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Foreign Legion

Foreign Legion

Coach
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11,405
Former Great Britain international Bobbie Goulding has come up with a plan to take Super League global and to a wider audience.

The 48-year-old had an illustrious playing career at the highest level, enjoying spells at Wigan, Leeds, Widnes and St Helens among others while representing Great Britain and England internationally.

And with the game currently struggling financially due to the coronavirus pandemic, Goulding has suggested it should go part-time or follow through with his blue print.

Goulding said: “Firstly, a new broadcasting deal. This would have to be financially far in excess of what it is today and club owners would have to be owners of blue chip companies or even royalty.

“Secondly, I would run a 13-team competition with home and away fixtures being played on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, with teams playing every six days at a maximum due to player welfare and one team every week having a weekend off.

“The top four would play-off in a semi-final, with the winners going through to the final – and the top two would play an end-of-season World Club Challenge against the NRL’s top two.

“There would be no relegation for five years, so clubs could get financially secure. There would be Leagues 1 and 2 at a semi-professional level running as well.

“The Challenge Cup would run throughout the season alongside the other leagues but no other games would be played while Challenge Cup games are played and the final would be at Wembley.

“This would be to grow the sport like never before and get coverage similar to football, cricket, tennis and rugby union.”

Goulding’s 13-team Super League

1 Newcastle

2 Cumbria

3 One team from Hull

4 West Yorkshire

5 Leeds

6 Manchester

7 Liverpool

8 Birmingham

9 London

10 Catalans

11 Toulouse

12 Toronto

13 One of the following with the best bid – Ottawa, New York, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh or UAE.

Goulding added: “This is my dream to see my sport of rugby league be successful on a worldwide stage.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...7m5MnXNUzIcV5ToWnamGs_-wgTaeygEWgjyQt3hwnZvXo

Wakefield prop David Fifita says he would love to see the Exiles team return to face England.

England’s three-match Ashes series against Australia this autumn has been left in limbo after the NRL announced their Grand Final will take place on October 25, with the State of Origin series being played in November.

The Kangaroos are scheduled to play England at Bolton (October 31), Leeds (November 7) and Tottenham (November 14) later this year.

At the time of writing, England coach Shaun Wane believes the Ashes will go ahead but if it is called off, he revealed he would be open to the idea of the Exiles making a comeback.

Wane told Sky Sports’ Golden Point Podcast: “Some of the (overseas) talent over here is unbelievable.

“I’m thinking the Ashes is on and the World Cup is on. If it’s a case that the Ashes is off, then a mid-season match – whether an official test or a match against the Exiles, I’m not bothered – I just want them to play the way I was talking about.”

Wakefield favourite Fifita has previously made it clear that he would love for the Exiles to reform and provide a mid-season international for England.

The Exiles were a team of overseas players in Super League – but the concept was cancelled in 2013 after two years.

Fifita said: “100% I want to see it return.

“Australia and New Zealand have got each other over there so they’ve always got a quality game, and the Pacific teams play each other so they (southern hemisphere) have always got quality games.

“I do feel sorry for the England boys over here because they’ve got nobody. If you put them against France and stuff like that then everyone knows it’ll be an easy game for England.

“So what better way to get the Exiles back? I’m sure it would pack out a whole stadium and the imports over here would make a fair good squad.

“I’d be happy if it goes ahead and I’d be happy to take part if I’m selected for it. If I’m not selected, then I’d fight for the boys in the future.”
https://www.loverugbyleague.com/pos...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
 
Foreign Legion

Foreign Legion

Coach
Messages
11,405
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-lea...3YHpdbfjqO10Z4YL8mR576UW2EQrK1atrlpsHn5xEKuyg

Rugby league would be "naive" to think major events such as the England-Australia 'Ashes' series this autumn will not be affected by coronavirus, says RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer.

The sport has secured a £16m loan from the Department for Media, Culture and Sport to help protect the game and its clubs during the pandemic lockdown.

However, planning for the season is hampered without a return-to-play date.

"Everything is dependent on the period of lockdown," Rimmer said.

"All those blue riband events that normally exist with our sport - the Challenge Cup final, the Super League Grand Final and the Ashes series at the end - there is plenty of modelling going on to ensure we can hopefully fit them in, but we'd be naive to think that none of them would be threatened.

"We will see what we can salvage from the end, it will be an imperfect solution no doubt but we will re-emerge. We'll demonstrate once again that we are a resilient sport that needs celebrating."

The three Tests are scheduled for 31 October (University of Bolton Stadium), 7 November (Elland Road) and 14 November (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)

One of the issues the Rugby Football League has regarding the Ashes tour is how the National Rugby League in Australia has remodelled its revised season.

The NRL Grand Final is now scheduled for the 25 October, just a week before the date of the first Test between England and Australia at Bolton.

And there could be further adjustment to the Australian season with plans to move the annual three-game State of Origin series between New South Wales and Queensland to a slot at the end of the season.

The Origin squads would usually form a large contingent, if not all, of Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga's Test squad, and in the event of a clash, many could choose their state rather than country - as it is seen as the pinnacle of the game by players in the NRL.

For the NRL, Origin is also a major source of income - and growth, with a game slated for Adelaide in 2020 - as integral to their finances as the Ashes series would be to the RFL.

Distributing the funds "sustainably"
upload_2020-5-2_12-46-25.gif
Even the Super League Grand Final, which attracts a 60,000-plus crowd to OId Trafford, could be under threat
While plans are in place to restart the English season at some point, Rimmer's immediate task is to ensure clubs are on a strong enough footing to emerge post-lockdown.

The £16m, secured by the governing body, will be filtered throughout the professional game from the Super League down to the League One, semi-professional clubs.

However, Catalans Dragons, Toronto Wolfpack and Toulouse are not able to draw on the funding.

"The sport and governing body took some fairly drastic measures in order to cut their cloth when this lockdown period began," Rimmer said.

"None of them should be considered backtracked and it has to be used to move forward. It's all about moving forward and being fit for the future and it's not a lump sum in the bank account of each club and saying to them crack on as you were.

"We have to be meticulous in how we apply it to ensure we're sustainable in the future."
 
Foreign Legion

Foreign Legion

Coach
Messages
11,405
Ireland international Dec O’Donnell admits he would like to see a Magic Weekend taken to Dublin in the near future.

The Super League event was introduced in 2007 and has taken place each year since, with Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool having been the host cities.

Magic Weekend has been postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic – but Super League officials hope that the event can take place later in the year.

O’Donnell, who plays for Workington at club level, would like to see Dublin host the event in the future to help grow the game in the nation.

He said: “I’d say it wouldn’t do rugby league any harm in having a full-time or part-time team over in Dublin.

“You can make a weekend of it in Dublin and there is plenty of things to do over there.

“If you say to someone we’ve got a game over in Dublin this weekend then think of the amount of people that would go over there.

“A Magic Weekend in Dublin would be ideal in my opinion.

“I think the powers above should think about taking it there one year and they should have a good look at the game over there because there is some really good stuff going on regarding rugby league in Ireland right now.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/calls-to-take-magic-weekend-to-dublin-in-near-future/
 
deluded pom?

deluded pom?

Coach
Messages
10,897
One player, an Irish international from a League 1 team, says he’d like to see MW in Dublin and the “journalist” decides it’s a call as if there are thousands clamouring for it. Lazy click bait.
 
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