RL World Cup 08 starts this week

[ali]

Next weekend features the first RL 2008 World Cup qualifier, when Russia travel to Holland. These 2 nations along with Georgia and Serbia are fighting for the 2 remaining spots in the main European Qualifying group. The top 2 teams from European pre-qualifying will join Ireland, Lebanon, Scotland and Wales in competing for 2 world cup spots and 1 playoff spot.

The World Cup will be played in Australia in 2008, to celebrate the centenary of RL in Australia. The other qualifying groups are Pacific featuring Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands and Fiji, and Atlantic featuring the USA, West Indies, South Africa and Japan.

The 5 successful qualifiers join Australia, NZ, PNG, England and France in the 10 team World Cup.

I assume with many Pacific eligable players within our club, we could have quite a representation at the 08 world cup.
http://www.rlef.eu.com

 

[wittyfan]

I've heard those Serbs could be a surprise packet.

 

[ali]

I've heard those Serbs could be a surprise packet.

Hehe, I expect the Serbs to struggle, but it's a surprise that we have around 500 players participating in Serbia considering they haven't got much support from the established Rugby Leagues.

 

[ghoti]

Hehe, I expect the Serbs to struggle, but it's a surprise that we have around 500 players participating in Serbia considering they haven't got much support from the established Rugby Leagues.

Gee, 500 is a pretty good number for a developing nation..especially a REALLY developing nation like Serbia.

 

[ali]

Gee, 500 is a pretty good number for a developing nation..especially a REALLY developing nation like Serbia.

I think that figure is a little creative. But they have 6(?) senior teams I think, who are NOT made up of expat Aussies and poms, and the rest are made up of juniors who either play in competition or have been exposed to the game at some stage recently. It's probably only 200-300 who play regularly. But on the positive, Serbia is proving to be quite a RL travel destination, with a Russian club side just toured, a Lebanese uni team on the way soon, and 2 British sides to tour this European summer.

 

[newman]

Good stuff.

Sure there will be a few shellackings, but the Rugby World cup paints itself as the third biggest sporting event in the world and an international game and look at the results in their last world cup. Plenty of 100+ scores.

 

[ali]

Good stuff.

Sure there will be a few shellackings, but the Rugby World cup paints itself as the third biggest sporting event in the world and an international game and look at the results in their last world cup. Plenty of 100+ scores.

I can't believe our media bought that sh*te. There is no way in hell the Union world cup is the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world and it certainly wasn't watched by 4 Billion people. For one example, the cricket world cup is bigger on the strength of 1 billion indians.

 

[newman]

Never thought about it like that, but very true.

 

[ali]

I tip Russia to win by 46-10.

Monday 24 April 2006

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

The opening match on the road to the southern hemisphere for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup takes place next Friday, 28th April, when Holland face Russia in Den Haag in the first tie of the ‘European Preliminary Qualifying Tournament’.

Both nations have announced their opening squads for the clash with the hosts, who have included five new caps in their initial 17, confident of putting up a spirited show against their more experienced opponents.


Nederland Squad:

1. Rudy Stanford Smyth - Rugby Sparta - Caps 5

2. Jammie Groeneweg - Hoek van Holland -1

3. Joel Barrett - Sheffield Hallam - 3

4. Ronald v / d Broek – Haagsche - 4

5. Kees Foxon - Nottingham Outlaws - 3

6. Jorik Moree – Rotterdam - 5

7. Aaron de Jagger - Huddersfield Underbank Rangers (Capt) - 3

8. Phil Parkinson - Nottingham Outlaws - 2

9. Chris Hodgett - Hemel Stags - 0

10. Bevan Williamson – Rotterdam - 5

11. James Howitt - Coventry Bears - 1

12. Jason Brygroms - Rotterdam - 0

13. Raymond den Engelsman - Hoek van Holland - 2

14. Johnny Qua - Rotterdam - 5

15. Sjorte Neiboer - WC Haaglanden - 0

16. Pieter v / d Hast - WC Haaglanden - 0

17. Benjamin Blom - Sassenheim - 0


Plus three players to be selected from the game between the Nederland Tasman (Dutch development team) and Bamber Bridge to come into the senior squad



Russian Squad:

MANAGEMENT:

Klebanov Evgeny

Osipov Oleg

Cherenkov Sergey

Drynkov Igor

Bardeev Alexander


PLAYERS:

Dumalkin Andrey

Nechaev Viktor

Ovchinnikov Roman

Baskakov Valentin

Gvozdev Yan

Grigoryan Artem

Dobrynin Sergey

Zagoskin Nikolay

Korolev Denis

Vinogradov Georgy

Koltykhov Andrey

Fedchuk Vadim

Iliassov Robert

Safiullin Adel

Smirnov Oleg

Vlasyuk Vladimir

Ososkov Eduard

Sokolov Oleg

Bychkov Sergey

Konstantinov Sergey

Veteran Robert Iliassov commented, "We’ll be preparing for each match of the World Cup as if it is the most important match in our life."

 

[blacktip-reefy]

I can't believe our media bought that sh*te. There is no way in hell the Union world cup is the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world and it certainly wasn't watched by 4 Billion people. For one example, the cricket world cup is bigger on the strength of 1 billion indians.

Watched & poplation with televisions are very different things.
There is a fact that reaads something like 90% of the worlds population have never used a telephone.

 

[ali]

Watched & poplation with televisions are very different things.
There is a fact that reaads something like 90% of the worlds population have never used a telephone.

True, though India is well on the road to being an economic powerhouse. Just the other day i was reading about an Indian company whose shares were booming due to having the online rights to show highlights of England vs India cricket on the net. And don't forget there is a sh*tload of rich south asians living in the USA, Canada, England and the gulf states.

Poor people will find a way to watch their sport of choice. I've seen satellite dishes on top of slums in Rio.

My point was, that the figure of 4 billion viewers that Union officials used to boast about the popularity of their event was impossible to attain. I forget how many matches they played, it was around 40 I think. That's 100 million people watching every game. Considering it's been proven that approximately 20 million people watched the final, it's fair to say there was a sh*tload of propaganda floating around during the Union world cup.

Anyway, good luck to the Union officials. I hope the Rugby League International Federation, through Union style bullsh*t or however, finds a way to have a successful tournament in 2008.

 

[Mr. Shark]

Go Lebanon!



Actually, the game over there is mainly played by a handful of university teams. The locals have no idea.; but they're coached predominantly by a few expatriate Aussies.

And on another matter, the locals over there - that I talk to anyway - can't believe the mess some of Lebanese descent in Oz have got themselves in to.

Go The Cedars!

 

[Macca]

Wait til cricket breaks into China in the next 20 years

 

[sydneysharkbrisbane68]

Theo Burgess is going to have a look at the dutch team with a hope our centre problem could be fixed by either Joel Barrett or Ronald van de Broek, the may lack NRL experience but will bring international experience to the club, something money cant buy.

Supercoach has already starting taking dutch lessons, so he can explain he tried and tru coaching tips to these to new guns.

 

[ali]

Go Lebanon!



Actually, the game over there is mainly played by a handful of university teams. The locals have no idea.; but they're coached predominantly by a few expatriate Aussies.

And on another matter, the locals over there - that I talk to anyway - can't believe the mess some of Lebanese descent in Oz have got themselves in to.

Go The Cedars!

It is brilliant though, that a bunch of Aussie lebanese, have managed to get the locals playing the game. That was the major positive to come out of Aus based Lebanon playing in the 2000 world cup.