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Which nations should be member nations, and at what level? That should be the most important question. I'd classify the RL nations like this:
TIER 1 - ELITE TEST NATIONS - 4
Australia - 150,000 - 200,000 players
England - 60,000 players
France - 7,000 players
New Zealand - 10,000 - 15,000 players
TIER 2 - DEVELOPING TEST NATIONS -10
Cook Islands
Fiji - about 500 players.
Ireland
Lebanon
Papua New Guinea (probably 10,000 players, perhaps more in unaffiliated Leagues)
Russia - 2500 players
Tonga
Wales - 250 players
Samoa - uncertain if game is still played there.
Scotland - 200 players
TIER 3 - EMERGING NATIONAL TEAMS
Jamaica
Serbia
South Africa (questionable)
USA
TIER 4 - FLEDGLING NATIONAL TEAMS
Organisations trying to develop a grassroots competition in those nations.
Czech Republic
Estonia (both have staged individual matches held)
Germany (Der Kaiser & co have staged matches and played an international match)
Japan (has played a couple of internationals. Are the players from RU? No recent news on domestic comp)
23. Netherlands (seem to have fallen out with Kevin Rudd and split with RLEF)
TIER 5 - EXPAT DEVELOPMENT GROUPS in AUS/UK
These groups are trying to introduce the game in a new country, but are based in Aus or UK. They may have staged exhibition games or tournaments in those countries.
Greece (played one international and one short tournament in Athens).
Italy
Malta (played one international in Malta)
Norway (Justin Ryan is teaching Oztag to group of schoolkids)
TIER 6 - EXILES TEAMS
Australians, NZers, Britons of overseas ancestry.
American Samoa (teams representing American Samoa played in some World Sevens and Auckland based Pacific Cup. They are NZers with American Samoan ancestry. RL has never been played there.)
Niue
Tokelau - teams of NZers representing Niue and Tokelau have played in Pacific Cup in Auckland. Doubt RL has ever been played in these tiny Pacific Islands. Prominent NZers Niuean include Motu Tony, Junior Langi, Dene Halatau. Prominent Tokelauan player is either David Vaealiki or Francis Meli.
Portugal
South Asia Bulls
NON EXISTENT or EXTINCT LEAGUES
Argentina (nothing heard since 2003)
Austria (?)
Canada (the handful of clubs haven't played for years)
Georgia
Ivory Coast (Like Kenya in the past, has it showed any indication of staging RL?)
Morocco (no news for a while)
New Caledonia (I think the 6 former RU clubs don't play RL anymore)
Sweden (?)
Tuvalu (these 3 are tiny Pacific Islands, may have played in Auckland based Pacific Cup comps with NZers of ancestry)
TIER 1 - ELITE TEST NATIONS - 4
Australia - 150,000 - 200,000 players
England - 60,000 players
France - 7,000 players
New Zealand - 10,000 - 15,000 players
TIER 2 - DEVELOPING TEST NATIONS -10
Cook Islands
Fiji - about 500 players.
Ireland
Lebanon
Papua New Guinea (probably 10,000 players, perhaps more in unaffiliated Leagues)
Russia - 2500 players
Tonga
Wales - 250 players
Samoa - uncertain if game is still played there.
Scotland - 200 players
TIER 3 - EMERGING NATIONAL TEAMS
Jamaica
Serbia
South Africa (questionable)
USA
TIER 4 - FLEDGLING NATIONAL TEAMS
Organisations trying to develop a grassroots competition in those nations.
Czech Republic
Estonia (both have staged individual matches held)
Germany (Der Kaiser & co have staged matches and played an international match)
Japan (has played a couple of internationals. Are the players from RU? No recent news on domestic comp)
23. Netherlands (seem to have fallen out with Kevin Rudd and split with RLEF)
TIER 5 - EXPAT DEVELOPMENT GROUPS in AUS/UK
These groups are trying to introduce the game in a new country, but are based in Aus or UK. They may have staged exhibition games or tournaments in those countries.
Greece (played one international and one short tournament in Athens).
Italy
Malta (played one international in Malta)
Norway (Justin Ryan is teaching Oztag to group of schoolkids)
TIER 6 - EXILES TEAMS
Australians, NZers, Britons of overseas ancestry.
American Samoa (teams representing American Samoa played in some World Sevens and Auckland based Pacific Cup. They are NZers with American Samoan ancestry. RL has never been played there.)
Niue
Tokelau - teams of NZers representing Niue and Tokelau have played in Pacific Cup in Auckland. Doubt RL has ever been played in these tiny Pacific Islands. Prominent NZers Niuean include Motu Tony, Junior Langi, Dene Halatau. Prominent Tokelauan player is either David Vaealiki or Francis Meli.
Portugal
South Asia Bulls
NON EXISTENT or EXTINCT LEAGUES
Argentina (nothing heard since 2003)
Austria (?)
Canada (the handful of clubs haven't played for years)
Georgia
Ivory Coast (Like Kenya in the past, has it showed any indication of staging RL?)
Morocco (no news for a while)
New Caledonia (I think the 6 former RU clubs don't play RL anymore)
Sweden (?)
Tuvalu (these 3 are tiny Pacific Islands, may have played in Auckland based Pacific Cup comps with NZers of ancestry)