Pie in the Sky Bid

[AJB1102]

Its a bit of a ridiculous idea.

If he's got buckets of cash and a desire to grow the game globally he could do much better investing in growing the individual competitions around the world, strengthening them to a point where watching international footy was something people other than rusted on fans will want to see.

This man has money and a passion for the game. I hope we can figure out a good way to bring that all together. This ain't it though.

 

[insert.pause]

He just likes the attention.

 

[hrundi99]

When was the last time an internationally minor sport grew into something more widely popular on an ongoing basis?

If anyone can name me one that's valid then I'll be happy to support international expansion attempts and the expenses that goes with them.

 

[Perth Red]

American football? In the mid 80's it was unknown outside nth America. Now the NFL plays sell out games all over the world and is considering European teams in the future. Whilst the ill fated world club championship only lasted a few years it got great crowds and at an amateur level there is now american football leagues in dozens of countries. It has also generated a global tv audience.

 

[hrundi99]

I disagree with you about it being unknown outside the US in the mid 80's. I was very aware of the Cowboys/49ers/Jets etc. at the time.

By it's very nature the entertainment world (of which sport is a part) largely revolves around the US and it's natural that the NFL has an international profile as a result. How many countries have American football teams that could compete with the US in International games? None. Not even Canada.

The CFL is popular in Canada and often feeds players to the NFL. It's still a fair way behind though.

I'd suggest that just based on participation (as opposed to watching it on tv), league wouldn't be that far behind American football in other markets. That's a poor reflection on your suggestion.

 

[The Great Dane]

NRL expansion: Salford owner Marwan Koukash announces radical plan to put English team in NRL

SALFORD’S wealthy owner Marwan Koukash insists a bold plan to base an English team in the NRL is financially viable.

The racehorse magnate wants the “British Bulldogs” to compete in an expanded NRL from 2018, playing home games around England and at a halfway house in Dubai.

Koukash, who has ploughed between STG3 million ($A5.7 million) and STG4 million ($A7.6 million) of his own money into Salford since saving it from financial ruin two years ago, is prepared to bankroll the plan and says he has sponsors already lined up.

Koukash tried to buy an Australian club in 2014 but has so far made little progress.

“This is a better way of me getting into the NRL,” he told PA. “It boils down to whether the NRL want to expand but, if they do, I can’t see why an English team cannot participate.

“The distances involved would be greater but the world is a much smaller place nowadays.

“It would work, it is financially viable.


“I have got a major airline willing to back it and I have a hotel group also willing to provide sponsorship and we haven’t started to market it yet. It is three years in the planning.”

Koukash says one of the motivations behind his plan is to counter the threat from rugby union in the wake of Sam Burgess’ move from NRL premiers South Sydney to English rugby union side Bath.

“People are worried about losing players to the NRL but the biggest danger to rugby league in this country is rugby union,” he said.

“The rugby union are aggressively marketing their product in our heartland so why can’t we take our game to their place?

“We would have the best rugby league players in the world playing in Gloucester, London and Manchester and I would also like to play one of the games in Dubai.

“I have already held initial talks about that.”

Koukash, who says the British Bulldogs concept would not impact on his involvement at Salford, has run the idea past the NRL, who are toying with the idea of increasing their number of clubs from 16 when their current television deal expires at the end of 2017.

Additional teams in New Zealand and Queensland are among likely bidders for a place in the NRL alongside Perth and the Central Coast.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-expansion-salford-owner-marwan-koukash-announces-radical-plan-to-put-english-team-in-nrl/story-fn2mcuj6-1227197910086

If everything he is saying is true then I think it's likely that this team of his would be financially viable, which I admit I'm a little surprised by.

I still think there're a million reasons why it's a bad idea, but if he can prove that there're broadcasters in Britain willing to buy the rights to broadcast the NRL if this team is in the competition, then the NRL should look into his bid and the ramifications of introducing this bid team just as they should look into every bids proposal.

 

[The Great Dane]

When was the last time an internationally minor sport grew into something more widely popular on an ongoing basis?

If anyone can name me one that's valid then I'll be happy to support international expansion attempts and the expenses that goes with them.

Basketball was a niche sport in Asia 30 years ago, then the NBA and the governing body of international basketball pushed the sport heavily in Asia and 30 years on it's huge in Asia compared to where it was 30 years ago and still growing at a rate of knots.

30 or so years ago rugby was a very, very niche sport in Japan (and Asia in general) that was mostly played by expats (including myself) and the military, now after 30 years of investment and help from the IRB Japanese Rugby not only has their own professional competition but has a license to be part of the expanded Super Rugby competition in 2016.

Most of the rugby boards around the world either didn't exist 50 years ago or were tiny minority sports compered to where they are today.

Ice hockey, Lacrosse, American Football, etc, etc, etc have all grown internationally at varying rates.

Just over 100 years ago Rugby league was introduced to Australia and France from England, and then from Australia to NZ, PNG and the PI's........

If we never try to grow the sport internationally, then it'll certainly never grow internationally.

 

[The Great Dane]

I disagree with you about it being unknown outside the US in the mid 80's. I was very aware of the Cowboys/49ers/Jets etc. at the time.

By it's very nature the entertainment world (of which sport is a part) largely revolves around the US and it's natural that the NFL has an international profile as a result. How many countries have American football teams that could compete with the US in International games? None. Not even Canada.

The CFL is popular in Canada and often feeds players to the NFL. It's still a fair way behind though.

I'd suggest that just based on participation (as opposed to watching it on tv), league wouldn't be that far behind American football in other markets. That's a poor reflection on your suggestion.

There're semi-professional and professional female American Football competitions across the world now (the USA, Canada, Australia and I believe Europe and Britain all have either professional or semi-professional competitions) .

From what I understand there have been a few internationals played, whether or not they were competitive or not I don't know.
However I do know that ex-player (and ex-Canberra Raiderette and current Wallaroo (female Australian national RU team)) Chloe Butler is considered one of the best female players to have ever played the game and she's Australian, so I'd imagine that the games would be relatively competitive.

 

[TitanBronco]

I love the theory of the idea but it is highly unlikely to happen and relying on a private backer could end in disaster.

In a perfect world 2 teams from Europe (One from the UK the other from France) would be a better option. In the first half of the season teams could go to Europe for a 2 week stint before coming home and having a bye once they arrive back. Both European teams would then come to Australia for the 2nd half of the season and stay on for the finals if they qualified. However this is easily 50 years away if ever feasible.

It would be the beginning of the end of Super League just like the Broncos destroyed the BRL. However the much like the BRL how long can Super League hold out against NRL clubs buying the cream of the talent and Rugby Union taking the rest?

It raises the question of that the game should be united about growing internationally. The fact London hasn't been supported is silly. The junior base has grown a great deal in London and the professional team has been dreadfully neglected. The RL community needs to get together and work on growing markets. London, France and NZ are probably the most important.

Probably a better idea is having a Champions League much like the World Club Series but in a knock out format featuring the top 4 teams from each competition or having Super League clubs take on NRL teams in a 9s competition alternating each year between hemispheres.

 

[pHyR3]

I think a london team could work, given how it has failed in the super league perhaps the large media attention would help it get some momentum combined with a lot of funding by the NRL (7 million grant a year gives it buying power in union there) and Koukash.

but there are obvious issues with the idea too, as have been discussed already. I'd probably prefer him to just buy up the titans or maybe perth

 

[Perth Red]

I disagree with you about it being unknown outside the US in the mid 80's. I was very aware of the Cowboys/49ers/Jets etc. at the time.

By it's very nature the entertainment world (of which sport is a part) largely revolves around the US and it's natural that the NFL has an international profile as a result. How many countries have American football teams that could compete with the US in International games? None. Not even Canada.

The CFL is popular in Canada and often feeds players to the NFL. It's still a fair way behind though.

I'd suggest that just based on participation (as opposed to watching it on tv), league wouldn't be that far behind American football in other markets. That's a poor reflection on your suggestion.

I'm talking early 80's, wasn't until 85 that the game started to get a decent profile in other countries. You asked which sport had grown its profile, not which sport had created an elite level that could compete internationally with the original comp. your kidding yourself if you think rl has the same international profile as american football. Dozens of countries have american football comps, there is an amateur international scene bigger than rl has, the NFL has a massive international audience compared to NRL. Fact is American football has grown from a predominantly nth American interest to a world wide interest, which is the question you asked. Take a look at the World Cup, it has a far broader geographical reach than the RLWC. The ifaf has a far bigger membership than the RLIF.

http://ifaf.org/countries/federation_list

 

[Perth Red]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-expansion-salford-owner-marwan-koukash-announces-radical-plan-to-put-english-team-in-nrl/story-fn2mcuj6-1227197910086

If everything he is saying is true then I think it's likely that this team of his would be financially viable, which I admit I'm a little surprised by.

I still think there're a million reasons why it's a bad idea, but if he can prove that there're broadcasters in Britain willing to buy the rights to broadcast the NRL if this team is in the competition, then the NRL should look into his bid and the ramifications of introducing this bid team just as they should look into every bids proposal.

This club would need the biggest tevenue in the NRL. Aside from an airline and hotel offering some cheap deals were is the other $20mil coming from?

 

[The Great Dane]

This club would need the biggest tevenue in the NRL. Aside from an airline and hotel offering some cheap deals were is the other $20mil coming from?

If he has really got intent/agreements with an international airline and a chain of hotels to sponsor/support the club, when the club is merely an idea in his head, not even a team that was officially biding, not an operating business, it has no staff, simply a club that is in the earliest concept stages, then I reckon that he could make up that extra $20 mil!

Especially if he can get big business in Dubai on board with the idea, which he seems to think is at least a possibly considering that he wants to take games there.

Why you think that this club would need $20 mil more then the average NRL club a year I don't know.
Sure they'd be much more expensive to operate then your average NRL club, and they'd need a higher income then your average NRL club to be sustainable, but I doubt that they'd need $20 mil more then the average income (including grants) of a sustainable NRL club a year to be sustainable! $5-10 mil maybe, but unless I'm under estimating something not $20 mil.

 

[papabear]

The super league would be in a bit of trouble if it took off as it would just cannabalise that.

IMO if we are looking at going international we should be looking more locally at less competitive sporting markets such as south east asia.

 

[BunniesMan]

This is a laughable idea. This team would never be competitive.

You can't play a 26 round season on the other side of the world from every other team. Look how much the Warriors struggle in Perth or the Cowboys anywhere outside Queensland. Now multiply that travel onto a whole new scale. Crazy idea to any rational person.

 

[alien]

i don't like this idea at all - even if it could be done! if they start bringing in english clubs into it and make it World Rugby League then that will be the death for a few sydney clubs. let europe have their comp and australia/oceania a separate comp.

the nrl should be looking to place new teams in perth, adelaide, central coast, 2nd brisbane team, christchurch, wellington, and maybe even png eventually - but not a bloody english club!!!

 

[pHyR3]

This is a laughable idea. This team would never be competitive.

You can't play a 26 round season on the other side of the world from every other team. Look how much the Warriors struggle in Perth or the Cowboys anywhere outside Queensland. Now multiply that travel onto a whole new scale. Crazy idea to any rational person.

but the draw has not been designed to favour them at all really.

this english team would probably have to make 2 flights during the season. they'd start in oz, fly to england in round 8 or whatever, fly back in round 20 and if they make the finals then stay longer.

youre exagerating the amount of travel they would have to do

 

[BunniesMan]

but the draw has not been designed to favour them at all really.

this english team would probably have to make 2 flights during the season. they'd start in oz, fly to england in round 8 or whatever, fly back in round 20 and if they make the finals then stay longer.

youre exagerating the amount of travel they would have to do

And how are you going to field a competitive team when you have to sell to blokes that they'll spend months at a time away from their families. Which top player would leave a normal team to play for them.