NRL, AFL and Union to shutdown for 8 weeks

[StinkyPete]

Football



AFL and NRL to take mid-season break should Australia host football World Cup

By Guy Hand
October 22, 2009
The AFL and NRL will have to take mid-season breaks of up to eight weeks should Australia host the football World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
Football chiefs are in advanced discussions with the AFL, NRL and rugby union about having first use of the nation's best multi-purpose stadia leading up to and during any Australian-hosted World Cup.

The rival codes would have to agree to at least a four-week mid-season shutdown while the tournament is underway in June and July, because of FIFA regulations locking out other major sports in each host city.

And FIFA also demands a four-week lead-in period at each host venue prior to the World Cup.

That means AFL and NRL matches during that period could not be played at stadiums being used for the tournament.

Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley admitted his sport would have to convince the AFL and NRL to rejig their seasons in some way during an Australian World Cup.

But he believed the outlook was positive for cross-code co-operation, especially with the carrot of improved stadia as part of any World Cup hosting.

"We've met with all the sporting codes and they're all in broad agreement about the importance of the FIFA World Cup for Australia and the legacy it would deliver in terms of sporting infrastructure," Buckley said on Thursday.

"There's a precedent in relation to the Sydney Olympics and the Rugby World Cup."

Football would need to get all other codes on-side quickly and publicly, with visible disharmony usually spelling death for World Cup bids.

But the upside for the AFL, NRL and rugby union is the prospect of taxpayer-funded redevelopment for their existing stadia, or brand new ones which would be used for their sports post-World Cup.

With at least 12 stadia needed, the MCG, ANZ Stadium, Etihad Stadium, Sydney Football Stadium and Suncorp Stadium predictably head the list of World Cup venues.

Redevelopments of Newcastle's EnergyAustralia Stadium, Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville, Carrara on the Gold Coast, Canberra Stadium and a western Sydney venue to the FIFA-required 40,000-capacity are also part of the plan.

The two uncertainties are Adelaide and Perth.

The FFA is keen on a redeveloped 55,000-seat Adelaide Oval.

But the road block is tension between the venue's tenants, the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA).

And there is divided opinion over redeveloping Perth's Subiaco Oval, or building a new stadium in the city to host World Cup matches.

The FFA has just over a week to present its final costings to the federal government, while they must lodge stadium and infrastructure plans for the World Cup bid by May next year.

FIFA will decide the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts in December next year.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26245975-23215,00.html




basically if Australia are to host the FIFA world cup NRL AFL an Union have to shut down for 8 weeks while its on.

 

[Raider_69]

:lol: i'd lose my sh*t if the AFL and NRL banded together and told em to get farked

I know it wont happen, and it shouldnt happen, the WC could be great for this country's stadiums. But it'd be hilarious if they did

 

[beave]

f$%k em. Put the world cup on during our Summer.............;-)

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

8 week bye.

thatd make a really weird season

but yeah. world cup would be huge for the country

 

[roopy]

There will be billions of dollars floating around.
We make them upgrade all our stadiums and pay us millions in compensation - and give all our members free tickets - and anything else we can think of.

 

[LESStar58]

We won't get the f**king thing anyway!

 

[macavity]

AFL may well tell them to jump - they wont see much of the improved stadia money as they need a medium size farm to play ball - and FIFA dont play that way.

 

[RLS]

Well there is plenty of notice, so why not take the game to the bush for a few weeks, line up the venues now.

The stadiums are not that flash, but they could hit the world cup organisers for compensation.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Well there is plenty of notice, so why not take the game to the bush for a few weeks, line up the venues now.

The stadiums are not that flash, but they could hit the world cup organisers for compensation.

I'd run with that idea. You only need to:

• Find suitable grounds that FIFA won't be using.
• Schedule the NRL games so that they don't clash with big soccer games
• Broadcast the games on FTA as usual
• Obtain heavy compensation from FIFA for loss of gate takings and advertising revenue.

I doubt it will come to that though.

 

[Hanscholo]

Not gunna happen, not without massive compensation, and even then, its virtually destroying the season. More likely, they will simply play the world cup just after the Grand Finals are over, when the weather is still mild.

 

[RL1908]

IF Aust wins the hosting rights and an 8 weeks forced stoppage is agreed to, then I'd be looking to make the most of the opportunity by taking a traditional (long-form) Kangaroo tour of UK & France.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Not gunna happen, not without massive compensation, and even then, its virtually destroying the season. More likely, they will simply play the world cup just after the Grand Finals are over, when the weather is still mild.

You cant.

The world cup has to be played in the Northern summer period due to the Northern hemisphere soccer comps.

 

[Green Machine]

A 4 Nations Rugby League tournament in the UK and France would be good if a lay off is required to host the soccer. The season finished two weeks early in 1988 to accommodate Channel 10’s commitments to the Seoul Olympics. The NRL will move it for nothing as usual and the AFL will get paid a fortune.

 

[Bazal]

Being that I don't give a rats about soccer, I hope they tell them to produce a decent wad of compensatory cash or go and get f**ked.

 

[RL1908]

A 4 Nations Rugby League tournament in the UK and France would be good if a lay off is required to host the soccer.

I was preferring something unique via a Kangaroo tour, rather than another 3 or 4 nations tourno - either way, I agree with you that something in the UK would be good. Maybe an extended World Club Challenge comp.

The season finished two weeks early in 1988 to accommodate Channel 10’s commitments to the Seoul Olympics.

Also happened in 2000 - the NRL Grand Final between Brisbane and Roosters was played on August 27. There was then a World Cup in the UK/France, but it didn't start until the last week of October.

 

[Noa]

I reckon we should keep playing so that anyone from overseas can see what a great game we have with its superior skills and olympic class athleticism . Then in 20 or 30 years we will be as popular as Soccer




Oops, ignore this post, it was meant for Bigfooty.com

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

If it happens, the NRL and AFL should do everything they can to force the FFA and FIFA to promote our games international. A co-branding of some sort. IT wont help the AFL one bit but it will sure expose League to a few unknowns.

 

[hutch]

dont have a problem with it really. the world cup would be a great thing for the whole country, it is not a threat to rugby league as some people like to believe. also, we would be compensated heavily, stadiums would be improved dramatically, and it opens the opportunity to perhaps take a whole round of nrl matches to somewhere such as nz!

 

[Pj,Rj,Hj]

I'd run with that idea. You only need to:

• Find suitable grounds that FIFA won't be using.
• Schedule the NRL games so that they don't clash with big soccer games
• Broadcast the games on FTA as usual
• Obtain heavy compensation from FIFA for loss of gate takings and advertising revenue.

I like the idea but I think some of the smaller stadiums might be taken up by National Soccer teams as training grounds, under FIFA rules they would be out of bounds as well. Could work but pretty sure the FFA have eyes on most sydney grounds like Parramatte Stadium, Blue Tounge, Concord as well as Hindmarsh in Adelaide, Bub Jane Stadium and Swan St in Melourne and MES/Perth Oval in Perth for training.

 

[Devilous]

Well I personally would love the World Cup to come to Australia.

But in League terms we should be saying to FFA (or whoever), good upgrades to rectangular stadiums (Newcastle, Townsville?, Canberra) and a very fat wad of cash for so graciously suspending our season for 8 weeks.

Could work out really good for us.