Oceania Cup confirmed

[adamkungl]

Brad Walters thinks Auckland is a Rugby League town

Me thinks Brad Walters is delusional.

 

[Foreign Legion]

 

[Burns]

Brad Walters thinks Auckland is a Rugby League town

Me thinks Brad Walters is delusional.

Sigh. That's probably what the NZRL think as well.

 

[Burns]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/league/news/article.cfm?c_id=79&objectid=12209794

Michael Burgess from the NZ HeraldPress with a positive reaction to tour, and the amount of footy Pacific Nations get.

 

[adamkungl]

I'm tipping a crowd of 35,000 with half to leave well before the end of the NZ v GB game

 

[Springs09]

The Oceania Cup is god damn ridiculous. The amount of games is the exact same as last year with the addition of a NZ v Tonga Mid-season test. Australia play the same amount of games as they did in their 'year off' and against the same opponents. The demise of the Four Nations was meant to bring more games, not less. You can barely call this a tournament.

- Campbelltown again??
- Fiji v PNG at Christchurch??? WTF - Can't have it in either country for some reason so let's put it where both teams have no fans.
- Australia v Tonga gets 26k to a one-off test last year and this year can't even get it's own event.

These tours and comps can work quite easily if they would have a think. We could easily have a second big RLIF tournament, if not an 8-team Confederations Cup then at least a 4 Nations. We can have the Kiwis tour Europe every 4 years and the Ashes every 4 years. Tier 2 teams can compete with Tier 1 Nations in 6-team, 2-pool tournaments - for example England/France/Wales/Scotland/Ireland/Italy, NZ/Tonga/Samoa/Fiji/PNG/Cook Islands. Australia can still have their year off.

Year 1 - European Six Nations/Kiwi Tour of Europe/Pacific Cup
Year 2 - World 9s/Confed Cup
Year 3 - Lions Tour of Australasia/Ashes/Pacific Six Nations/European Cup
Year 4 - World Cup
Year 5 - European Six Nations/Kiwi Tour of Europe/Pacific Cup
Year 6 - World 9s/Confed Cup
Year 7 - Kangaroo Tour of Europe/Ashes/Pacific Six Nations/European Cup
Year 8 - World Cup

 

[siv]

Well I am please we at least have a international schedule for the Pacifuc region that by the looks of it has got the broadcasters engaged

Seems to be strategy of baby steps with a followup plan for the year after

Now to overlay the RLWC Qualifiers and the Euro schedules

Throw in the World 9s and we have exciting period of Int RL in Oct - Nov

 

[yakstorm]

The aim is to run the Oceania Cup every year that isn't a RLWC year (and potentially if the RLIF ever create another major tournament), so it was always going to be limited to only a couple of matches per team, so that teams can organise other matches.

At this point in time, Australia has committed to playing in the 2020 tournament, plus going on their UK tour.

Anyway, whilst parts of the tournament are disappointing, when was the last time, outside of a World Cup year, did:

• Tonga, Fiji and PNG have 3x confirmed Test Matches
• New Zealand host four major international RL events

These matches are in addition to the Prime Ministers XIII games which will take place in Port Moresby again this year, the Cook Island's RLWC Qualifiers matches, etc.

 

[morningstar]

Brad Walters thinks Auckland is a Rugby League town

Me thinks Brad Walters is delusional.

What makes you think it’s not? Outside of Brisbane it’s consistently been the biggest market for the International RL in the Southern Hemisphere.

Playing on RWC final day isn’t ideal but it’s not suicide. We’re getting f**k all from Aus TV so no need to pander to them on broadcast times. Can easily be done and dusted hours before the rah rah lot kick off...and if the organisers are smart they will pivot off of it and promote it as a companion event or get the game on a big screen at the ground after the final siren.

The good news is the NZRL have realised they are useless at marketing, and have handed over the event management to Duco who know a thing or two about promoting league events at Eden Park.

 

[latingringo101]

Here's what I think they've done right and wrong.

Good idea

- NZ v Tonga in Auckland mid season (had to be done, NZ vs Tonga in Auckland was a must)
- Great Britain v Tonga in NZ (Glad they're giving Tonga an extra game)
- GB vs PNG in Port Moresby (always great when PNG is visited by a Tier 1 nation, hopefully the Kangaroos visit as well with the PM XIII)

Ok idea

- Australia vs NZ in Wollongong (I know that Australia vs NZ is a hard sell in NSW, but a 25-30k stadium should be the bare minimum for this kind of fixture. The new Parramatta Stadium would have been an awesome stadium).
- GB vs NZ in Christchurch (Glad Christchurch is getting a go at hosting Rep footy)
- Samoa vs Fiji & GB vs NZ at Eden Park Triple Header (Glad Eden park is getting rep footy back there).

Bad Idea

- Aus v Tonga @ Eden park before NZ vs GB (Tonga is the golden Jewell at the moment so to put them against the Kangaroos before NZ vs GB is very risky).
- Fiji v PNG @ Christchurch (don't understand this decision, don't know how much support Fiji and PNG will get at this venue).
- Samoa vs PNG and Cooks vs Fiji @ Campbelltown (I don't mind the Pacific Test double header, but having it at the same time as Tonga vs NZ is Crazy. Plus i would have chosen the New Parra stadium as a venue over Campelltown).

 

[Stallion]

Here's what I think they've done right and wrong.

Good idea

- NZ v Tonga in Auckland mid season (had to be done, NZ vs Tonga in Auckland was a must)
- Great Britain v Tonga in NZ (Glad they're giving Tonga an extra game)
- GB vs PNG in Port Moresby (always great when PNG is visited by a Tier 1 nation, hopefully the Kangaroos visit as well with the PM XIII)

Ok idea

- Australia vs NZ in Wollongong (I know that Australia vs NZ is a hard sell in NSW, but a 25-30k stadium should be the bare minimum for this kind of fixture. The new Parramatta Stadium would have been an awesome stadium).
- GB vs NZ in Christchurch (Glad Christchurch is getting a go at hosting Rep footy)
- Samoa vs Fiji & GB vs NZ at Eden Park Triple Header (Glad Eden park is getting rep footy back there).

Bad Idea

- Aus v Tonga @ Eden park before NZ vs GB (Tonga is the golden Jewell at the moment so to put them against the Kangaroos before NZ vs GB is very risky).
- Fiji v PNG @ Christchurch (don't understand this decision, don't know how much support Fiji and PNG will get at this venue).
- Samoa vs PNG and Cooks vs Fiji @ Campbelltown (I don't mind the Pacific Test double header, but having it at the same time as Tonga vs NZ is Crazy. Plus i would have chosen the New Parra stadium as a venue over Campelltown).

And the fact the tripple header(Nov2nd) is in Auckland timeslot will impact negatively on tv viewing numbers on the eastern seaboard of Australia *(Australia's biggest tv viewing market). A real shambles for exposing international rugby league to a big market! No chance!

 

[Burns]

Look, to be fair all the matches will be shown on Nine Gem anyway.

 

[Pommy]

And the fact the tripple header(Nov2nd) is in Auckland timeslot will impact negatively on tv viewing numbers on the eastern seaboard of Australia *(Australia's biggest tv viewing market). A real shambles for exposing international rugby league to a big market! No chance!

Why wouldn’t it be in the NZ TV slot? It’s not all about pandering to Australians who don’t care enough to watch it.
There was an entire World Cup in Australia 18 months ago and despite your constant whinging you couldn’t be bothered to go to a single game.

Here's what I think they've done right and wrong.

Good idea

- NZ v Tonga in Auckland mid season (had to be done, NZ vs Tonga in Auckland was a must)
- Great Britain v Tonga in NZ (Glad they're giving Tonga an extra game)
- GB vs PNG in Port Moresby (always great when PNG is visited by a Tier 1 nation, hopefully the Kangaroos visit as well with the PM XIII)

Ok idea

- Australia vs NZ in Wollongong (I know that Australia vs NZ is a hard sell in NSW, but a 25-30k stadium should be the bare minimum for this kind of fixture. The new Parramatta Stadium would have been an awesome stadium).
- GB vs NZ in Christchurch (Glad Christchurch is getting a go at hosting Rep footy)
- Samoa vs Fiji & GB vs NZ at Eden Park Triple Header (Glad Eden park is getting rep footy back there).

Bad Idea

- Aus v Tonga @ Eden park before NZ vs GB (Tonga is the golden Jewell at the moment so to put them against the Kangaroos before NZ vs GB is very risky).
- Fiji v PNG @ Christchurch (don't understand this decision, don't know how much support Fiji and PNG will get at this venue).
- Samoa vs PNG and Cooks vs Fiji @ Campbelltown (I don't mind the Pacific Test double header, but having it at the same time as Tonga vs NZ is Crazy. Plus i would have chosen the New Parra stadium as a venue over Campelltown).

No idea why they have set it up with the clash but I’m not so sure the pacific tests minus Tonga will draw that well.
They are probably banking on making it easy for the large islander population in the SW to attend rather than making them go to Para. Less ambition but also less risk.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

A triple-header? Seriously? Who in there right mind would sit through 3 games of 80min football? Especially with kids?

 

[adamkungl]

A triple-header? Seriously? Who in there right mind would sit through 3 games of 80min football? Especially with kids?

Luckily they won't have to, they'll leave before the 3rd game to catch the World Cup final

 

[Stallion]

Look, to be fair all the matches will be shown on Nine Gem anyway.

Being thankful for small mercies! Rugby league's biggest established market is on the eastern seaboard of Australia. Saturday afternoon in springtime will not gain a big tv audience. The numbers come from this region. Kids may see it but most adults will be out for the day. (Or athe the races in Flemington etc like myself-Lol). It is destined to not gain any impressive ratings butcatvkeast they are playing and it may work well for New Zealand.

 

[Stallion]

Why wouldn’t it be in the NZ TV slot? It’s not all about pandering to Australians who don’t care enough to watch it.
There was an entire World Cup in Australia 18 months ago and despite your constant whinging you couldn’t be bothered to go to a single game.



No idea why they have set it up with the clash but I’m not so sure the pacific tests minus Tonga will draw that well.
They are probably banking on making it easy for the large islander population in the SW to attend rather than making them go to Para. Less ambition but also less risk.

Eastern seaboard of Australia has rugby league's biggest audience. It will be well hidden from this market. Good luck to NZ. If it's well promoted and marketed it may boost the code in NZ. Let's hope so as it will do nothing for the bottom line (tv ratings wise) in Australia.

 

[Pommy]

Eastern seaboard of Australia has rugby league's biggest audience. It will be well hidden from this market. Good luck to NZ. If it's well promoted and marketed it may boost the code in NZ. Let's hope so as it will do nothing for the bottom line (tv ratings wise) in Australia.

It’s a triple header what’s the time difference to eastern Australia?

 

[Burns]

I wonder how they will present the Cup/Shield to the winning teams if they aren’t playing in the third game.
Like, if New Zealand and Samoa win the Pools, they would need to present at the Christchurch double header? Kinda anti climatic

 

[Stallion]

It’s a triple header what’s the time difference to eastern Australia?

Think the 8pm tripple header last game in NZ would be 5pm in eastern seaboard Australia.