Canada have played the USA in the USA in 'Atlantic cup' years and then gone to to play other games that count specifically towards the Colonial Cup with no cross over.
Btw, the Atlantic cup is owned by the Jackonsivlle Axemen and from this year onwards will not be a completely international (country v country) tournament. It has changed into a international club tournament. This has happened as a result of the AMNRL and USARL spilt.
I;m sure there will be some competition to replace it though.
This is only partly true. We have FULL plans to again make the Rugby League Atlantic Cup an international tournament and invites will be extended to SA, Jamaica, Canada, and our hope is that the USA situation will be resolved soon and that will allow a full USA team to compete. However, due to the current situation with the split, the travel demands that have just been placed on the other nations with the RLWCQ's, and our desire to keep this event alive for our fans and the City of Jacksonville, who has supported it for 3 years now, we opened it to club teams for 2011 to ensure it took place. And lets be honest, the team from Australia, the UK and the Axemen, is not a bad event for the level of operation we can provide. (All games will be streamed live on the internet and we expect over 3000 fans for the three game event during the week) It is our continued efforts and desire to promote Rugby League in the Southeastern USA and we will not let "issues" take away from that or hinder our fans enjoying our great sport. So we will not exclusively limit it the National teams in the future. We have also tossed around the idea of making it a "World Club Challenge" in the future by inviting the winning team from the USARL, Jamaica, Canada (as we see them making HUGE progress in 2012) and "Atlantic Club Challenge" that will follow a similar format. However, a tournament like this should be moved each year by either the winning nation getting to host it or on a three way rotation so that each nation can (A) - benefit from the exposure and experience (B) - it does not put the burden every year on the same nation.
So, the "Rugby League Atlantic Cup" will remain an annual event in Jacksonville as it has been embraced and supported each November by fans and the City in general and although we will continue to make it a "National Team" event we will not limit ourselves exclusively to them, and potential lose such a great opportunity for Rugby League in our region.
We are looking at a plan to create the "Atlantic Club Challenge" and will be reaching out to the USARL, Canada and Jamaica (and South Africa if it is viable) to become an annual event that can be hosted each year. Events such as this are the top level events that can happen each year for great exposure and get media attention, HOWEVER it they must never become the only events and efforts! The efforts of the Rhode Isalnd Rebellion with their youth development for the USARL, our continued efforts in Florida to create reserve grade teams, the efforts of the other USARL Clubs to get youth and other regional events and partnership, etc, are all just as important for the growth and development of the sport. We need to expand into the current playing age groups with larger numbers, we need to start an effort in the youth, and we need the top level events (as above) as the showcase of which all players can aspire to achieve. All of these items are just as important as each other and although the "Big" events get the limelight, the grassroots efforts are truely the things that will see RL grow.
