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Four Nations Schedule released

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pcpp

Juniors
Messages
2,266
Australia will play world champions New Zealand in London for the first match of this year's Four Nations rugby league tournament to be held in England and France starting in October.
The Kangaroos and Kiwis will clash at Twickenham's Stoop ground on October 24 in a re-match of last year's stunning World Cup final upset in Brisbane.

The Four Nations tournament is an expansion of the Tri-Nations tournaments between 2004 and 2006, with France the new addition despite finishing last in the 10-team World Cup in 2008.

England and France will meet in the other first week clash on October 25 at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium.

The Kangaroos and England meet in week two at Wigan's JJB Stadium, with the Kiwis travelling to France, before Australia travel across the channel to face France in the final round of matches and the Kiwis clash with England at Huddersfield.

The final of the Four Nations will be held at Elland Road stadium in Leeds on November 14.

"Following last year's hugely successful World Cup, there is a lot of anticipation for this competition as all the teams involved will have something to prove," said Richard Lewis, deputy chairman of the Rugby League International Federation.

"New Zealand will be keen to show their World Cup Final victory was not a fluke whilst Australia, under a new coach, will be all out for revenge to make up for the disappointment of losing their world title on home soil.

"England will be keen to recapture the form that saw them whitewash the Kiwis in 2007, and the French will be eager to grasp the opportunity to play in such a prestigious international competition, especially with them hosting two games on home soil.

"Staging this international competition is also vitally important to the RFL as we want to prove to the Rugby League International Federation that we are the right country to host the Rugby League World Cup in 2013."
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http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25093976-5016947,00.html
 
roughyedspud

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
can't believe the australia v NZ game is at the 12,000 capacity stoop?? wtf is that all about? it's way too small...

as for the other venues...i and most of us predicted them,abit disappointed they chose elland road over eastlands though...
 
C

Cheezel

Juniors
Messages
436
I agree a bit strange that the opening game is in such a small stadium. Usually in the past when NZ and AUS have played in London they have pulled crowds over 15,000. With the Kiwis and Aus playing in the World Cup Final, I would have thought that they could have atleast got 20,000 plus.

But on the positive side it will create demand for tickets, be a sellout (hopefully quickly) and provide a good atmosphere for TV. Maybe they have a deal with the Quins that will provide extra cash compared to other stadiums in London.

Does anyone know that capacity of the other stadiums?
 
Coastbloke

Coastbloke

Bench
Messages
4,164
That sucks...

They have undersold the tournament..

I suppose we out to be grateful it's on and announced in Feb...
 
jamesgould

jamesgould

Juniors
Messages
1,466
Disappointing that it is only one round this time ... it means that the only game in the round robin that really means anything is NZ vs England, that will decide who will play Aus in the final.
 
roughyedspud

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
other than the stoop it's alright..


but it might be worth noting that the stoop might be the biggest ground in london that was available? QPR (loftud rd) have new billionaire owners and might not have wanted us..?
 
PARRA_FAN

PARRA_FAN

Coach
Messages
17,671
Look I dont mind this draw, I understand they want to play all games in the one hemisphere, but playing it a small ground is a bit of joke. Just play the Aus/NZL games down under, either NZL or Australia.

I wouldve still preferred the 2 game against each nation, with the Kiwis/Aus games played in Aus and NZL, but how would you fit them all in before the end of November

Hopefully if its a success like the Tri Nations has been in the past, they will increase the number of matches.

I just hope France is a much better side than they were in the World Cup, we dont want to see floggings in this tournament.

I wonder where the French games are being played against NZL and Australia. Toulouse? Perpignan?
 
roughyedspud

roughyedspud

Coach
Messages
12,181
playing each other twice will make the tournament 7 weeks long and 7 tests back to back..

as brian noble once said, "for GB to win the tri nations we have to play 5 tests back to back,while the aussies & kiwis get 2 rest weekends,that,in his opinion,was the toughest test in world sport"


granted 2 of the 7 games would be against france but 7 tests in a row would near kill the players..

I wonder where the French games are being played against NZL and Australia. Toulouse? Perpignan?
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i've heard paris & toulouse, i'm guessing we'll find out in the next day or 2? maybe it'll be announced when they name the new french coach,which is tomorrow i think?
 
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DINGb@T

Juniors
Messages
834
From the looks of things they're trying to make the Stoop the home of London rugby league. On the Quins site they were calling the match against Manly the "first ever London Rugby League Challenge" (take note of the capitals used) which suggests to my mind that they want to make the event a regular thing, each touring Aussie side playing in London before taking on the WCC. Probably not a bad idea from a marketing point of view if they can let the ex pat community in London know they're there and get some of them going to regular home and away matches but if the Stoop is rugby league central in London then we're never going to get too many people these games, even if they were a sell out.
 
jim_57

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
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4,601
Terrible IMO.

Should have been this:

AUS V ENG - London
FRA V NZL - Perpignan
FRA V ENG - Hull
AUS V NZL - Cardiff
FRA V AUS - Toulouse
ENG V NZL - Leeds
Final - Manchester

I for one am quite dissapointed. Just hope we get some great games.
 
jamesgould

jamesgould

Juniors
Messages
1,466
roughyedspud said:
playing each other twice will make the tournament 7 weeks long and 7 tests back to back..

as brian noble once said, "for GB to win the tri nations we have to play 5 tests back to back,while the aussies & kiwis get 2 rest weekends,that,in his opinion,was the toughest test in world sport"


granted 2 of the 7 games would be against france but 7 tests in a row would near kill the players..
Click to expand...

I realise the difficulties, but it just seems like a lesser tournament compared to previous years. After all, in 2004 and 2005 NZ played GB and Aus twice, and played France and England in their weeks off.

So actually, the Kiwis did play seven tests in a row in 2005! And won! Lets face it, all teams could rest players against France and still win.

I think they could do it, it would take the same amount of time to complete the tournament as previous years. The only problem is that the tournament would have to be pushed back a few weeks from 2004/05, because the Superleague finishes after the NRL.

And the lack of a bye would mean that no team would be disadvantaged, as Noble claims GB may have been in previous seasons (although that just sounds like an excuse to me, playing a lot of games in a row should help you build cohesiveness, if anything).

This tri nations will all be over in three weeks ... I wait all year for the end of season internationals, so that's really disappointing.
 
adamkungl

adamkungl

Immortal
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42,971
sort of irrelevant, but the Aus v NZ games i've been to (one at the SCG, one at the SFS) have had the worst atmosphere of any games i've ever been to. Possibly because Aus won by 30 both times, but the Fijians providing a much better atmosphere even getting flogged by 50.
 
jim_57

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,601
adamkungl said:
sort of irrelevant, but the Aus v NZ games i've been to (one at the SCG, one at the SFS) have had the worst atmosphere of any games i've ever been to. Possibly because Aus won by 30 both times, but the Fijians providing a much better atmosphere even getting flogged by 50.
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Atmosphere at the WC final was brilliant.
 
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