India in 2018 ENWC

[yakstorm]

This.

If NZ entered and literally played purely domestics without NRL, NYC or NSW Cup and PNG did the same (no Hunters) PNG would kill them..

Yet NZ are still 2-3 in the rankings and PNG and Fiji still struggling. This why the Pacific Islands are so damn important to the game..

Not really comparing apples with apples. There are over 100 NZ eligible players in the NRL, throw in Super League, NSW + QLD Cup, U20S, those numbers swell to around 200, possibly a little more...

PNG would maybe have 50-odd players running around in the same pool, so you're arguably still drawing from their top 100 players versus for NZ, you're drawing from lower down.

Arguably the PNG Digicel players would possibly defeat an England team void of SL, NRL and Championship players and maybe even an Australian team from players below NSW Cup / Qld Cup / U20s as well...

 

[girvie]

Fantastic news! Glad India is sending a team! I wonder if they'll link up with the Ethnic RL guys from NZ and ask a few of those guys to play.

David Bhana from the Knights . Gurdeep Singh played Junior Reps for the Roosters a few years ago.
Kitione Vikash from Raiders U20s was born in Fiji but may be another.

 

[girvie]

This is largely the case here too. A lot of fans but not many players. Could probably count on 1 hand the amount of Indian or Chinese players i've come across in close to 20 years of playing in Sydney.
The exception is in touch and tag comps.

I have seen many players of asian backgrounds coming through the North Sydney Junior League. In one of the younger age groups the Willoughby Roos have a team that is full of Asian players from the Chatswood/Artarmon area, which is fantastic to see.

 

[roughyedspud]

Doesn't really matter, whats the worst they can do? Jump back again? Nothing of value lost.

You want to wage war on WRL, poach the few misguided countries they have, leaving some whinging Greeks and Italians with their geniused website and 1 game a year. Banning them only gives them legitimacy.

But what "countries" do they have?

Italy,Greece & Pakistan who we know are union players trying to play league..then who?

 

[girvie]

Awesome. Surprise entry.
Still a few of the expected teams not confirmed yet - Serbia, Jamaica, South Africa most notably.

The Everything Rugby League page on facebook mentioned that this tournament is for Tier 2 and Tier 3 nations only. Serbia, Jamaica, South Africa, Cook Islands, Russia etc are full members so can not participate. It's a little disappointing as some of these nations would also benefit from this tournament.

 

[yakstorm]

The Everything Rugby League page on facebook mentioned that this tournament is for Tier 2 and Tier 3 nations only. Serbia, Jamaica, South Africa, Cook Islands, Russia etc are full members so can not participate. It's a little disappointing as some of these nations would also benefit from this tournament.

That’s not true, these nations are eligible to participate and many Jamaican officials have said on social media the reason why they aren’t is because of the cost to send a team to the tournament.

For them, continued participation in the Americas Cup and saving for the 2019 RLWC Qualifiers was a higher priority.

It’s a shame, but isn’t a surprise and is reflected by the types of nations who are entering - those who are geographically close, those who have a significant Australian player base to draw from to help make up their team or those who see this as the only major tournament they will play in for the next four years.

Canada is possibly the only exception, but they have been very good at raising funds for their teams.

Arguably, considering these Tier 2 & 3 nations are only going to keep growing (for the record there are only 3x Tier 1 nations and only RLWC participants were banned from taking part in the ENWC), there is value in the sport holding this tournament every 2 years.

If a 2020 competition was announced for say somewhere in Europe, it would mean any nation that missed out on 2021 (after the 2019 qualifiers) could still have a major tournament to target either in the NH in 2020 or back in the SH in 2022.

 

[roughyedspud]

I'd like to see something for the teams "in the middle"

Teams that would miss out on a top 8 ranked confed cup but are way past "emerging" for the ENWC.

 

[adamkungl]

The Everything Rugby League page on facebook mentioned that this tournament is for Tier 2 and Tier 3 nations only. Serbia, Jamaica, South Africa, Cook Islands, Russia etc are full members so can not participate. It's a little disappointing as some of these nations would also benefit from this tournament.

Tiers and RLIF membership are not related concepts.
Most of the nations who are full members are considered tier 2, only Aus NZ and England are tier 1.
ENWC is open to everyone who didn't participate in RLWC2017.

 

[Coparugby]

Nope..Pakistan are aligned to WRL so f**k em

Agree. There’s a chance WRL will cynically exploit involvement to create the illusion of a broader WRL world.

 

[TheInternationalist]

The Asian communities in the U.K. rarely seem to bother with rugby league. There has been the odd player over the years but not very many. They prefer cricket, not surprisingly .

You can put a lot of blame on BARA who put very little effort into building bridges and were concentrating on union.

Clubs found it very hard to create any kind of initiative to involve asian communities thanks to the people involved.

 

[deluded pom?]

You can put a lot of blame on BARA who put very little effort into building bridges and were concentrating on union.

Clubs found it very hard to create any kind of initiative to involve asian communities thanks to the people involved.

One of BARA’s leading lights was a certain Ikram Butt who is now involved with the WRL.

 

[thorson1987]

This is largely the case here too. A lot of fans but not many players. Could probably count on 1 hand the amount of Indian or Chinese players i've come across in close to 20 years of playing in Sydney.
The exception is in touch and tag comps.

Majority of Indian kids that do play though are Fijian Indian aswell.

 

[latingringo101]

Majority of Indian kids that do play though are Fijian Indian aswell.

Gotta keep in mind Indians have been migrating to Fiji since the 1920s (some great grand parents of current Fiji Indians).

If they are eligible for the Indian team sure give them a shot but most are passionate Fijians rather than Indians.

 

[deal.with.it]

Griffith, Melbourne, Adelaide, Coffs Harbour, Brisbane would have hundreds of thousands of indians. I used to play with a few. Could enter an ENWC team quite easily.

 

[playdaball]

Gotta keep in mind Indians have been migrating to Fiji since the 1920s (some great grand parents of current Fiji Indians).

If they are eligible for the Indian team sure give them a shot but most are passionate Fijians rather than Indians.

Many Fijian Indians wouldn't qualify as parents/GP were probably born in Fiji.

 

[Perth Red]

Jamaica should have done crowd funding if it was a cost issue, Id have chipped in for a signed Jamaica jersey! Might have even flown over to cheer them on!! Reckon the RL fandom would have got behind them as their team with a bit of social media fun and marketing.

 

[Perth Red]

Is NZ allowed to enter this thing?

Couldn't afford it, its a disgrace they aren't in the C'wealth games. How sht is NZRL?

 

[langpark]

Jamaica should have done crowd funding if it was a cost issue, Id have chipped in for a signed Jamaica jersey! Might have even flown over to cheer them on!! Reckon the RL fandom would have got behind them as their team with a bit of social media fun and marketing.

Honestly, what is the benefit of playing in the ENWC though? I don't blame them for not wasting the money, and believe me, we're not talking small amounts of money either.

To me, it's no coincidence that the nations that are serious about RL development (Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Jamaica, Canada) are absent from the ENWC.

 

[Perth Red]

Honestly, what is the benefit of playing in the ENWC though? I don't blame them for not wasting the money, and believe me, we're not talking small amounts of money either.

To me, it's no coincidence that the nations that are serious about RL development (Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Jamaica, Canada) are absent from the ENWC.

Legitimacy of the game in their country, reward for players who have developed in their competition, positive media, organisational experience, fun etc etc

Why do any countries play test matches or in world cups?

 

[DlEHARD]

Jamaica should have done crowd funding if it was a cost issue, Id have chipped in for a signed Jamaica jersey! Might have even flown over to cheer them on!! Reckon the RL fandom would have got behind them as their team with a bit of social media fun and marketing.

I'd have definitely gotten behind that too.