Confirmed tests for World Cup nations 2014

[hutch]

Australia v NZ - May 2nd @ SFS

Fiji v Samoa - May 3rd @ Penrith (4 nations playoff)


This is it. I'm not including the four nations because we still don't have stadiums booked or at least announced.

So after our sports most successful World Cup with 14 teams, it looks as if png, tonga, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cook Islands aren't playing tests this year or they havnt been organised yet.

Other international matches between developing nations that have been announced are:

May 17th Serbia v Ukraine, Belgrade (European Championship B)
May 24th Ukraine v Russia, Kharkov (European Championship B)
Jun 21st Russia v Serbia, Naro Fominsk (European Championship B)
Jun 28th Norway v Denmark, Flekkfjord (Nordic Cup)
Jul 5th Ukraine v Italy, Kharkov (European Championship B)
Jul 19th Canada v Jamaica, Toronto (Caribbean Carnival Cup)
Jul 26th Italy v Russia, Gemona (European Championship B)
Aug 9th Canada v USA, Toronto (Colonial Cup)
Aug 16th Denmark v Sweden, Copenhagen (Nordic Cup)
Aug 28th Sweden v Norway, Lund (Nordic Cup)
Sep 6th USA v Canada (Colonial Cup)
Sep 20th Serbia v Italy, Belgrade (European Championship B)

I'm assuming that USA and Italy will be just local players and therefore not full strength test squads. At this stage, the World Cup has changed nothing in terms of planning, scheduling and prioritising internationals.

 

[tmfsd]

Surely a PNG v Tonga game couldn't be that hard to fit in the same wknd???

Let the boys play!

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Interesting that the emerging nations manage to organise more tests between themselves than the majority of world cup nations. Probably because they are mostly amateur.

 

[expansionist]

This is an absolute F'ing slap in the face for Tonga.

Tonga were promised annual games against Samoa - and now suddenly because of the Samoan and Fijian feel good factor after the WC they miss out??

Why is there no outcry from the Tongan players or officials about this? Or maybe there is that I havent seen?

The other question is - why dont the Tongans organise it themselves?

I'm all in favour of Fiji and Samoa play games, but why does it have to be at the expense of another nation.

Tonga beat Samoa last time right?

 

[hutch]

I find it hard to believe that those nations will be ignored. I would schedule a pacific nations cup to run at the same time as the four nations with png, tonga, Cook Islands and the loser of Fiji/Samoa. The winner of the Pacific cup plays the fourth placed four nations team before the four nations final (probably Fiji or samoa)!
In Europe, surely Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland and italy will play some sort of euro cup?

 

[deal.with.it]

Yes the euro nations have their 3 tier cups.

I have always said there is nothing stopping these nations from organising their own matches, rather than waiting for the rlif.

There should be an asia-pacific cup (dince its the asia-pacific confederation) running alongside the four nations, playing before the 4 nations matches. Cut costs down.
The same can be done in 2016 in the northern henisphere, albeit with RLEF nations (ie the Euro cup).

We desperately need some alignment between the aprlc, rlef and rlif!

Before people start saying "but the pacific nations deserve to be stand alone matches" - please think logically as to where int'l RL is at.

Unless cities want to bid for the asia-pacific cup (which i cant see happenin).

 

[roughyedspud]

Interesting that the emerging nations manage to organise more tests between themselves than the majority of world cup nations. Probably because they are mostly amateur.

its because most of them come under the RLEF banner

 

[deluded pom?]

Considering the current political situation in Crimea the question is will the Ukraine or Russia take part in the European Championship?

 

[deal.with.it]

I think you'll find that outside protest areas daily life is still continuing.

 

[IowaRL]

Id say tests within the UK not including England are hard at this point to finance, given the changes last year.

 

[deluded pom?]

I think you'll find that outside protest areas daily life is still continuing.

It may be but if things pan out there could be a travel embargo on Russian nationals.

 

[CC_Roosters]

Do England even have anythig scheduled this year at all? Very poor form and it paints the game in a bad light that the elite nations can't even sort out an international fixture for the current calender year. Very very sad

I can't remember the four nations draw ever being this late.

 

[hutch]

We seriously have learnt nothing from the previous 15 years. It's disgraceful!

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Do England even have anythig scheduled this year at all? Very poor form and it paints the game in a bad light that the elite nations can't even sort out an international fixture for the current calender year. Very very sad

I can't remember the four nations draw ever being this late.

Doesnt surprise me. The last time we had the 4 nations or tri nations in Australia, I dont think the schedule was out until after Origin.

I dont know if theyre trying to work out the A League draw.

 

[expansionist]

FFS is there no one from Tongan RL interested in promoting their cause?? I cant stress this enough - if I was involved I would be livid.

Theyve been promised annual games.

Now for some reason their dropped - and its a 4 nations qualifier??

 

[hutch]

I thought I read last year that the tonga v Samoa test was locked in for 5 years.

 

[CC_Roosters]

FFS is there no one from Tongan RL interested in promoting their cause?? I cant stress this enough - if I was involved I would be livid.

Theyve been promised annual games.

Now for some reason their dropped - and its a 4 nations qualifier??

Its just shocking all round. Know it doubt it will be a repeat of the recent past with the same stadiums and no variety on an annual basis. There is so much the game could acheive in terms of appeal, growing audiences and revenues by just a little bit more effort with international footy.

Anzac test is in sydney. No doubt aus v nz in the 4N will in in Australia as well and the final at suncorp as usual. Wouldnt surprise me if the kiwis don't play he kangaroos at home until 2016

 

[deal.with.it]

The Pacific Test was locked in.
This time the 2 best pacific nations from the WC were chosen.
There's a good chance suncorp is unavailable for the final because of the G20 or whatever it is.
This was announced ages ago.
The reason the draw hasn't been announced is because they're figuring it out.
Tentative dates would be set.

 

[expansionist]

I really dont think this represents the 2 best pacific teams from the WC. How could you compare against groups?

I think Tonga were a better team than Samoa actually, but how could you tell unless they play each other?? (as they were promised they would get to every year as recently as last year)

This should be PNG, Samoa, Fiji Tonga.

Samoa were chosen on the feel good factor alone from one or 2 aggressive showings in the WC, and one again the southern hemisphere seem unable to organise games for themselves.

 

[deal.with.it]

Samoa were chosen because they made the QF