In the world of international rugby league, rebellion is in the air ... again
Before discussing a worrying issue for rugby league of which most readers will not be aware, we probably need to explain another of which many will also be unaware.
The "other" point is this: in most of the world, rugby league is not recognised as a separate sport from rugby union. The International Olympic Committee and Sport Accord do not recognise rugby league at all.
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Central figure: RLIF Chairman Nigel Wood. Photo: Getty Images
This means that people starting the game in new places get no access to government funding, their players struggle to get insurance and just getting a ground on which to play can ben problematic.
In places like Italy, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, it also means rugby union officials can just come in and say they have the right to run rugby league – or stop it being played at all.
Rugby league's bid to be recognised by Sport Accord – which will make it hard for national governments the world over to ignore it - has been before that body for about 18 months. Approval keeps getting put off, for a wide variety of reasons. It is next up for discussion in April.
To put into perspective just what level the sport is on internationally, the other pursuits applying for Sport Accord recognition at the same time were arm wrestling and poker. Now, one of the criteria for acceptance is the number of countries playing the sport.
And that's where my central point comes in; in the world of international rugby league, rebellion is in the air. Countries seem prepared to renounce the authority of the RLIF, which in turn could give Sport Accord an excuse to further delay membership.
The reason for the the disquiet – actually , make that fury – is the decision to ban "Emerging Nations" from holding their own tournament in Sydney at the same time as the World Cup this year.
Discord was privy to early talks regarding this concept and I've written about it previously. There is no disputing the following facts: One, the World Cup told a number of developing countries it could not assist them financially in running matches that were originally intended to be curtain-raisers to the main tournament. Two, the RLIF had no problem with these matches taking part if they were self-funded.
No-one expected a bunch of amateur administrators to be able to pull off travel, accommodation and insurance for a mini-tournament but guess what? They did.
Where things get a little murky is how the tournament went from being sanctioned – but unresourced – curtain-raisers to a fully-fledged championship. The developing countries themselves will tell you it was going to cost World Cup organisers too much to open the gates early so they had no choice.
They say they kept everyone informed and no alarm bells went off. The RLIF will tell you that regardless, they only approved the playing of some warm-up games and not a full tournament.
In any case, the World Cup organisers have successfully lobbied the RLIF to withdraw approval – whether this was informal or minuted – for an Emerging Nations tournament in Sydney this year.
There is clearly a fear that Malta v Greece at Campbelltown – or a fixture like that – will somehow detract from the two RLWC matches in the Harbour City, Australia v Lebanon at Allianz Stadium on November 11 and Lebanon v England at the same venue on November 4.
As a result of this apparent reversal, which the emerging nations say has come only after they raised money, booked flights and organised publicity for their tournament, all hell has broken loose.
The journalist Robert Burgin is so far the only man in rugby league history who can lay claim to starting the sport on an entire continent, South America. He has a competition named after him there and he wrote an alarming story last week in
Rugby League Week.
Burgin reported that "close to a dozen" national federations were considering breaking away from the RLIF in protest, quoting un-named officials as saying they never got anything from the London-based organisation anyway.
Canada, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Latvia, Malta, Vanuatu and Niue were all confirmed participants in this year's aborted tournament so it's fair to guess some of them are thinking of jumping ship. How embarrassing would it be in the first year of the Toronto Wolfpack for Canada to be involved in a rebel international federation?
As you should already know, the qualification for the Women's World Cup was a farce – France were kicked out and Canada included for no apparent reason and Cook Islands only went through because the other Pacific nations boycotted the qualifying tournament after being told to assemble sides only from women who could find their own way to Sydney, and who would be willing to play multiple games on one day.
On a very basic level, a rugby league international governing body preventing international rugby league being played is hard to swallow.
Now, the RLIF
has offered to fund an Emerging Nations tournament next year. They weren't helping at all in 2017. And since 2018 is the NRL players' "gap year" after a World Cup, there will be some clean air, publicity and sponsorship-wise. But plenty of fingers have been burnt by what Burgin says was an 11th hour decision.
Perhaps the countries listed above can take solace from sports promoter Jason Moore. He bid for the 2021 World Cup to be held in North America. When he missed out to an English bid far more geographically limited than the last two World Cups held there, he bit his lip and accepted the 2025 tournament (which we
really hope the RLIF won't also wriggle out of).
To quote sports historian Tony Collins "rugby league never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity".
