LEAGUE WORLD CUP IDEAS

[knights 2004]

world cup should be co-hosted by australia and NZ and either have:
1. Normal WC and emerging nations WC at same time, with the emerging nations games playing as curtain raisers to real WC games, double headers would sell more tickets.
2. do what they do in the 7's and have the losers of their pool play for a different trophy.

what else ya's got?

 

[joondalup_giant]

play games all across australia like the union does

 

[bender]

I think the World Cup needs to be made as competive as possible. I would like to see something like this:

Sydney Group
Italy, France, Lebannon, Greece

PNG/Oceania Group
Fiji, Tonga, PNG, West Samoa.

European Group
England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales

NZ/NSW Country/Qld Country
Australia, New Zealand, Russia, USA(Qualifiers)

Final Series would be like the old top 8 (two top 4s).
Elimination Quarter Finals(played at Townsville, Central Coast)
Second Chance Quarter Finals (Melbourne, Perth)
2nd Eliminating Finals (PNG, Newcastle)
Semi Final (Gold Coast, Wellington)
Grand Final (Brisbane)

I think that grouping the sides like this gives good close games and the top 8 quarter finals system means that the group games are not useless for the better sides like england, australia and New Zealand. Actually, when i think about it, i would like to see Australia split into Queensland, NSW and the Australian Titans (rest of the country or perhaps even and Australian residents side). I know this is not strictly ideal, but lets face it, international league is far from ideal. THis would give international league a huge boost, with so many competive international games. Under the proposed setup, every game would have meaning for every team and every team would be a realistic chance of winning through to the second round.

 

[In-goal]

i think it should only be a 10 or 12 team worldd cup, due to the fact that we want to keep it as competitive as we possibly can.

For mind we will have 3 competitive nation in 2008 but just 2 years later we may have 5 or 6, the inclusion to the big 3 would be France, Wales and possibly Russia. If we can manage this we will be on the way to having a stella international program.

 

[Stevo_G]

it has gotta be a 8 - 10 team world cup with matches been played in aus, png & nz

 

[bender]

it has gotta be a 8 - 10 team world cup with matches been played in aus, png & nz

Why not have an 8 team final series like i suggested, with the 4 groups being considered Qualifying matches?

 

[Costaki]

I think the World Cup needs to be made as competive as possible. I would like to see something like this:

Sydney Group
Italy, France, Lebannon, Greece

PNG/Oceania Group
Fiji, Tonga, PNG, West Samoa.

European Group
England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales

NZ/NSW Country/Qld Country
Australia, New Zealand, Russia, USA(Qualifiers)

Final Series would be like the old top 8 (two top 4s).
Elimination Quarter Finals(played at Townsville, Central Coast)
Second Chance Quarter Finals (Melbourne, Perth)
2nd Eliminating Finals (PNG, Newcastle)
Semi Final (Gold Coast, Wellington)
Grand Final (Brisbane)

I think that grouping the sides like this gives good close games and the top 8 quarter finals system means that the group games are not useless for the better sides like england, australia and New Zealand. Actually, when i think about it, i would like to see Australia split into Queensland, NSW and the Australian Titans (rest of the country or perhaps even and Australian residents side). I know this is not strictly ideal, but lets face it, international league is far from ideal. THis would give international league a huge boost, with so many competive international games. Under the proposed setup, every game would have meaning for every team and every team would be a realistic chance of winning through to the second round.

i like ur idea probely the best out of all of them

 

[dimitri]

any less than 12 is ludicrous

as ive said in other topics


organise the thing EARLY

sell TICKETS 2 years in advance

promote the hell out of it

sell tv rights

get sponsors


etc etc

 

[Misanthrope]

I think the World Cup needs to be made as competive as possible. I would like to see something like this:

Sydney Group
Italy, France, Lebannon, Greece

PNG/Oceania Group
Fiji, Tonga, PNG, West Samoa.

European Group
England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales

NZ/NSW Country/Qld Country
Australia, New Zealand, Russia, USA(Qualifiers)

Final Series would be like the old top 8 (two top 4s).
Elimination Quarter Finals(played at Townsville, Central Coast)
Second Chance Quarter Finals (Melbourne, Perth)
2nd Eliminating Finals (PNG, Newcastle)
Semi Final (Gold Coast, Wellington)
Grand Final (Brisbane)

I think that grouping the sides like this gives good close games and the top 8 quarter finals system means that the group games are not useless for the better sides like england, australia and New Zealand. Actually, when i think about it, i would like to see Australia split into Queensland, NSW and the Australian Titans (rest of the country or perhaps even and Australian residents side). I know this is not strictly ideal, but lets face it, international league is far from ideal. THis would give international league a huge boost, with so many competive international games. Under the proposed setup, every game would have meaning for every team and every team would be a realistic chance of winning through to the second round.

I can't say that I find much appeal in the organisation of your pools. Group A would draw crowds, but they're all minnows. Group B seems good, as they're all semi-competetive. Likewise with Group C, but Group D is just stupid. Putting Australia and New Zealand in one pool and having no quality sides in A or B just kills the finals. Likewise, people want to see contrasting styles, and the Pacific nations share a style- as do the European ones. Mix them up so people can see it all.

Secondly, splitting Australia up only cheapens the international game. What would it say for league if QLD or NSW won the entire cup? It'd be a farce. One state can beat the best squads New Zealand and England can put together.

I agree that 'every team would have a chance at winning through', but you want your best eight sides in the finals. The way your layout works you'd see:
Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales, PNG- all good sides. Then you'd have to put up with the likes of France, Lebanon, and Fiji- none of whom would have faced a dominant nation. You'd see blow-out finals just like in 2000.

Just my take. I'd rather see random pools, not to mention more nations having to qualify.

Chris

 

[Robbo]

Tell me if i'm wrong, but i thought the World Cup has been scratched all together to make way for a tri-nations tournement (Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain)?

 

[Misanthrope]

The tri-nations is locked in up until 2006.

The NRL/ARL has apparently been discussing a big event to celebrate the centennial of Rugby League in Australia for 2008- and a World Cup has been one of the ideas put forward. Lockyer's even come out in support of it.

Chris

 

[Razor]

Tell me if i'm wrong, but i thought the World Cup has been scratched all together to make way for a tri-nations tournement (Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain)?

It was due to be held in 2005, but Australia, NZ, England and Wales didn't want to play. The other countries though created an emerging nations World Cup (20 teams) in 2005 to be held in South Africa. I think the World Cup should still be held and if those 4 don't want to play, so what? Still hold it and when a team wins it'll put a difference in the record books.

 

[paulquinn49]

I’m no union fan but I think if the Rugby League World Cup was to be played in 2007, League wouldn’t get many people out to the games, In 2008 we might have a chance of getting some unions fans out to watch some league.

2 things I think that need to be done to improve crowds are : - Ticket prices. They need to be lowered to a price where people of any sort could go watch a game, of course the price would increase for the finals, but for qualifying. Prices should be $12 bucks for an adult $5 for the rest and a family ticket (2 adults to kids) for $25 bucks. I think the best thing for our game is support not money so if/when people who don’t follow league/ people from other countries watch the Rugby League World Cup highlights they will see a packed stadium or a biggish type crowd. I could just see a World Cup game between say France and Japan having 5000 people going when if they lowered the prices they get say 10000 people in making the same amount of money on the gate.

The second thing is try to make it a traditional type atmosphere, I think that they should stay away from bigger venues like Telstra and Aussie, Even Suncorp. Just so the crowds come out better. I think the smaller type venues will give the games some much needed feeling.


Also have countries play where they have their respective communities (not being racist about it tho)
But I reckon that Lebanon should play a match at Belmore, Italy at Leichhardt , Greece in Kograh/Melbourne, England in Perth. Just to give teams a home type atmosphere. The league should also stack rural areas with World Cup games. Sure it wont look too pretty on TV coming live or getting highlights from Bathust or Cairns but I think that the World Cup would be more of a success kept away from Sydney and spread around all the unlucky places that don’t get league, the finals would end up in Sydney or Brisbane either way, but why not try something new to promote our game



That’s all now, sorry for crapping on so much

 

[Misanthrope]

Another way to generate crowds would be to have Emerging Nations clashes as curtain raisers. Alone a match between Kenya and Morocco won't be able to draw more than a few dedicated fans- but put it before a clash between France and Papua New Guinea, call it a double header international, and charge a low price for it and you'll get league fans and event fans in huge numbers.

I agree that the bigger venues (Aussie, Telstra, Suncorp) are best avoided until the finals. Places like ExpressAdvocate, Parramatta, and Dairy Farmers are big enough to hold the expected crowds and have atmosphere. Until we're sure we can sell 80,000 tickets to an international it'd be stupid to go ahead and book Telstra Stadium.

Chris

 

[In-goal]

I would have the Final at Lang Park.

Semi Finals at Aussie and Perth's Subiaco

Quarter Finals if Required should be played at Olympic Park, Gosford, Townsville, Canberra, Newcastle or even Adelaide's Hindmarsh stadium.

I agree with Lebanon playing at Belmore but that realy is a woefull place these days all things considered.

Parramatta Stadium should be Sydneys main stadium for the tournament as it is the right size for this sought of event.

Pool games to be played at Wagga, Parkes, Perth Oval, Gosford, Olympic Park, Canberra, Townsville, Hindmarsh stadium, Harvey Norman Park Darwin, Wollongong.

Now 12 team is the right number any more and we start to waver the competitive edge of the competition.

Opening game would be at Aussie with an opening ceremony were the players are shown off to the crowd from all competiting nations.

Qualifing tournaments are a must due to the few amount of places available at the cup, my prefference is to break the teams up into there specific zones i.e.

Europe
Pacific
Mediterainen
Atlantic

New Zealand, England and Australia go straight threw as they are certs.

 

[Rudolph]

I know this wouldn’t be ideal but maybe they should ban NRL and Super league players from playing in world cup events like they banned NBA players in the past in basketball. At least until the Emerging Nations catch up.

 

[Lantana]

I know this wouldn’t be ideal but maybe they should ban NRL and Super league players from playing in world cup events like they banned NBA players in the past in basketball. At least until the Emerging Nations catch up.

What aspirations would young kids have to play rugby league for then? Surely being an internantional means more than playing NRL?

 

[In-goal]

Well they could run a much cheaper smaller Amatuer World Cup.

 

[Lantana]

To eradicate lopsided scorelines and to introduce countries to international footy whilst the tournament isn't considered a farce I propose the World Cup should be played in pool games. Four pools of 5.
Your pool placement is determined by your current ranking.
Teams that are ranked in the top five battle for the World Cup.
Teams that are ranked in the next five (5-10) battle for the World Plate .
Teams that are ranked in the next five (10-15) for the World Bowl
Teams ranked outside that go on play for the World Emerging Cup.
The games that are not for the World Cup could be played in development areas

*World Cup
1 Australia
2 New Zealand
3 England
4 France
5 Wales

*World Plate
6 Samoa
7 Ireland
8 Tonga
9 Lebanon
10 PNG

World Bowl
11 Fiji
12 Scotland
13 USA
14 Russia
15 Cook Islands


World Emerging Cup
Morroco
Japan
Greece
Italy
Sth Africa
Serbia
New Caledonia
Canada
Holland

This would give plenty of international flavour to the tournament, exposing players of relative experience and ability against similar opponents.
It would do away with the one-sided contests that are harming event the credability of the Rugby Onion World Cup .
Thoughts??
_________________

 

[dimitri]

i like the idea of the world emerging comp being made much larger

but we need to have a lot more than 5 nations in the world cup proper

nations like png, russia, lebanon etc etc deserve to be there