Kiwi tour to England and France

[Coastbloke]

Gotta get this off my chest.

I realise it's probably too late (and would probably look farcical) but am I the only one who isn't thinking why are a full strength Tonga not touring with the Kiwis to England for a Tri Nations (with a game each against France)?

Now I know that funding is essential here and the TRL certainly couldn't afford it and it's no business of the NRL, but if tours like this don't occur, I just see those Tongan players opting to return to the Kiwis. The TRL could also elect to take a few domestic players for the experience..

Maybe it is pie in the sky for a inward looking sport like rugby league but I'm just seeing opportunity lost and it's damn frustrating..

 

[deal.with.it]

Great idea. TNRL, NZRL, RFL and FFRXIII can sell sponsorship and broadcast rights to make it happen. Simples.

 

[jim_57]

No, no, no, no, no.

Nice try, but Tonga have had their fun, now it's back in the box until 2021.

 

[jim_57]

Gotta get this off my chest.

I realise it's probably too late (and would probably look farcical) but am I the only one who isn't thinking why are a full strength Tonga not touring with the Kiwis to England for a Tri Nations (with a game each against France)?

Now I know that funding is essential here and the TRL certainly couldn't afford it and it's no business of the NRL, but if tours like this don't occur, I just see those Tongan players opting to return to the Kiwis. The TRL could also elect to take a few domestic players for the experience..

Maybe it is pie in the sky for a inward looking sport like rugby league but I'm just seeing opportunity lost and it's damn frustrating..

You could do any number of things, Pacific cup, both Tonga and NZ touring. As it stands all we have is NZ playing England 4 times, a few other games and some "maybe" games in Hawaii, Auckland or Qatar. It's a joke after a World Cup year.

 

[Coastbloke]

No, no, no, no, no.

Nice try, but Tonga have had their fun, now it's back in the box until 2021.

Hate to lol, but THAT does seem to be the consensus in the league world..

 

[roughyedspud]

Things will not change until the likes of Tonga,Samoa,Fiji etc take ownership of their games instead of waiting for the NRL to put on half arsed games for them...

 

[Pommy]

Gotta get this off my chest.

I realise it's probably too late (and would probably look farcical) but am I the only one who isn't thinking why are a full strength Tonga not touring with the Kiwis to England for a Tri Nations (with a game each against France)?

Now I know that funding is essential here and the TRL certainly couldn't afford it and it's no business of the NRL, but if tours like this don't occur, I just see those Tongan players opting to return to the Kiwis. The TRL could also elect to take a few domestic players for the experience..

Maybe it is pie in the sky for a inward looking sport like rugby league but I'm just seeing opportunity lost and it's damn frustrating..

So you admit the TRL cant afford to pay for it, which suggests NZRL and the RFL would be left stumping up the cash. Why exactly would the NZRL want to pay for players they have developed to play for another nation?
The islands need to grow but nobody is going to do it for them.

 

[Springs09]

Gotta get this off my chest.

I realise it's probably too late (and would probably look farcical) but am I the only one who isn't thinking why are a full strength Tonga not touring with the Kiwis to England for a Tri Nations (with a game each against France)?

Now I know that funding is essential here and the TRL certainly couldn't afford it and it's no business of the NRL, but if tours like this don't occur, I just see those Tongan players opting to return to the Kiwis. The TRL could also elect to take a few domestic players for the experience..

Maybe it is pie in the sky for a inward looking sport like rugby league but I'm just seeing opportunity lost and it's damn frustrating..

You're definitely not the only one wondering why this is all that's happening.

Both Kiwis and England can do a hell of a lot more than play each other 4 times and France. We've had three World Cups since and the Kiwis tour is pretty much the same as 2007, minus the 'All Golds' game. 1 v Aus, 3v GB/Eng, 1x France.

 

[geordie_saint]

That would mean NZ and England splitting any profits further... no chance!

 

[deluded pom?]

Things will not change until the likes of Tonga,Samoa,Fiji etc take ownership of their games instead of waiting for the NRL to put on half arsed games for them...

Can you imagine the response from the NRL clubs if Tonga organised a match independently? Foo cough springs to mind.

 

[deluded pom?]

You could do any number of things, Pacific cup, both Tonga and NZ touring. As it stands all we have is NZ playing England 4 times, a few other games and some "maybe" games in Hawaii, Auckland or Qatar. It's a joke after a World Cup year.

World Cups seem to suspend any decent activity in RL land Jim, England have hardy played at home since the 2013 event.

 

[Coastbloke]

So you admit the TRL cant afford to pay for it, which suggests NZRL and the RFL would be left stumping up the cash. Why exactly would the NZRL want to pay for players they have developed to play for another nation?
The islands need to grow but nobody is going to do it for them.

Absolutely agree the NZRL should not be funding any Tongan addition to the tour.

Not sure if the RFL are covering the Kiwis (in terms of flights and accomodation), but if so I assume that with the addition of Tonga, they would also pay in that regard and the extra income from extra games would cover that.

Look, there is no easy answer. The other code manages it and it's time that League started this sort of tour. The reality is, is that in 2008, the Kiwis won the RLWC and 8 years later were beaten by Tonga and Fiji. There has been a shift and this somehow needs to be entrenched. In the Northern Hemisphere, the same needs to happen with France..

 

[yakstorm]

I bet no one has thought to ask from any of the Pacific nations or from any of the European nations either.

Understandably the RFL want to lock in the likes of New Zealand or Australia as the anchors for any international season. This would be influenced from both a profitability perspective (these Tests make plenty of money) and from a broadcasters perspective (these are games between nations that general sports fans will watch).

If a Tonga, Samoa or anyone else wanted to tour Europe, I doubt that the RFL or FFRXIII or Wales or anyone else would say no.

I'm sure they would, just like the do for NZ and Australia, would equally split all profits from the respective Tests as well, they wouldn't however underwrite the tour.

This is arguably the biggest hurdle for these nations, the TNRL or RLS or FNRL would struggle for the upfront costs (ie. Flights, accommodation, insurance) and whilst it is highly likely that the tour would be profitable (England v Tonga would get 20K+ in the UK and France v Tonga 12K+ in France), it is a risk that they aren't prepared to take on.

It is where the RLIF should step in (as they do currently have some cash) and help take on some of the risk.

If the Ohana Cup in Hawaii can be profitable, with crowds of 10K and teams sometimes being flown in from 4x nations (with the promoters covering all of that), there has to be a way to make money in these tours (or at least break even).

 

[adamkungl]

The regional cups should be held in years 1 and 3. Why a proper Pacific Cup hasn't been booked in for November I do not understand.

 

[roughyedspud]

Because GB/ENG & AUS have 2019 & 2020 locked out id really like to see the kiwis take the pacific by the horns in 2019 & 2020..

Maybe host a 3 test series v Tonga in 2019 and in 2020 host a pacific cup which would be a awesome lead in to the 2021 world cup..

 

[adamkungl]

Hopes of a real calendar being implemented after 2017 WC are slipping away rapidly.
Approaching mid-2018 and we still have:

No mid-year or post-season tests for many WC playing nations.
No 2021 Qualifiers draw.
No regional cups.
No mid-term RLIF Cup.
No 9s Circuit or WC.

They've taken 18 months to umm and ahh about a GB Lions tour and come up with sweet f**k all else.

 

[Springs09]

Nah Kiwis too good for the pacific teams, wouldn't be profitable, no benefit for the tier 2 nations blah blah blah

 

[Springs09]

Hopes of a real calendar being implemented after 2017 WC are slipping away rapidly.
Approaching mid-2018 and we still have:

No mid-year or post-season tests for many WC playing nations.
No 2021 Qualifiers draw.
No regional cups.
No mid-term RLIF Cup.
No 9s Circuit or WC.

They've taken 18 months to umm and ahh about a GB Lions tour and come up with sweet f**k all else.

Guess we all expected that, despite what we hoped.

Clubs reign supreme and the media jump on board and bash the hell out of one mid-season test. Imagine the backlash if we actually got what we should have - an 8 week international season every year with all Tier 1 & 2 nations playing 6+ games in various locations.

There's no reason why there can't be a full-on Pacific tournament now though. Tonga, Samoa, PNG, Fiji & Cook Islands. Play each other once + a final, play games in each country plus Aus & NZ. Why not?

 

[adamkungl]

Guess we all expected that, despite what we hoped.

Clubs reign supreme and the media jump on board and bash the hell out of one mid-season test. Imagine the backlash if we actually got what we should have - an 8 week international season every year with all Tier 1 & 2 nations playing 6+ games in various locations.

There's no reason why there can't be a full-on Pacific tournament now though. Tonga, Samoa, PNG, Fiji & Cook Islands. Play each other once + a final, play games in each country plus Aus & NZ. Why not?

Can't even blame the clubs for the sheer lack of organisation.
The RLIF and National bodies have nothing.

 

[Springs09]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/leagu...rns-over-denver-test-match--and-rightfully-so

"Let's see how much promotion the game receives if a player suddenly suffers severe altitude sickness in front of 76,000 fans, collapses and starts vomiting uncontrollably all for the sake of lining the coffers of the New Zealand and England rugby leagues."

These people are nuts. Severe altitude sickness at 1600m?