RLIF announcement: 20 teams to vie for World Cup Glory in 2013

[roopy]

If it is one southern hemisphere and one Northern hemisphere qualifier I say Cook Islands will beat South Africa for the Southern and USA will beat Russia for the Northern.

 

[bowes]

The 12 automatics are a ridiculous decision. There should only be 3 automatics, even though we know about 8 or 9 of those that will make the World Cup, it means there will be more international games for the lesser countries. All european and Pacific countries would have to play in Qualifying tournaments. Now they will have no games for the entirety of 2012! And only eight teams competing in qualifying tournaments? Down from fifteen last time, I thought there would be at least twenty. Maybe the automatic entries should play qualifying games to see who gets in the higher pools or something. European and Pacific Cups might decide that.

The 14 teams might work, I'm thinking they might have 2 'super pools' instead of 1, with the lesser teams in the other two.
Say:
Pool 1:
Australia
England
Wales
PNG

Pool 2:
New Zealand
Tonga
France
Ireland

Pool 3:
Samoa
Cook Islands
USA

Pool 4:
Scotland
Lebanon
Fiji

Or whatever... with the top 6 of Pools 1 and 2 going through, and the winners of Pools 3 and 4 going through. Who knows? What will the crowds be like for the lesser games? I hope they're thinking, God I hope they're thinking.

Sounds about what I was thinking (though Fiji would be Super pool).

People are thinking on the wrong lines saying what are the other 10 as it says AT LEAST 20 nations will take part, so could be more.

Southern Hemisphere could only be South Africa Vs Cook Islands unless Solomons have started. Then winner of a group of USA, Japan and Jamaica Vs European qualifier winner (Shield or whatever). Suspect Lebanon and Wales to be other 2 automatic and Cook Islands and USA the qualifiers. Would rather it be a qualifying emerging nations (with regional preliminaries) with top 2 going through, but would be the same 2

 

[wain]

http://www.rugbyleague.com/rugby-league-news/1328

World Cup set for expansion
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
International rugby league chiefs sprang a surprise on Tuesday when they gave the go-ahead to expand the World Cup to 14 teams in 2013.
Ten teams contested the last World Cup in Australia in 2008, which was pronounced an unqualified success, in sharp contrast to the 2000 tournament in the United Kingdom which comprised 16 teams, produced a host of mis-matches and made a big financial loss.
Twelve teams will enter automatically for the next World Cup, which will be staged in the UK, and two more will come from qualifying tournaments in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Initial proposals by the Rugby Football League for a 14-team tournament were met with opposition, but delegates at Tuesday's Rugby League International Federation meeting in Singapore were impressed by their business plan.
RLIF chairman Colin Love said: "We are delighted to have ratified this proposal for a 14-nation Rugby League World Cup, which was unanimously supported by RLIF delegates.
"This year will see the Four Nations in Australia and New Zealand build on the success of the 2008 Rugby World Cup and 2009 Four Nations, and going forward I am confident that in 2013 we will see a tournament that will successfully showcase international rugby league to a worldwide audience.
"The format reflects rugby league's increased participation around the world and provides a wonderful opportunity for the finest athletes in any sport to prove themselves on the greatest stage of all."
Details of the qualifying system will be revealed later this year but Wales, twice semi-finalists in the past, look certain to join the 10 teams who took part in 2008 and Lebanon will be hoping to secure the other automatic spot.
Organisers are likely to once more seed the major nations in order to avoid the lop-sided scorelines that featured in 2000.
In 2008, England, Australia and New Zealand were all placed in one 'super' pool, alongside Papua New Guinea, with the rest of the nations left to fight it out for one semi-final place.