Proposed 2009 Four Nations Schedule

[Coastbloke]

Although we assume the Four Nations between Australia, NZ, England and France will go head next year in England and probaly France for some of the French matches, I - not surprisingly - believe it still hasn't officially been confirmed.

No venues for example..

Where do you think they will play...??

How's this for a schedule:

NZ vs Australia - Mt Smart or perhaps a venue for promotion, such as Dunedin

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/oceania/new_zealand/otago_carisbrook.shtml

England vs Australia - City of Manchester Stadium

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/england/north_west/manchester_city_stadium.shtml

England vs NZ - KC Stadium

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/england/yorkshire_humber/hull_kingston.shtml

England vs France - Assume the mid year Test - if confirmed will be in France - then play this is England - Galpharm Stadium

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/england/yorkshire_humber/huddersfield_galpharm.shtml

France vs NZ - Beziers

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/france/languedoc_roussillion/beziers_mediterranee.shtml

France vs Australia - I was tempted to go bigger here, but still in Paris

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/france/ile_de_france/paris_charlety.shtml

4th on the ladder drops out of tournament and 2nd and 3rd fight it out for the right to play 1st - Reebok Stadium

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/england/north_west/bolton_reebok.shtml

1st and 2nd - well....It has to be...

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/england/london/london_wembley.shtml

 

[roughyedspud]

australia v NZ won't be played down under...and england v france will be in france

 

[pcpp]

I don't see the point of playing a 2v3 match to decide who makes the Final.

Maybe a 3v4 as a prelude, or curtain raiser to the Final would make much more sense - people would still attend if England don't make the final.

 

[Coastbloke]

australia v NZ won't be played down under...and england v france will be in france

Are you sure about the Aus vs NZ match..??

2004 and 2005 1st matches of the tournament were played in the Sthn Hemisphere i'm sure. Makes sense to keep that going as it gives NZ a Test for the year because Australia gets the May Test....

Source for def that England vs France match will be France....??

 

[Coastbloke]

Yeh, I checked the match results (with venues) just then, and going by the scores, I'd say NZ would want to keep it that way....lol

 

[roughyedspud]

Are you sure about the Aus vs NZ match..??

2004 and 2005 1st matches of the tournament were played in the Sthn Hemisphere i'm sure. Makes sense to keep that going as it gives NZ a Test for the year because Australia gets the May Test....

Source for def that England vs France match will be France....??

look the tournament is being held up here,australia v NZ won't be in the southern hemisphere for the same reason why scotland v france in the recent world cup was'nt played in paris or glasgow..do you understand my point?

as for england v france....the french will be given all the help they need to perform..that means all their games will be in france...

 

[jim_57]

I agree with spud about all games being played in Southern Hemisphere.

I've done it a few times before but for the reciord here is what I'd go with:

ENG V AUS - Wembley Stadium, London - 90,000
FRA V NZL - Stade Gilber Brutus, Perpignan, 14,000

AUS V NZL - St David's Stadium, Cardiff - 30,000 (Double Header with Wales V Ireland european cup game.)
FRA V ENG - Parc Des Princes, Paris - 49,000

ENG V NZL - Elland Road, Leeds - 40,000
FRA V AUS - Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse - 18,000

Final - CoM Stadium, Manchester - 48,000
3rd V EC 1st - EC Nation Host
4th V EC 2nd - EC Nation Host

 

[Coastbloke]

look the tournament is being held up here,australia v NZ won't be in the southern hemisphere for the same reason why scotland v france in the recent world cup was'nt played in paris or glasgow..do you understand my point?

Woah....there's a bit of attitude there Roughy..

We're not still a bit tetchy over England's woeful WC campaign surely...?? :lol: :lol:

Since you're so keen on making a point, here's mine..

In the Northern Hemisphere Tri Nations in 2004 and 2005, Australia and NZ played there first match down in Australia and NZ..

Now, if you read the thread, we are none the wiser as to where the venues will be. So again Mr Tetchy, what makes you think they won't use that option again..??..If you have info to suggest that Australia and NZ will play game 1 in England please provide your source...

PS: I would lean to agreement on the France thing..

 

[Coastbloke]

That's a nice looking schedule there Jim....

 

[roughyedspud]

Woah....there's a bit of attitude there Roughy..

We're not still a bit tetchy over England's woeful WC campaign surely...?? :lol: :lol:

Since you're so keen on making a point, here's mine..

In the Northern Hemisphere Tri Nations in 2004 and 2005, Australia and NZ played there first match down in Australia and NZ..

Now, if you read the thread, we are none the wiser as to where the venues will be. So again Mr Tetchy, what makes you think they won't use that option again..??..If you have info to suggest that Australia and NZ will play game 1 in England please provide your source...

PS: I would lean to agreement on the France thing..

not techy at all :lol:

right lets use our brains and try to work out whats going to happen in next years 4 nations and why it'll be different to the previous tri nations..

the tri nations was a 7 week event, it made sense for australia & NZ to get their games played while we (ESL) finished our season..the 4 nations is a 4 week event, now, if you want australia & nz to play each other then fly to england/france and then play again 4 days after landing here then thats up to you...personally i think it'll leave those games open to critisim with teams/fans/press willingness to blame any defeats on ridiculous schedules, so lets all start at the same time and the same place..unlike the tri nations nobody should be given the advantage of having already played and getting weeks off

i've had a look at the possible dates for the start of next year's tournament, have a look and tell me where it goes wrong

OCT 3rd - NRL grand final
OCT 10th - ESL grand final
OCT 17/18th - blank
OCT 24/25th - 4N wk1 - ENGvFRA & AUSvNZ
OCT 31/01nov - 4N wk2 -ENGvAUS & FRAvNZ
NOV 7/8th - 4N wk3 - ENGvNZ & FRAvAUS
NOV 14th - 4N wk4 - FINAL

now if australia & NZ want to play each other in a end of season international the weekend of the ESL grand final then so be it, but it should'nt be a 4 nations game...better still why does'nt one of them play PNG and the other tonga or samoa as a warm up to the 4 nations? cos i can tell you now if the above dates are correct then england will be playing a warm up on the weekend of oct17/18th minus the grand final players,like we did against wales this year..

 

[roughyedspud]

what should the 4 nations schedule look like..?


heres mine

week 1 - opening week double header, australia v NZ & france v england @ toulouse , stade municipal, capacity 36,000

week 2 england v australia @ wembley,capacity 90,000, gotta sell tickets very cheaply though ie £10 adults - £5 kids/oaps

france v new zealand @ stade de la mediterranee, capacity 18,000 this is in a town called beziers, in the south east heartland of french RL,about 30miles east of toulouse,it's a rugby union stadium mainly...but it's a cracking looking ground....

week 3 england v new zealand @ elland road, leeds, capacity 40,000

france v australia @ parc des princes,paris, capacity 48,000

week 4 FINAL @ the city of manchester stadium, capacity 48,000

i'd post a picture but it won't let me

 

[jim_57]

Our schedules have a fair bit in common spud, I would be very happy with either. I just hope we don't end up with boring little venues like Huddersfield or Doncaster, I think we need to go for something big.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Aus v NZ has to be in London. That game in 2004 at Loftus Rd was huge. A full house looked great. Of course a game at Wembley against England would be pretty good too.

Actually if the tournament opener was in London at the end of October there's a fair chance I'll be there visiting my sisters so please please please make it England v the Roos at Wembley.

 

[Coastbloke]

I certainly don't have a problem with Australia vs NZ in England, it makes sense being a NH tournament. I just don't think they will do it that way..

We will have to wait and wait and wait and see.

 

[Perth Red]

If we took Int RL seriously and wanted to make the quad nations a real money raiser then this is what my ideal schedule would look like:

Play two games back to back mid season in each hemisphere and with the format below it would see France and England hosting four games at end of season which would be the big money games. All seems to make sense to me. Bring the SL/NRL GF's forward to first weekend in October and Quad nations two weeks later. Runs for 5 weeks till end of November.

Quad Nations

June
Round 1
NZ v Australia- Auckland
France v England- Perps

Round 2
Australia v NZ - Brisbane
England v France - Warrington

October/November
Round 3
France v NZ - Perps
England v Oz - JJB

Round 4
France v Oz - Toulouse
England v NZ - Hull

Round 5
France v NZ - Marseille
England v Oz - Headingly

Round 6
France v Oz - Perps
England v NZ - London

Final - Wembley

 

[Coastbloke]

I know it's the Holiday Season, but when does anyone think confirmation will be announced...??

I seem to remember Colin Love saying that the bids for the 2013 RLWC would be announced shortly after the 2008 RLWC final and of course zilch....!!

 

[roughyedspud]

at a guess i'd say may or june

 

[deluded pom?]

Or possibly October :sarcasm:

 

[roughyedspud]

it has already been confirmed btw...when love made his announcement about the 5 year fixture list..

but like a said dates and venues probably won't be announced until the summer, 6 months before which is about right for a 4 team tournament imo

 

[Sam_the_man]

France are a better side than what they showed in the world cup. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the four nations.