Team number for RLWC

[Hass]

The key to any World Cup Rugby League decides to put out there is it musn't be bigger than the game can handle.

The first 4 Cricket World Cups had a total of 8 Teams.

The next 3 after that had between 9 and 12 teams.

2007 will be the first time they reach 16 teams.

Would anyone say Cricket World Cups have been a "farce" because they had so "few" teams?

All Rugby League can probably sustain at the moment is about 8 - 12 teams depending on the format. If we run one of these in conjunction with an Emerging Nations Cup (see cricket's ICC Trophy) then we can have a showpiece event and grow International Rugby League at the same time.

I've been doing a bit of thinking lately during this Rugby World Cup and come up with my latest idea for a Rugby League World Cup. So if you are interested in the future of International League I suggest you give it a decent checking out in the post below...

Cheers.

 

[Hass]

The idea is to have 12 teams with 3 pools of 4.

The pools would be seeded as such:

Teams ranked 1 - 4 in the world in Pool A
Teams ranked 5 - 8 in the world in Pool B
Teams ranked 9 - 12 in the world in Pool C

Teams would play a Roun-Robin within their group with a total of 6 teams advancing through to the Finals. However as oppossed to 2 teams from each group qualifying it would work to represent the quality of each group:

3 teams would qualify from Pool A
2 teams would qualify from Pool B
1 team would qualify from Pool C

They'd play out a Final 6 modelled on the one used in the English Super League.

In the World Cup it would work like this

ELIMINATION FINALS

2nd in Pool A v 1st in Pool C - loser eliminated
2nd in Pool B v 3rd in Pool A - loser eliminated

MINOR SEMI-FINAL
Winner of 1st Elimination Final v Winner of 2nd Elimination Final -loser eliminated

MAJOR SEMI-FINAL
1st in Pool A v 1st in Pool B - winner straight to World Cup Final

PRELIMINARY FINAL
Winner of Minor SF v Loser of Major SF - loser eliminated & winner to World Cup Final

WORLD CUP FINAL
Winner of Major SF v Winner of Preliminary Final


At the same time there could be a Plate Competition for the 6 teams that failed to advance through to the next round using the same finals format.

This tournament would have a total of 30 matches with the finalists playing somewhere between 5 and 7 games.

There could Emerging Nations Cup held in the year before the World Cup to determine which teams qualify and what Pool they are seeded in. This would include every nation who play Rugby League except for the 4 teams who qualify for Pool A through some sort of rankings system. Obviously for the time being 3 of these teams would be Aus, NZ and England.

So it would hypothetically look something like this:

POOL A:
Australia, England, New Zealand, Wales.

POOL B:
France, PNG, Ireland, Russia

POOL C:
Fiji, Lebanon, Scotland, Tonga

Now I've had a look at it and haven't found too many flaws in this system as yet, however I challenge you to prove me wrong (I also wouldn't mind you agreeing with me and saying this idea is the best thing sinced sliced bread).

Cheers.

 

[Front-Rower]

Before you bag me for being a basher of international rugby league, but if there was to be Rugby League world cup lets consider this.

How many teams have won the Rugby League World cup? One and thats Australia

If there was to be a rugby league world cup would you guys be in favour of there being NO Australian team, yet NSW and QLD being seperate represnetatives to give the other nations an opportunity to win it?? just a suggestion.

The reason there was only 8 teams at the first world cup of cricket was becasue only the Test playing nations were invited. Secondly I feel that only the test playing nations should play at the cricket world cup with the exception of Kenya who should of been granted test status by now.. but thats by the by.

Rugby League World Cup would not be a success if played in any area outside of NSW, QLD and ACT so if there was to be a RLWC why not share it with NZ and that might just ensure some success of the event.

Just my opinions, and mine alone

 

[thomo]

I think they should aim for a 2006 World Cup in Australia/NZ to cash in on the hype following on from the 2000 Olympics and this years RWC. The number of teams to include is a difficult question. While including minnows can lead to blow out scores it does provide these teams with valuable experience against the stronger sides and hopefully promote the game in these countries too. I reckon 12 teams is about the right number.

One thing that a RLWC must do as part of its marketing campaign is the adopt a second team that has worked so well in the RWC. A logical example, as Zulu posted, would be PNG and Townsville.

Another thing I would do is look at a Super 6 competition that would include NSW, QLD, NZ, GB, Pacific (including PNG), and possibly Rest of the World.

You could then run the International calendar like this:

2005: Tri-Nations
2006: World Cup
2007: Tri-Nations
2008: Super 6s
2009: Tri-Nations
2010: World Cup
2011: Tri-Nations
2012: Super 6's
2013: Tri-Nations
ETC

 

[Y2Eel]

I think they should aim for a 2006 World Cup in Australia/NZ to cash in on the hype following on from the 2000 Olympics and this years RWC. The number of teams to include is a difficult question. While including minnows can lead to blow out scores it does provide these teams with valuable experience against the stronger sides and hopefully promote the game in these countries too. I reckon 12 teams is about the right number.

One thing that a RLWC must do as part of its marketing campaign is the adopt a second team that has worked so well in the RWC. A logical example, as Zulu posted, would be PNG and Townsville.

Another thing I would do is look at a Super 6 competition that would include NSW, QLD, NZ, GB, Pacific (including PNG), and possibly Rest of the World.

You could then run the International calendar like this:

2005: Tri-Nations
2006: World Cup
2007: Tri-Nations
2008: Super 6s
2009: Tri-Nations
2010: World Cup
2011: Tri-Nations
2012: Super 6's
2013: Tri-Nations
ETC

sounds like a good idea but with the super 6 include australia england ireland scotland wales new zealand or france as the 6/7 and maybe have a second tier super 6 including PNG tonga russia fiji japan lebanon or USA the key to having a successful world cup is having all the national teams playing alot of games leading up to it the more international games the better each team will and should become...

 

[In-goal]

How many teams have won the Rugby League World cup? One and thats Australia

Great Britian have won the Rugby world cup on a couple of occasion's, infact Australia failed to qualify for the final of the very first Rugby World Cup in France back in 1953. Great Britian acctualy defeated host nation France in that final before decent crowds, New Zealand were last that year.

There have been 12 RLIF World cups with 4 different finalist but only 2 victors this far, currently NZ, France, GB and Australia have played in the final of the World Cup.

So maybe you should check your records, and if you new what sort of treatment the French game cops from it's Government and the FRU you would realise why they have fallen back.

 

[iggy plop]

Before you bag me for being a basher of international rugby league, but if there was to be Rugby League world cup lets consider this.

How many teams have won the Rugby League World cup? One and thats Australia

If there was to be a rugby league world cup would you guys be in favour of there being NO Australian team, yet NSW and QLD being seperate represnetatives to give the other nations an opportunity to win it?? just a suggestion.

The reason there was only 8 teams at the first world cup of cricket was becasue only the Test playing nations were invited. Secondly I feel that only the test playing nations should play at the cricket world cup with the exception of Kenya who should of been granted test status by now.. but thats by the by.

Rugby League World Cup would not be a success if played in any area outside of NSW, QLD and ACT so if there was to be a RLWC why not share it with NZ and that might just ensure some success of the event.

Just my opinions, and mine alone

I think they could stage one or two games in Melbourne and one in Perth without any problems.

 

[Front-Rower]

How many teams have won the Rugby League World cup? One and thats Australia

Great Britian have won the Rugby world cup on a couple of occasion's, infact Australia failed to qualify for the final of the very first Rugby World Cup in France back in 1953. Great Britian acctualy defeated host nation France in that final before decent crowds, New Zealand were last that year.

There have been 12 RLIF World cups with 4 different finalist but only 2 victors this far, currently NZ, France, GB and Australia have played in the final of the World Cup.

So maybe you should check your records, and if you new what sort of treatment the French game cops from it's Government and the FRU you would realise why they have fallen back.

Ohh geez my mistake, we've only won it 9 times not 12 DAMN!.

Still since 1975 no other country has won the Rugby League world cup.

 

[In-goal]

Why be like that?

 

[Front-Rower]

I'm being like this because as much as I love rugby league I don't want to see it be bagged by the rah rahs (yawnion) if we do have a world cup and Australia's lowest winning margin is 30.

I feel that the only way to improve international rugby league is to have a couple of rule changes, hence the reintroduction of the 5 metre rule and the once your off, your off interchange rule. These implementations of these rules MAY bring the rest of the field back in line with Australia.

I may have come across a little strong in my views but with international rugby league the way it is at the moment its not too good.

 

[dimitri]

i agree that a 5m rule should be in place for international games (an international rule)

but we certainly do need a RLWC in aus/nz sometime soon


NZ have shown they can beat aus

GB have also shown they can beat aus


I'd have 12 teams

GB playing as one - to make them more competitive

 

[Alan Shore]

I still think it is too early to have a world cup. My ideal date would be somewhere close to 2010. That way the English, Aussies and Kiwis would be close in competitiveness. Teams such as Lebanon, France and Russia would have developed and Scotland, Wales, Ireland, PNG etc would have come along in leaps and bounds.

2009 is better as an event year - no competition.

 

[dubby]

for a RLWC to work in Oz, i would take it to the bush. Townsville, Wollongong, Gosford, Wagga Wagga, Mackay, Newcastle. Give the finals back to the main cities. I reckon a packed house at Townsville or Wagga with teams like PNG, Russia, France USA, etc would have a great atmosphere. We know grass roots are important, this would be a great event for the bush, and help develop the game. Problem is funding and creating interest in the media. THAT'S the problem,

 

[whitevan]

agreed with above comment