RLWC Restructured For Better Contests

[Ideas Man Stephen]

I am a big fan of the international game and hope to watch some of the RLWC in France, however, I don’t really think the current format of 4 groups of 4 gives us enough entertaining fixtures. For example, to be expected high quality fixtures we did not see at last year’s event were:

Aus v Tonga/England; England v Aus/Tonga/NZ; NZ v Eng/Samoa/Tonga; PNG v Fiji/Tonga/Samoa

There is a juggle between scheduling all the best teams to play all the best teams and including lower ranked teams in a six week schedule, but I have an idea that would see the WC increased to 20 teams to increase WC playing opportunity whilst also seeing the best teams playing the best teams.

It requires the WC to change from a group stage to finals format, to a preliminary KO to round robin and final format.

A preliminary 16 nation Prelim KO of the highest ranked nations that did not make the previous WC semi finals. Three KO rounds would leave two nations to join the top 4 seeds in a six team round robin. In 2025 the Prelims would include Tonga, Fiji, PNG, Cooks, Lebanon, Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Jamaica with the likes of USA, Canada, Serbia and Africa 1 joining them.

The remaining 2 teams from the prelims, join the seeded nations for a 6 nation round robin. This would result in the best six nations all playing each other over a five week period with a final in week 6.

This would eliminate less attractive fixtures from the schedule like we saw last year - Eng/Samoa v Greece; Aus v Scot/Italy; NZ v Jamaica; Tonga v Wales - which would all be replaced with high quality top teams v top teams.

 

[welshmagpie]

So teams make the World Cup just to play one game? I can’t see it unfortunately.

 

[Ideas Man Stephen]

So teams make the World Cup just to play one game? I can’t see it unfortunately.

Lower ranked teams yes.

It’s not a really any different to the lower qualifying stages we already have. Just an opportunity for the likes of the bottom eight teams to participate on a much larger scale than losing a qualifier in Belgrade, Toronto or Nairobi. You will be surprised how much governments will buy into their nations competing at that level.

 

[Last Week]

Blow out scores aren't uncommon at any world cup. There will always be teams significantly better than others. Trying to manufacture a structure to hide that just complicates things and also calls into question the credibility of the tournament.

It's good the way it is now. Top nations are playing other nations that they never would otherwise (NZ v Jamaica for example) and qualifiers are meaningful.

 

[Ideas Man Stephen]

Blow out scores aren't uncommon at any world cup. There will always be teams significantly better than others. Trying to manufacture a structure to hide that just complicates things and also calls into question the credibility of the tournament.

It's good the way it is now. Top nations are playing other nations that they never would otherwise (NZ v Jamaica for example) and qualifiers are meaningful.

It’s not a matter of hiding fixtures, it’s a matter of making matches competitive and pitching teams at the right levels, for entertaining fixtures. It also makes for attractive fixtures that would have more people stream through the turnstiles, in turn increasing profitability, which is an issue that has plagued the IRL for decades.

Who really wants to watch the kangaroos pile on 80 against Scotland, or England destroy Greece by 90, Kiwis smash Jamaica by 60? It’s good those smaller nations compete and the proposed structure keeps them there, but, I would much prefer to watch Aus/NZ/Eng/Tonga/Samoa/PNG all play each other. Much more entertaining.

It also makes the prelim’s more entertaining too, with so much on the line against teams that are around your level. The top two qualify to play the big 4.

 

[Last Week]

You conveniently forget that England beat Samoa by 60 points at the world cup.

 

[Kurt Angle]

The super pool concept worked. When we went from 14 to 16, all that needed to be done was make the minnow pools 4 trams instead of 3.

You saw tight games amo.gst the strong pools, and joyous games with minnows excited to be in the world cup

 

[jim_57]

The super pool concept worked. When we went from 14 to 16, all that needed to be done was make the minnow pools 4 trams instead of 3.

You saw tight games amo.gst the strong pools, and joyous games with minnows excited to be in the world cup

Exactly and it shouldn’t be hard to switch back, the format suits us better and provides more high profile games and less mismatches.

1 - Australia, NZ, England, Samoa
2 - Tonga, PNG, Fiji, Lebanon
3 - France, Cooks, Ireland, Wales
4 - Italy, Scotland, Jamaica, USA (likely to replace Greece)

Pools A & B - 1, 1, 2, 3 (3 qualify from each)
Pools C & D - 2, 3, 4, 4 (1 qualifies from each)

 

[Ideas Man Stephen]

The super pool concept worked. When we went from 14 to 16, all that needed to be done was make the minnow pools 4 trams instead of 3.

You saw tight games amo.gst the strong pools, and joyous games with minnows excited to be in the world cup

Exactly and it shouldn’t be hard to switch back, the format suits us better and provides more high profile games and less mismatches.

1 - Australia, NZ, England, Samoa
2 - Tonga, PNG, Fiji, Lebanon
3 - France, Cooks, Ireland, Wales
4 - Italy, Scotland, Jamaica, USA (likely to replace Greece)

Pools A & B - 1, 1, 2, 3 (3 qualify from each)
Pools C & D - 2, 3, 4, 4 (1 qualifies from each)

Please no, that was the most antiquated structure available and a mockery.

 

[jim_57]

Please no, that was the most antiquated structure available and a mockery.

It worked fine and would continue to, keeps the strong teams away from Greece or Jamaica. Our most successful world cups were under that format.

 

[Ideas Man Stephen]

It worked fine and would continue to, keeps the strong teams away from Greece or Jamaica. Our most successful world cups were under that format.

And my proposal also keeps them separated, but delivers a more aesthetically pleasing structure and more accountable fixtures for more nations. For example

Aus, Samoa, Kiwis and France auto qualify for the Super Group. (Hosts, 22 finalists and the highest ranked semi finalist. In most cases the host will be a semi finalist from the previous WC).

this leaves Knock Outs potentially as:

Rd1
Eng v Wales
Ire v Scot
Greece v Serbia
Italy v Lebanon

Jamaica v USA/Canada
Tonga v Cooks
PNG v Lebanon
Fiji v Africa 1


Rd2 - assuming favourites win
Eng v Gre
Ire v lebanese
Jam v Ton
PNG v Fiji

Rd3 - guessing
Eng v Ire
Ton v Fiji

winners join Aus, Samoa, Kiwis and France in the Super Sixes round robin or whatever you want to call it, for 15 fixtures featuring the best nations available playing each other.

lower teams get exposure, top teams don’t waste time against weak opponents. Fans get evenly matched contests from start to finish.