact the England A are doing so well in the world at the moment they should be competive.

Also I dont think NZ Maori should be allowed in, due to NZ has a team and if they are good enough they will make the Kiwis, it just takes up a space which another counrty could use....same goes for BARLA

 

[Fairleigh Good!]

But would you Aussies turn up for a Rugby League tournament?

The recent Test matches in Australia have all drawn very poor crowds in relation to the inevitable sell outs Union attracts. What is worse, not holding a World Cup at all, or have one in Australia and watch it be burned by the press because it cannot match the Union one?

I seriously think this is trying to run before we can walk. Australia would win the World Cup if GB was split up, that it 100% certain. NZ and England would be in the Semis with them.

Whats the point of bothering?

We should be spending the little money we have on the grassroots so that the game can produce more players. That is our problem, the ONLY players come from England, Australia and some from NZ. How on earth can that support a World Cup? A league world cup would get no press coverage, indeed the Union World Cup in erm...2008 is already being advertised through one-eyed journalism in the UK.

Going up against Union in this state is suicide, fix the problems first before we do that. Even if it takes 20 years.

 

[In-goal]

I see were your coming from in the idea of leaving GB out in favour of the home nations, but i feel in 2008 GB may very well be a real threat to win the whole thing with continued improvement in the game there.

Hopefully France will see a new revolution as they will have had a Super League club for 2 full seasons buy this stage which can only help.

looking through though i would break GB up in favour of the home nations but there must be a strict qualifying criteria for all nations, with the exception of England, New Zealand and of course Australia.

 

[griff]

But would you Aussies turn up for a Rugby League tournament?

The recent Test matches in Australia have all drawn very poor crowds in relation to the inevitable sell outs Union attracts. What is worse, not holding a World Cup at all, or have one in Australia and watch it be burned by the press because it cannot match the Union one?

I seriously think this is trying to run before we can walk. Australia would win the World Cup if GB was split up, that it 100% certain. NZ and England would be in the Semis with them.

Whats the point of bothering?

We should be spending the little money we have on the grassroots so that the game can produce more players. That is our problem, the ONLY players come from England, Australia and some from NZ. How on earth can that support a World Cup? A league world cup would get no press coverage, indeed the Union World Cup in erm...2008 is already being advertised through one-eyed journalism in the UK.

Going up against Union in this state is suicide, fix the problems first before we do that. Even if it takes 20 years.

The World Cup is more than just a competition to determine who the best RL nation is. It is a celebration of international rugby league and a chance for the global rugby league community to come together, a chance to promote the game internationally and domestically, a chance to develop the minor nations and give them something to aim for, and the only real opportunity to raise funds for the RLIF and global development.

Think about what would happen if there was no Rugby League World Cup - you are a rugby player in some small nation, are you going to play Union, where there is a chance of playing WC qualifiers, making it to the World Cup and playing a major nation in front of thousands of fans, or Rugby League, where you might get the odd chance to play in a competition like the Victory Cup every so often if you are lucky.

There are players from PNG, France, Tonga, Samoa and South Africa all playing professionally in England and Australia. So there is a pool of pro players already available.

The next union world cup will be in 2007. But the Olympics are in 2008 and it would be silly to hold the RLWC in the shadow of the Olympics. The value of the marketing spin "Biggest event in the world this year" should not be discounted.

2007 should not be considered for the RLWC, not only because the union and cricket are on the same year, but because it would be much more worthwhile to have a 100th anniversary 'All Golds' Kiwi tour of Great Britain instead.

2008 should not be considered either, as this is when there should be the 100th anniversary Kangaroo Tour.

Either 2005 or 2009 are really the only possible years for the RLWC. If they can't get their act together in time for 2005, then they will have to make it 2009.

Of course the World Cup shouldn't be held if it is going to cost money. The 2000 event lost money due to being over-ambitious and full of what were percieved to be in-authentic teams. But if we are smart I think the RLWC can turn a small profit which will be re-invested into global development.

I think Australians (and New Zealanders) would support a World Cup enough to make it profitable. We got over 30,000 to see a one-off meaningless match against GB in 2002 on the same weekend as club matches. Give the match some meaning and the fans will respond.

It's not about matching the Union World Cup, even in 20 years I don't think that's possible. If the RLWC is going to be successful on its own terms, why not have one?

A Rugby League World Cup is not running before we can walk - people seem to think the Rugby League World Cup is a new idea, even Darren Lockyer:

"The first one might not be all that flash but you have to start somewhere and persevere."

And last RLWC I recall an interview Eddie McGuire had with Peter Sterling:

Eddie: This World Cup, it's a joke isn't it?
Sterlo: Well, we've got to start somewhere.

No, we started somewhere in 1954. The RLWC is a great tradition and should be continued. Tradition is one of the best marketing ploys there is - you can't buy it and we shouldn't throw it away.

People often say it could be a success if the marketing is right. The Union World Cup showed that people will go to watch a sport they don't even care about if you promote it well.

The marketing of the next RLWC needs to emphasise the authenticity of the event and the teams. Focusing on the history of the event would help in dispelling notions that the event is a joke.

In line with this, we need to learn from last time that teams full of grandparent rule players and teams like the Maori greatly damage perceptions of the world cup, and we would be much better off with teams like the USA.

 

[DIEHARD]

If promoted people will turn up. You have to remember we get 35,000 to internationals at a 42,000 seater stadium with absolute minimun promotion. But it still outrates the best union. You just need to transfer that to crowd figures. The support is there.

We need to do this through leagues clubs and junior clubs. Get our "RUGBY COMMUNITY" involved. To promote and celebrate the event. RL schools as well. We should run an emerging nations WC in tandem and host the two finals together. One as a curtain raiser to the other. And have the emerging nations games at smaller ground, maybe out in the country.

People would support it because we actually love RL in Australia. But we need to lay the foundation stones in the coming years. Promoting the Kangaroos on a par to the level the Wannabies are. Bringing France into frame, with 2 years RSL experience. Get PNG and Russia up there too.

It'd be a great success if we push it.

 

[screeny]

I have to say, if we're going to wait until 2008 why not go for 2009, a freee calendar year uin terms of major sporting events.

However, would the Olympics in teh summer in China really have that much effect on Australia? I don't know if it would.

 

[deluded pom?]

The only reason Australia will be coming on board for the next WC is because they see it as a celebration of the centenary of RL in their country . If there wasn`t any significance to the timing of the next WC then Australia would be closing the doors and concentrating on the NRL and the SOO. The duty to host the tournament would once again fall on the shoulders of G.B. It` ok complaining about G.B. not doing anything by not touring and continually hosting Test matches and WCs but the G.B. fans are in effect propping up the game financially at international level .I`d love to see G.B. tour Australia again but it takes two to tango . We can`t just turn up at Sydney airport and expect the ARL to organise a tour . The ARL have to want G.B. to tour and go out of their way to make sure they can accomodate the G.B. team whether it`s during the NRL season or just after the GF. Australia only want to get involved because they see it as a benefit for Australia ,not for Rugby League .

 

[carlnz]

The fact of the matter is that Aussie couldnt give to sh*t's about international rugby league, aslong as they have NRL they dont care!!! But it is good to finally see players like Darren Lockyer stand up and ask for for international games....somebody has to stand up to the NRL and say we want more International footy!!!

If it was Kangaroos vs PNG, everyone knows that PNG will get beaten, But you will also know that would get 20,000++ Crowds in PNG or Aussie!

I think bring back the world Cup, look what it has done for Lebanon? And when wales was leading at half time against aussie in the semi final?? I think if promoted well, it could be a big success. The only reason the last one floped is because they got like 1,000 to game for Ireland Vs Scotland, Where as in aussie for the rugby world cup they just dropped the prices and sold the tickets out.........