From the makers of "The 60 point plan to help International Rugby League' now comes..

[The Partisan]

SOLUTIONS TO GUIDE RUGBY LEAGUE IN THE PACIFIC

By RLSpotlight on February 15, 2015



SOLUTIONS TO GUIDE RUGBY LEAGUE IN THE PACIFIC

1. RLIF to fund and increase full-time operational, administration and development staff within select APRLF nations or regions to increase growth, sponsorship, government funding, professionalism and development (e.g. APRLF Coordinator, Development Staff, Development Managers, etc.). The soon to be established Pacific AUS AID (NRL linked) program and funding will help provide some full-time, part-time and volunteer (funding supplements benefits and loss of wages) staff.
2. Create a NZ PM XIII program that is funded by the NZ AID and Government funding taking matches into the Pacific, similar to the NRL and AUS AID program that has an annual international – PNG v PM XIII International in PNG and Education Program (NRL Schools and Education program currently in PNG and soon to be fully established in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji). Expand the Australian PM XIII (AUS AID funded) match programme from PNG to a Pacific Tour (vs Fiji at Suva, Samoa at Apia Park and Tonga at Teufaiva Sport Stadium).
3. NRL and APRLC to form official Academies and Junior Programs across targeted Pacific countries OR NRL to form International Scholarship Program for young overseas talent and juniors.
4. NRL to introduce an International Rookie Player (salary cap exception) rule whereby
   1. Each NRL club (for example) can recruit up to 2 or 3 International Rookies to their u20 programs each year – that is NOT included in their salary cap. International Rookie should be classified as a player born outside the big three nations (Australia, NZ and England) and has played rugby league/rugby as a junior in the nation (e.g. Fiji). These International Rookies can be excluded from the u20 salary cap for two seasons or once they graduate to the senior NRL Squad from the u20 squad, then they are included in the NRL competition salary cap.
   2. Introduce a salary cap exception such as; each NRL club can have 1 international rookie introduced to their senior NRL squad that is NOT included in the salary cap for two seasons (not an Australian, English or NZ citizen/resident) or not played rugby league for three years prior to being recruited.
5. NRL to take ‘Combine’ style recruitment camps into Pacific locations
6. Australia has the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) u17s program, full of mostly regional scholarship schoolboy players and tour NZ one year, then UK/France the next. NZRL should introduce a similar program – that way both the AIS u17’s and NZIS u17/u18s could tour separate hemispheres each year. Expand the current concept into the Pacific nations (e.g. Fiji has their u19 Schoolboys side, PNG also has a schoolboys/junior rep sides). Current NZ and AUS Schoolboy or Junior Representative sides could also tour the Pacific with greater funding and sponsorship
7. Vision of having “international windows’ aligned in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres for professional and perhaps semi-professional competitions. Potentially from 2018; three origins on standalone weekends (NRL free weekends) for Tests and other concepts (i.e. Pacific Cup over 3 origin weeks and the current representative weekend)
8. TOURS – more tours to ‘developing league nations’ from representative teams based in Australia and New Zealand to be encouraged and organised through the RLIF and NRL. Lower tier and representative ides could tour more often to help spread and promote rugby league, as well as educate players from other nations further. Existing representative sides from Australia such as Country (CRL), Australian University team, AIS U17s, QLD Murri and the Australian Affiliated States side have been touring other nations increasingly recently, but more should be done from teams, such as NZ Residents, Auckland RL, QLD Rangers (best ‘local league’ players), QLD Residents (ISC), NSW Residents (NSW Cup) and others into the Pacific and even wider – perhaps a QLD Country (third tier) and Australian Country could be formed, while reformation of the Australian Residents (third tier) and Australian Indigenous (mixed tiers) would all help improve the development of the game. Sponsorship and government funded.
9. NRL Season, Exhibition or Pre-season Games OR Training Camps to be taken into the Pacific – improve improve rugby league’s communication and dual level support (i.e. Parramatta Eels had their training camp in Seattle, USA. Boston13’s (USARL club) raised an idea, why did they not have more rugby league promotion by Parramatta and invite promising USARL players into the camp and help further educate USARL coaches. Leeds Rhinos on the other hand played a USARL Development side when they have their training camp in January 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida and South Sydney had a training camp in Arizona. There are rumours Parramatta have interest staging a pre-season trial match in Seattle for 2016. Perhaps NRL exhibition matches to the likes of Fiji and PNG would be big for the game’s there, while being popular and boost those nations’ development, coverage, operations, funding and support.
10. NRL lobbied to allow players to play State of Origin for their state and the national team of their choice – without the swapping nations mess (e.g. increase to 4 year wait between changing nations or only once per RLWC cycle) and pressure to elect for Australia on the back of State duties, as long as they are genuine juniors of those states.
11. RLIF and NRL to lobby Pacific governments, government aid services and sports ministries for more recognition, support and funding
12. APRLC to introduce or provide official coaching and referees educational courses (perhaps NRL aligned) similar to what the RLEF already to their members (only aware of PNG recently bringing in similar NRL accredited courses and Fiji are only introducing their own soon/recently)
    1. RLIF and NRL to create a NRL Coaches and Players ‘Asia-Pacific Educational Tour’ – interested coaching members and current or ex-players will be hired/costs catered for or perhaps the NRL would utilise their own staff to help pass on their development and educational knowledge and in turn, promote rugby league into select nations media sources on these tours. RLEF has already utilised a similar prograe during the RLWC qualifiers, but more could be done at a lower cost.

1. Asia-Pacific Rugby League Federation to be brought up to the level of their counterpart, the RLEF. More independence and more help from the NRL into the). More structured tournaments and Asia-Pacific tiered structure perhaps with promotion and relegation, similar to the RLEF. Just more Tests and Series, including more HOME based internationals for the likes of Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga and regular Pacific round-robin fixtures (e.g. soon the Melanesian and Polynesian Cup fixtures, but also add more with increased international windows). Stage a 6 nation full Pacific Cup tournament with the Australian Kangaroos and NZ Kiwis.
2. Each Year: Pacific Test Double Header (on ANZAC TEST REPRESENTATIVE WEEKEND, until origin weeks are international windows)
   Polynesian Cup : Tonga v Samoa
   Melanesian Cup: PNG vs Fiji
   Pacific Cup Final: Polynesian and Melanesian winners (post-NRL season)
   Loser of Polynesian Cup plays the Cook Islands or when Pacific Shield/APRLFC Trophy contestants meet domestic requirements for qualification next year
   Pacific Shield: Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Niue, American Samoa and possibly Tokelau
   Asian Cup: Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan
   APRLC Trophy – Pacific Shield winner v Asian Cup winner Hawaii could play representative fixtures v International Sides or Touring Representative sides

1. NRL 9’s Expansion? From 2018 (the new TV deal), staged a NRL Nines Summer Series with 6 rounds that has been suggested in the media recently – think locations such as PNG, Townsville, Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Fiji, Auckland and even Hong Kong. In the 90’s what made the World 7’s/9’s popular was having international teams, such as PNG and Fiji, while it also helped supply more quality players to various club competitions. How about inviting the likes of PNG Hunters and Fiji NSW Cup Bid (provided they are accepted into NSW Cu) into future tournaments? It would only attract more TV audience, sponsorship, attention and excitement to the tournament.
2. Pacific Club Cup – domestic champions from PNG Digicel Cup, Fiji Vodafone Cup, Pirtek (NZRL) National Championship and even the best QRL/NSWRL third tier club face off. Sponsorship and funding could allow the tournament to be financially viable.
3. Expansion in age group, women and other rugby league categories; including Men’s Youth (i.e. u18 or u19 or u20) following on the Commonwealth 9’s u19 championship – perhaps seeing a Pacific Youth championship (with at least Fiji u19s, PNG u19s, and non-professional Australian and NZ sides). International Women’s rugby league expanded through a Women’s Pacific; including Australia and New Zealand, but also PNG’s Women National Team is launched soon this year to face Tonga Women (NZ influenced). It would not take much effort to re-launch Fetu Samoa (have played internationals and a WC previously) and a form a Fiji Women – both are rugby strongholds and have heritage players in established league nations. NRL and RLIF could also help establish partnerships with neighbouring Pacific Touch Football federations similar to the TFA and NRL Partnership, but also initiate or encourage creation of other rugby league categories to increase participation and government funding, such as tag rugby league.
4. Proposed Rugby League World 9’s to have hosting tender process. If federations and independent sources can prove sponsorship and popularity it could mean a boost for rugby league in those nations and for RLIF funding and prize-money for nations. Aside from ‘heartland’ location; there is potential in Hong Kong at HK Stadium (40,000) – approx. 90k Australians living in Hong Kong alone, Suva (Fiji) have a Fifa standard stadium approx.. 25k, and Port Moresby (PNG) – have a 20,000 stadium on the way by the end of 2015. And purely to reward those who are putting in the hard yards for development all squads could feature domestic players. Regional tournament qualifiers could be formed and utilise to increase rugby league content (i.e. Pacific 9s, Euro 9s).
5. Programs such as PNG Hunters, Fiji NSW Cup Bid and Jamaica Hurricanes RL club and academy programs in ‘developing league nations’ to have greater support and resources from governing bodies (tours, development support and more). NRL creating a school’s AUS Aid program for Fiji and Samoa is a fantastic start.
6. NRL and RLIF to have a greater influence and encouragement of appointment of full-time and part-time staff with Pacific rugby league national government bodies. Perhaps, these two major bodies funding certain administration positions would help enable them to appoint staff and avoid issues.

Taken from RL Spotlight website.

 

[The Partisan]

NB. Formatting faux pas in cut 'n' past process !


Should be numbered 1 - 20 !

 

[Bronco Rob]

There's some good ideas in there and I do hope some are implemented. But while I at times get excited about the ARLC's talk about increasing the game's exposure and the renewed focus on the International game, I just hope it's not all rhetoric. I spoke to Andrew Hill from the NRL a while ago and the lack of interest in helping the game in Tasmania mind-numbingly frustrating.

 

[CQ Italia]

If anyone has any additions or changes to the list let me know. May send it to rl officials