Call to Younger NRL Fans up to 25 Years of Age

[Calixte]

It seems to me that many NRL fans in this age bracket have never really had a great deal to do with the international game of rugby league.

In some respects, their main passion for the game will have been along the lines of club loyalties or State rivalries.

That is fully understandable given the fact that rugby league has sadly neglected its status as an international sport (first earned in 1904) in many ways since the dark days of the Super League War in the mid-1990s.

Some will not know that the first World Cup in rugby league was held a full third of a century before its union equivalent.

Or that the first Rugby League World Cup in Australia, held 51 years ago in 1957, had an average attendance of just under 35,000, and an opening match attendance of more than 50,000 for the France v Great Britain game on a wet SCG.

Some may not recall the epic nature of the Australia-Great Britain/England Test rivalry that has nurtured the game since 1908. Or that for the period between 1921-1949 inclusive, the northern hemisphere's hold on the Ashes could not be broken by this great rugby league nation of Australia.

The 2008 Rugby League World Cup represents an opportunity for NRL fans, especially those up to the age of 25, to really connect with the international game of rugby league in this country.

Recent World Cups and most international tournaments have been staged outside this country.

I urge those of you who have not yet learned the true joys that can be gleaned from the international game to support the RLWC this and next month and to make it the great event in Australia it deserves to be...

 

[DangerMouse_007]

Thank you.

I am under 25 years of age and have never seen this thing you call "International Rugby League."

I have done some research though and it seems that many matches have been played between different countries including Australia.

Upon your recommendation I will be watching this coming World Cup and consequently my first International match.

I will urge all my friends to watch too as they too only know of NRL and Origin.

Thank you for opening all of our eyes.

 

[Calixte]

I was going to also state "keep out trolls" but I thought it would have been self-evident, Dean...

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Will be good to see other teams besides Aus, NZ and GB.

 

[hellteam]

I'm in this age bracket. I vaguely remember watching the 1994 ashes series and thinking how good the tour was, with them playing club teams as well as the Lions. I also remember that it actually seemed a difficult series to win. I've also watched a lot of highlights DVD's etc with these tours on them and think it would be great if they could be brought back.

I've always watched the international matches, but have never got into them as much as I have Origin/club games. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that because of Origin, and the usual QLD/NSW rivalry, I hate the NSW players in the Australian team and just can't bring myself to support them.

In fact I went to the Tri-Nations final in 2005 between Aus and NZ in Leeds and actually found myself cheering for the Kiwis because I didn't want the Aus team which included Barrett, Gower, O'Meley etc to win.

I reckon this would change if Australia lost it's dominance that it has over the rugby league world. But for now, even though I'll be attending the World Cup matches in Brisbane, I won't be cheering for Australia anywhere near as much as I would QLD or the Broncos.

My friends think the same way too.

 

[miccle]

I'm actually a rarity - part of the young brigade who is somewhat over SOO but really getting into internationals. I think the ARL shot itself in the foot for so many years by ignoring Brisbane as a test match venue. We got squat here for 8-9 years, and the fact that 40,000+ have been packing into Suncorp for the now regular match against the Kiwis has been great to see.

I attend that every year and don't bother with origin now, and quite a few mates are the same. Group of 12 going to the WC final and 8 to the Semi at Suncorp coming up!

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

i remember the 94 series too ... and the world cup ... i forget which series it was but maccas had those big plastic cups with australian players on them ... i enjoyed them

 

[hellteam]

I'm actually a rarity - part of the young brigade who is somewhat over SOO but really getting into internationals. I think the ARL shot itself in the foot for so many years by ignoring Brisbane as a test match venue. We got squat here for 8-9 years, and the fact that 40,000+ have been packing into Suncorp for the now regular match against the Kiwis has been great to see.

I attend that every year and don't bother with origin now, and quite a few mates are the same. Group of 12 going to the WC final and 8 to the Semi at Suncorp coming up!

Strange... complete opposite to me. Do you go for QLD or NSW ?

 

[Perth Red]

I've been to 3 World cup finals and 2 World cups. The "smaller" nation games are usually alot more fun. Get out to see some of the lesser known teams, they often serve up some amazing RL!

 

[miccle]

Strange... complete opposite to me. Do you go for QLD or NSW ?

QLD'er born and bred, and I LOVE seeing the mighty maroons win. But trying to get a ticket for $90 in the 34 seconds before the game sells out and then, if you make it, being surrounded by popped-collar tossers drunk on XXXX with no idea about the game simply can't stack up with better prices, a great rivalry that actually stretches back beyond 25 years ago and similarly great atmosphere. SOO is something that I'll enjoy with mates at home, and will be happy if we win but not crushed if we lose.

Internationals are much more serious than that for me.

 

[Calixte]

Part of the real joy of our game in Australia is that we have such a diverse range of events.

No other code offers events across all of the club, State and international levels as does rugby league...

The international aspect of our game is just another part of rugby league to be celebrated - not taken in substitution for or ignored over some other aspect of the game.

 

[TheDalek079]

i'm in the under 25 group too, and been to see one international match. kiwis V GB at Mt Smart around ten years ago. don't remember much. do remember that there was ladies touch NZ V Aus on as a curtainraiser, and one of the aussies looked like a man.

 

[adamkungl]

I've been to 2 internationals, neither really had the passion or intensity of a club or SOO game. Mind you that was just bad luck on my part in the games I went to (Aus v GB, 2006 trinations i think, GB won, ugh. And this years centenary test, wasnt much of a contest, NZ were terrible). But that said, I've seen some amazing tests and will be getting to a few WC games if money allows.

 

[Red Bear]

I really loved the tri-nations series in england, and the ashes the year before that, as it seems to be a leveller playing the games over there. Also liked the different commentary and grounds etc.

 

[Non Terminator]

I guess I'm in the under-25 group, but I've learnt and seen a fair bit about International League, outside the three most noticable countries.

I hope the WC is strongly supported.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I'm still in that age bracket, just, and have been an international supporter for a few years now. I still care about club and SOO, but I wouldn't care if I never saw another club game if it meant there were great internationals on all year round. With club football now little more than lacklustre "a who can buy the comp" event international football delivers a better contest where money is not the number one factor in determining the make-up of the sides or the outcome.

 

[Brownie.Kougari]

I'm 17 and a massive Roos fan, nothing compares to the beachballs, mexican waves and chanting of a RL test at Lang Park. Everyone's just there for a good time.

However, it's difficult to have the same rivalry as club or SoS games when we've been so dominant for so long. I think that's why the 06 TriNations was so big here (not in Sydney obviously, RL doesn't exist there remember? :lol

 

[Bobby DIGital]

New South Welshmen & Queenslanders are too busy hatin on each other to give a squirt of piss about test footy. It really displays the immaturity of the average Australian RL fan. I may of despised Clinton Toopi to the core, but I still supported the kiwis when he was playing for us.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

because kicking the sh*t out new zealand everytime is just no fun ... atleast with origin there's a contest ...

 

[Bobby DIGital]

3 Series wins in a row to QLD. Yeah what a contest.

Kiwis beat Australia in 2005 comfortably, and drew with Austrlia in the 2006 Tri Nations Final. If there was no Golden Point in tests (which is how it was a couple years back), we would of retained the title and would still have it today.

We Cop a few bad losses with a 2nd string team last year and all of a sudden there's this bullsh*t perception that we've been getting smashed for the last 3 years.

We will do well in this world cup. Even with the players we have missing.