Should league push into japan ?.

[Irish-bulldog]

With the news that the sunwolves are being booted from super rugby in a World Cup year, should league try and push into Japan

 

[Walter sobchak]

With the news that the sunwolves are being booted from super rugby in a World Cup year, should league try and push into Japan

Absolutely yes. I’ve always thought that the Japanese would be better suited to league and they have a more than decent national side.

The most obvious question always comes back to money and would the NRL take a game there?

 

[Irish-bulldog]

Absolutely yes. I’ve always thought that the Japanese would be better suited to league and they have a more than decent national side.

The most obvious question always comes back to money and would the NRL take a game there?

How the hell would league successfully fill the hole Union is leaving ?/

 

[Walter sobchak]

How the hell would league successfully fill the hole Union is leaving ?/

That’s the problem Union is too entrenched in Japan like it is in other countries which would leave league always behind the 8ball.

Again it comes down to money and vision. The only short term thing RL could do would be to take a trial match there or even a regular season round game/s there and guage the reaction.

 

[parrawentyfan]

I guess the question is 'who owns the Sunwolves'?

The most radical plan would be to waltz into Japan smack a bunch of money on the table and say - 'switch to RL and we will embrace and support you.' Buy out the Sunwolves and get them to switch codes. I wish the NRL had done that with the Western Force.

At the very least send over some reps and see if the time is right to kick up a stink. Given union is funded by rich Japanese conglomerates, you'd have to expect a ton of resistance, but better now than after the RUWC when union will have made more inroads.

 

[sportas]

I guess the question is 'who owns the Sunwolves'?

The most radical plan would be to waltz into Japan smack a bunch of money on the table and say - 'switch to RL and we will embrace and support you.' Buy out the Sunwolves and get them to switch codes. I wish the NRL had done that with the Western Force.

At the very least send over some reps and see if the time is right to kick up a stink. Given union is funded by rich Japanese conglomerates, you'd have to expect a ton of resistance, but better now than after the RUWC when union will have made more inroads.

The Sunwolves are owned by the JRU and was created to help improve their players leading up to the 2019 World Cup. So I seriously doubt they would just convert the team to a rugby league team.

Secondly dispite them no longer being in super rugby the Japanese top league still exists so it’s not like rugby is just gonna be stopped being played there. I do see japan being added to the rugby championship in next few years. So if league wants to get a hold somehow it will need to invest BIG!

 

[Knownothing]

The game is heavily sponsored by big corporations. There is a lot of prestige involved, apparently.

 

[adamkungl]

Replacing the Sunwolves is unrealistic but the answer to

Should League push into [anywhere]?

is always yes

 

[Knownothing]

Growing from local roots is always preferable to pushing in.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Of all the places in Asia we could go, we spend money on the one place Rugby Union is actually popular?

 

[miguel de cervantes]

hairbrained idea

union has been in Japan for a long time and is firmly entrenched despite the sunwolves.

why pursue hairbrained schemes when genuine domestic work in south america, south east asia and the balkans would do so much better with support?

 

[adamkungl]

Growing from local roots is always preferable to pushing in.

I'm fine with a grassroots push.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Start growing the game from the ground up first and in 25 years something may happen.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

The Sunwolves were largely a burden for the JRU. The Top League has always been its focus.

 

[Whatwhere]

How the hell would league successfully fill the hole Union is leaving ?/

Union isn't leaving any holes in Japan. All that's happening is the JRFU are dissolving the Sunwolves(they actually voted to remove the Sunwolves from SR alongside Sth Africa and Argentina) and reverting to their already long established Top League structure.

And that's if the reports of the Sunwolves popping up in what has been referred to as an Asian Super Rugby competition based around Andrew Forrests GRR concept turn out not to be on the money. They are hosting the RWC in 6 months and depending on the outcome of negotiations with the Unions and the Private Equity firm Infront they'll have 11 Tests against T1 opposition from 2022.

 

[T-Boon]

With the news that the sunwolves are being booted from super rugby in a World Cup year, should league try and push into Japan

If we changed the name Rugby League to Pacific Football (a name that I coined) the Japanese might try to take the sport over.

 

[jim_57]

Of all the places in Asia we could go, we spend money on the one place Rugby Union is actually popular?

This. By all means helping the game grow at grassroots level but I think the idea of "Union is big there we could be too" needs to be shelved.

Unless a Japanese or Japan based billionaire comes along throwing money at it similar to Toronto Wolfpack.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Wait, what? The Sunwolves have been axed? I missed that one. Lol at Union - axing the Force over the Rebels destroying a promising scene in the West and cutting the Sunwolves in the year that their country hosts the World Cup.

Keep it up Saanzar - loving your work!

 

[magpie_man]

hairbrained idea

union has been in Japan for a long time and is firmly entrenched despite the sunwolves.

why pursue hairbrained schemes when genuine domestic work in south america, south east asia and the balkans would do so much better with support?

This. There are far more worthy priorities ahead of Japan.
The headway being made in places like Jamaica, Serbia and South America is staggering; they are far more deserving of the scraps that fall from the dinner table.
The ARLC's primary focus, at least internationally, needs to be on Polynesia and Melanesia. Lock-down Samoa, Tonga and Fiji (along with PNG and the Cooks) as League turf. Set-up junior pathways and structures all the way up to NSW/Qld Cup sides based in these nations and you'll have the playing depth the expand the NRL to 18/20+ teams.

 

[roughyedspud]

We should have 20 years ago....they just aren't big enough to play Union..

But the problem is the clubs in Japan are bankrolled by industry cos they think union is a upper class sport...stiff upper lip and we're better than you Shit...typical union attitude