Shame ARL/RLIF

[Heritage XIII]

Shame on both these organisations on news the NSW waratahs are touring and playing Russia.

We have not heard the truth about Russia but only second & third hand rumours. Why haven't the ARL not committed a high profile drive into Russia. The addition of this country was a great chance for rugby league but small minded narrow administrators in charge of the game (pure lackies of the NRL) have lost another golden opportunity and union just goes straight in there by not mucking around and sending its flagship to do the job.

The ARL cronies enjoyed visits by the ganster run RRL with no questions asked and now its all fallen apart they are nowhere to be heard.

The whole lot should stand down!

 

[yakstorm]

The Waratahs tour a nation every year. They went to Argentinia last year and have USA pencilled in for next. The Russia trip by the NSWRU has been planned for quite a while now.

For your information the ARL/RLIF and ERLF have committed quite significant funds and work into Russia. Just cause they aren't sending a high profile team there does not mean nothing is being done. As you would be aware, the Waratah's season is over, none of the major League seasons are, so its a bit hard for anyone to do it at the same time.

I think people need to get over this whole idea that just cause you are an RL fan that instantly everyone should tell you everything. As well people seem to keep assuming league has budgets the size of union's just to send teams and groups anywhere whenever they want. The fact is League doesn't, and with the limited funds the code has, we have to try and share it around.

 

[Copa]

Well said.

RL business plans have to be protected and kept private until the time comes to release information. Relationships are sensitive and need to be nutured and rival businesses need to be kept in the dark as long as resonably possible.

However, it should be said... sport incites passion and gives meaning to life for many fans .... for some fans it means a great deal for the sport to develop and compete effectively with other sports etc.. So if they think their sport is falling behind... it can feel pretty bad.

 

[Heritage XIII]

That's the point, union is well planned, league planning is always up in the air, and the ARL/RLIF must take responsibility. Why should plans be kept secret? Why can't we be given a decent plan for international development. No one seems to know anything.

A good example on another board states roughly 'a friend in the RLIF said such & such is happening, inc. Estonia going to the Munich 9's" Well, the guy organising the Munich 9's has never been approached by Estonia to play in this tournament.

Why should we hear such rumours from people. Surely the RLIF can tell us what is happening in a tournament one month away! Where is this supposed website?

Talk about underfunding...well, do any members of the RLIF have the business skills to find a world sponsor?, create a business plan?, and so. They have a chance with the next world cup rights, let's see if they do a good job.

Come on, I've worked in and around Rugby League organisations to know jobs are for life for most of these officials not based on obvious skills to the position but because they are solidly backed by an incompetent network that protects their interests.

Good example, was when the Russian boss came to Oz for the Sevens/RLIF meeting a couple of years back...never turned up to the meeting as he was supposedly sick thru most of his stay and was subsequently seen about in Casinos. His obvious interest in RL was questionable then. Did the ARL report this to immigration as stipulated in a visiting visa requirement? The meeting was a joke on the whole by the way.

I have no crticism of the RLEF by the way. They have a website, announce things, and one can see some sort of transperancy to their development.

 

[yakstorm]

Oh don't get me wrong Copa, I have no issue with individuals passion and that, but from working on both sides of the fence...you see why things are kept hush hush.

League has for a long time copped it for saying it is doing stuff, or plans to do stuff and then it falls through. Now they are taking the cautious approach and they still cop it. Who would want to work in Rugby League?

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Organisations are not always going to make every piece of info public but in rugby league keeping the media and fans in the dark has become an artform except when the info is negative or detrimental to the game then it comes out in a flash. The way the ARL (The RLIF is basically just the ARL, RFL and NZRL) has handled the World Cup so far has been very ordinary to say the least. They do some good things but usually fall short of what most of us expect of them. For example they took a game to the US and they've done a few things to help PNG lately but but other than that I think the ARL has fallen short. The Tonga/Samoa and Australian XIII v PNG Presidents XIII matches will be good if they happen but so often their attempts to help the Pacific Islands have been minimal. Not hosting the Pacific Rim tournament and the 7s in the last 6 months is pretty poor. The ARL reckons Russia and other European nations are the RFL's responsibility but they still could have done a lot more to help. If Europe is left to the RFL it'll be a big job because all the growth in the game seems to be in Europe at the moment. The ARL has a difficult job but that doesn't mean they're excused when they do it poorly. Union does a much better job, and yes they do have the advantage over us in tersm of money, existing infrastructure and a big head start but they're also putting in a bigger and smarter effort then we are at present.

 

[yankeeboy]

How can the RLIF say anything? They are a pox on rugby league; hopelessly backwater. They still have no website

 

[Woods99]

Look, guys, if it makes you feel better, I doubt that the Waratahs tour is intended to promote rugby union in Russia. As with last year's tour to Argentina, it is primarily aimed at team-building and sorting out some selection possibilities.

I doubt that the Waratahs have all that much money, incidentally. Maybe if the management structure of the various league organisations in Australia (ARL, NRL, QRL, NSWRL, CRL etc) was trimmed a bit, there would be more money for the promotion of an international schedule.

 

[Jeffles]

RU in Russia is far more advanced than RL so it should be no surprise that there is an elite RU tour there before an elite RL tour.

Russian RL is at the crossroads. They need help at the grassroots not some flash and dash tour.

 

[Copa]

League has for a long time copped it for saying it is doing stuff, or plans to do stuff and then it falls through. Now they are taking the cautious approach and they still cop it. Who would want to work in Rugby League?

Ha ha. Those working in RL have it easy. I dare not mention where I work or I'll be hounded forever on here.....

 

[DIEHARD]

Ha ha. Those working in RL have it easy. I dare not mention where I work or I'll be hounded forever on here.....

Is that you Arko?

 

[griff]

League has for a long time copped it for saying it is doing stuff, or plans to do stuff and then it falls through. Now they are taking the cautious approach and they still cop it. Who would want to work in Rugby League?

That's the thing, if you say you are going to do something and you don't, you end up looking far worse than if you never said anything at all.

But what that shows is that there is a deeper problem, lack of certainty about what is happening in international RL. That is the real issue.

In the absence of a firm official voice, interested people have to rely on third hand gossip on internet forums, and you get problems with uncontrolled false rumours flying around, people angry at the authorities etc.

Copa, I bet it's the tax office isn't it??

 

[screeny]

I agree with Heritage xiii on one key point: the willingness of the ARL/RLIF/RFL hierarchies to fall for Russia's former benefactor's seduction without asking any real questions or investigating the true worth of the game over there.

They were all so relieved with a potential success story to emerge, too busy saying things like "25,000 watched USA match" or "the game's going to explode over there" that they forget to actually ask if there was any substance past the casino owner's chequebook. Now the $500,000 Moscow City COuncil pledged, that Colin Love allegedly signed for recently or last year, is up in the air. The top officials are utterly responsible.

 

[jvujosevic]

People from ARL and RLIF are not aware of potential of rugby league like sport. Rugby league is one of the best sports game in world, rules are simple and everybody can understand it (not like rugby union), also game is very physic and quick, and I’m sure that if ARL, RLIF, … put on TV broadcast of NRL games, international games in Emergency nation states that will be revolution of rugby league.

In Serbia we are working on development step by step, we are aware that development can’t come over night . Now we are recognize from government after 4 years, as independent sport and we made Belgrade Rugby League Federation (Belgrade is capital city with 2 million people, and 3 rugby league clubs), next step is Vojvodina Rugby League Federation (part of Serbia with 2,5 million people, we have 2 rugby league clubs and one will be make next season), the idea is to collect all money from regional, local state council and sport union and to develop rugby league on regional base. The crucial moment of development of game in Serbia is to put rugby league on TV (NRL or Super League games) and to start to work in schools with U10, U12 and U14.

Our idea is that Serbia become regional leader in South Eastern Europe in rugby league and to animate other country like Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia,… to play rugby league, because our staff (all were involve in rugby union) have very good connection with rugby union clubs in those countries.

 

[League Freak™]

The ARL, NZRL and RFL are just selfish, ignorant governing bodies that do more harm then good to their own nations, let alone stuffing up everyone else.


Russia has been left on its own for over a decade. Its only a matter of time before union is the game rugby code there.



Looking at the big picture, their switch from union all those years ago was a poor decision.

 

[In-goal]

One must remeber the NZRL isn't wealthy buy any stretch of the imagination, infact they can barley afford the development that currently exists in that country. They rely heavily on gate taking for the Kiwis and moneys from the Tri-Nations.

The RFL have only just got there nose out of debt after the poorly managed WC of 2000 when one must say our game was at it's lowest ebb, but now as is seen the British game is on the up and they are doing there best by expanding nationwide as well as helping out Europe through the growth of the Challenge Cup and York 9's event.

As for the ARL well they are a different kettle of fish obviously the world leader, but have been cripled buy poor managment and a little battle that took place in the later part of last century.

 

[Woods99]

Rugby league as a sport always looks for the quick fix. League followers think that because they prefer league, the rest of the world will also automatically prefer it, too.

Sorry, guys, it just ain't so. There are flaws in rugby union, but if you have grown up with it, it is your benchmark. Rugby league would be better off changing its name, and forgetting about competing with rugby union head-on. Unless, that is, all league followers are prepared to put in a lot of effort for the long haul.

There are no quick fixes. To people who have grown up with rugby union, rugby league looks like a training drill with tackling. A lot of skill, for sure, but not much interest. Okay, shoot me.

 

[Copa]

Rugby league as a sport always looks for the quick fix. League followers think that because they prefer league, the rest of the world will also automatically prefer it, too.

Sorry, guys, it just ain't so.

.

Distort situation....... shoot it down. Some call it the fallacy of the straw man. Whatever you call it it is fallacious as it doesn't target reality.

I don't think that because I prefer league, the rest of the world will also automatically prefer it also. That makes you wrong.

 

[Copa]

Copa, I bet it's the tax office isn't it??

Nope.

 

[jvujosevic]

Rugby league as a sport always looks for the quick fix. League followers think that because they prefer league, the rest of the world will also automatically prefer it, too.

Sorry, guys, it just ain't so. There are flaws in rugby union, but if you have grown up with it, it is your benchmark. Rugby league would be better off changing its name, and forgetting about competing with rugby union head-on. Unless, that is, all league followers are prepared to put in a lot of effort for the long haul.

There are no quick fixes. To people who have grown up with rugby union, rugby league looks like a training drill with tackling. A lot of skill, for sure, but not much interest. Okay, shoot me.

Rugby union fan