Some research on the RLWC 2021 Bid for the USA/Canada

[spinnerhowland]

Over the last 6 weeks I have done a lot of research on all the questions I had myself, when I heard of the 2021 Bid. Here is a video (so you don't have to read it all) that touches on a lot of items I have followed up on to make sure I could truly get behind the bid.

Yes they are nothing more than my own thoughts, based on my own research, but for whatever they are worth.......

 

[miguel de cervantes]

I reckon it is a decent idea. Worth a crack.

 

[roughyedspud]

Personally i think the usa & canada should concentrate on working with the RLIF/RLEF and put together a annual,or bi annual "world 9s" and build towards hosting a full world cup in 2025

 

[adamkungl]

Whether it should happen is entirely down to the quality of the bid for me. If it's good enough there's simply no reason to put this off another 4 years

 

[hutch]

It is hard to pass up on the guaranteed financial windfall of an England 2021 wc. I want the USA/Canada bid to be successful, but I can see the benefit in waiting til 2025 if it is announced straight away.

 

[adamkungl]

If we announced it for 8 years from now the RU would be there with something before us, guaranteed.

What makes England so special anyway? Doesn't seem like a particularly high bar to hurdle tbh

 

[hutch]

The 2013 tournament was a huge success there and the plans for the England 2021 wc were very ambitious. Big stadiums, a heap of guaranteed funding from the government. I want the World Cup to take a chance and go to the USA, just wondering whether we need one more 'safe' tournament to build the brand and make heaps of cash.

 

[roughyedspud]

If we announced it for 8 years from now the RU would be there with something before us, guaranteed.

What makes England so special anyway? Doesn't seem like a particularly high bar to hurdle tbh

RECORD PROFITS AND RECORD ATTENDANCES....maybe lol

 

[batley]

It's time to take a chance or forget about it completely.Impressed with Spinner's summing up of holding it in the States, it could end the RLIF lack of finance and at worst increase Leagues fan base worldwide.

 

[taipan]

Thanks Spinner ,a lot of thought put into it.
My concerns are TV coverage,would they(TV stations) be prepared to pay for it,and by TV I mean Free to air,not cable pay for view.
And the cost of promotion and marketing the event,I would feel would be damn expensive,before a ball is kicked.I may be a bit conservative,but all future RLWCs must be profitable.

The Pommy bid provides a Govt grant up front,has proven to be profitable,and has decent numbers of attendees,

As one who had a late Aunt from Boston who lived in this country,she was a rl fan via the TV set.So I can understand, the get it out there being a good point.

Gee if NBC could come on board that would be a great starting point,but I'm still hesitant.

 

[adamkungl]

Good points.
So the bid team needs to answer questions about

1) Local government engagement: Are any American cities willing to pay to host a Rugby (League) World Cup?
2) Local sponsors: Do American companies believe there is value in investing in a RLWC? I'd focus on tourism
for both points 1 and 2.
3) TV. Can it be broadcast on an easily accessible American network? Will they pay for it? This one might be an advantage in their favour. Hosting it in the UK or US won't change the value of UK broadcast $$ by a huge amount, but US East coast timezone is far more favourable for Australian audiences to watch live games.

 

[spinnerhowland]

Here are some DIRECT answers from Moore Sports based on some of your questions. And the FREE TO AIR comment is the most important for a variety of reason.
- MAXIMUM new fans engaged in the 350 million person market
- MAXIMUM value to sponsors, both event and individual team
- MAXIMUM value in international sharing (selling) of the production to nations where RL is not already big (This is of course in addition to the WC Nations who would of course get broadcast opportunities
- And the HUGE online access to the event. If it is free to air, then online access is almost certainly a part of that. And that means ALL RL fans around the Globe will have access.
Seriously, now is the time to reach out to the RLIF and push this issue for this to happen. 2025 allows RU to get this pot of gold, and keep cashing it in for year to come.
I URGE every RL fan to share this, contact the RLIF and push the point. Or sit back and let RU take another ladder away from RL in the global market.
Here is the direct reply from Moore Sports

The US bid guaranteed a certain amount of money to the RLIF plus money toward development. The development money would be in support of grassroots and recruiting efforts around a professional league targeted to launch in '18. The guarantees are substantial and believed to be in the vicinity of what England is guaranteeing (and significantly higher than what Australia is now guaranteeing).

Sponsors won't be engaged unless and until the bid is won, but the risk is ours and we are confident that there will be great interest given out strategy and plans.

Broadcast rights are also TBD, as there are ongoing conversations around who retains the rights to commercialize them and how the money gets divided. We think fans - and RLIF, frankly - should care more about free-to-air distribution and watchability, and less about money, as the RL needs to grow - fans, investors, sponsors, broadcasters, etc. It would also be foolish today to think that the current media landscape will likely look anything like it does in 5 years; it's rapidly changing on all fronts, so you have to have patience and believe in the track record of Moore Sports and the possibilities of a well-managed RLWC in the US.

 

[langpark]

You do bring up some good points Spinner. But I have to say, there is ZERO chance of getting it for 2021. It's a shame, but it feels like a last-minute, half-hearted attempt, just like South Africa did at the 11th hour for the 2017 WC.

PLEASE, focus on the 2025 WC and I believe you have a strong chance of pulling it off! Choose 8 key cities across the continent now and start working towards that from NOW, for example:

- NYC
- Boston
- Jacksonville
- Atlanta
- Miami
- Los Angeles
--Toronto
--Vancouver

I think that's more realistic. We're less than two months from the decision, and this idea was only born just a few months ago. Compare that to the solid English bid that could surely deliver a minimum of 800,000 aggregate crowd. There is no way they will go with this last-minute USA bid. I know you're passionate, but you need to realise this, relay the message back to your troops in America, and tell them to start working towards 2025.

Also, with 16 teams in the WC by then, they would be able to give USA AND Canada Automatic qualification!!

 

[Evil Homer]

You do bring up some good points Spinner. But I have to say, there is ZERO chance of getting it for 2021. It's a shame, but it feels like a last-minute, half-hearted attempt, just like South Africa did at the 11th hour for the 2017 WC.

PLEASE, focus on the 2025 WC and I believe you have a strong chance of pulling it off! Choose 8 key cities across the continent now and start working towards that from NOW, for example:

- NYC
- Boston
- Jacksonville
- Atlanta
- Miami
- Los Angeles
--Toronto
--Vancouver

I think that's more realistic. We're less than two months from the decision, and this idea was only born just a few months ago. Compare that to the solid English bid that could surely deliver a minimum of 800,000 aggregate crowd. There is no way they will go with this last-minute USA bid. I know you're passionate, but you need to realise this, relay the message back to your troops in America, and tell them to start working towards 2025.

Also, with 16 teams in the WC by then, they would be able to give USA AND Canada Automatic qualification!!

2025 means RU takes the USA while we get to have a nice enough tournament in the Northern England heartlands that makes a bit of money but ultimately achieves nothing and is forgotten about a year later.

 

[adamkungl]

Completely disagree langpark. Time to make a big play.

 

[spinnerhowland]

By 2025 RU will have held a WC in the USA and it will be the code marketed by the Networks after that.

 

[langpark]

By 2025 RU will have held a WC in the USA and it will be the code marketed by the Networks after that.

What?? Where did you get that!? Applications for the RU WC 2023 have already closed, and USA is NOT one of the nations that has put in a bid!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Rugby_World_Cup

 

[adamkungl]

What?? Where did you get that!? Applications for the RU WC 2023 have already closed, and USA is NOT one of the nations that has put in a bid!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Rugby_World_Cup

Still, more than enough time to hold a major event.
AND if they announced a USA 2027 WC in 2021, their marketing machine will crush ours.

There's no reason not to go all in on the USA, now. You can avoid expansion for decades with the easy-does-it, looking after the heartlands approach. RL has been looking after the heartlands for 120 years and got us precisely nowhere.