Understanding the 2021 World Cup Qualifiers

[langpark]

We already have an Asian team with direct passage to the World Cup.. Lebanon just had to beat South Africa.

Lebanon have nothing to do with Asia in Rugby League terms. They belong to the RLEF-administered MENA (Middle-East/North Africa) region. Though I don't think the word 'north' was necessary, seeing as South Africa play there.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

England
France
Wales
Scotland
Ireland
One of - Italy / Czech / Spain / Russia or another European nation

F*ck Scotland off if they cant get a local comp up and give their place to another of the new locations...

(If the team in that spot is gonna get smashed anyway, might as well get RL some exposure in some new markets.)

 

[StadiumXIII]

F*ck Scotland off if they cant get a local comp up and give their place to another of the new locations...

(If the team in that spot is gonna get smashed anyway, might as well get RL some exposure in some new markets.)

EXACTLY! unless they got their stuff together by then.

 

[langpark]

Here's how I'd be allocating the spots for next World Cup.

#7 from Asia-Pacific plays #2 from North America for the final spot.

 

[adamkungl]

I'll post mine during the week - the result of Ireland vs PNG has a reasonable bearing on what happens.

 

[adamkungl]

Woo here we go! I think its fair to say the Pacific have all but locked in 6 spots unfortunately for Europe. There is the slimmest chance this could change by:
France beating England and Australia beating Lebanon by 50
Scotland beating Samoa
PNG losing to USA and Ireland beating Wales by enough to close a 36 point differential
Italy beating Fiji by 46 points
...
I think we can all agree these are unlikely scenarios.

So, going on all 6 Pacific nations automatic qualifiers.

The RLIF stated
Seven teams will be qualified from Europe, 6 from Asia Pacific , 2 from the Americas and one from a play-off series hosted in Middle East/Africa.
Should 6 teams pre-qualify via the Quarter- Finals from Asia Pacific and Lebanon qualify via the Quarter Finals in 2017 that a play-off be held hosted by Middle East/Africa between the highest placed team in Middle/East Africa excluding Lebanon, the 3rd placed team in the Americas and the 7th placed team in Asia-Pacific.

As has been pointed out, the numbers dont add up (7 Europe, 6 Pacific, 2 Americas, 1 Lebanon, 1 playoff = 17).
Which means this will be adjusted. What i think should happen is Europe and America lose a qualification spot each, and enter a playoff.

So we're going to see:
Region / Automatic / Qualifiers / Playoff
Pacific / 6 / 0 / 1
Europe / 1 / 5 / 1
Americas / 0 / 1 / 1
MEA / 1 / 0 / 1

Tournaments:
Pacific Qualifiers
MEA Qualifiers
European Qualifiers
American Qualifiers
Southern playoff: Asia-Pacific winner vs MEA winner
Northern playoff: European Cup 6th place vs Americas Cup runner up

And for good measure, how this could all pan out!

-Round 0 - early 2018
European Regional Qualifiers
4 groups of 4. Top 2 each group enters Round 2
(North)
Latvia
Sweden
Norway
Russia
(West)
Denmark
Belgium
Germany
Netherlands
(South)
Bulgaria
Greece
Spain
Malta
(East)
Czech Republic
Ukraine
Serbia
Hungary

-Round 1 - late 2018
European B Qualifiers
2 groups of 4. Top 1 each group enters Round 2. 2nd places playoff for Round 2.
(Group A)
South 1
West 1
East 2
North 2
(Group B)
East 1
North 1
South 2
West 2

Pacific B Qualifiers
2 groups. Winner each group enters Round 2
(Pacific)
Cook Islands
Vanuatu
Solomon Islands
Niue

(Asia)
Philippines
Thailand
Hong Kong

American B Qualifiers
1 group. Winner enters Round 2.
Chile
Argentina

-Round 2 - mid 2019
Asia-Pacific Qualifiers
1 group. Winner enters Round 3
Round 2 Asia Winner v Round 2 Pacific Winner home/away

European A Qualifiers
2 groups of 4. Top 2 each group enter WC. 3rds playoff for WC. Loser of playoff enters Round 3.
France
Scotland
Italy
Round 2A Winner

Ireland
Wales
Round 2B Winner
Round 2 Playoff Winner

MEA Qualifiers
1 group. Winner enters Round 3.
South Africa
???

American A Qualifiers
1 group of 4. Winner enters WC. 2nd enters Round 3.
USA
Canada
Jamaica
Round 2 Winner

-Round 3 - late 2019
2 home and away playoffs. Winners enter WC.
Europe vs America home+away playoff
Asia-Pacific v MEA home+away playoff



That all sounds great but I assume it will fail to live up to its potential and be totally half arsed and unfair on certain regions

 

[StadiumXIII]

Woo here we go! I think its fair to say the Pacific have all but locked in 6 spots unfortunately for Europe. There is the slimmest chance this could change by:
France beating England and Australia beating Lebanon by 50
Scotland beating Samoa
PNG losing to USA and Ireland beating Wales by enough to close a 36 point differential
Italy beating Fiji by 46 points
...
I think we can all agree these are unlikely scenarios.

So, going on all 6 Pacific nations automatic qualifiers.

The RLIF stated
Seven teams will be qualified from Europe, 6 from Asia Pacific , 2 from the Americas and one from a play-off series hosted in Middle East/Africa.
Should 6 teams pre-qualify via the Quarter- Finals from Asia Pacific and Lebanon qualify via the Quarter Finals in 2017 that a play-off be held hosted by Middle East/Africa between the highest placed team in Middle/East Africa excluding Lebanon, the 3rd placed team in the Americas and the 7th placed team in Asia-Pacific.

As has been pointed out, the numbers dont add up (7 Europe, 6 Pacific, 2 Americas, 1 Lebanon, 1 playoff = 17).
Which means this will be adjusted. What i think should happen is Europe and America lose a qualification spot each, and enter a playoff.

So we're going to see:
Region / Automatic / Qualifiers / Playoff
Pacific / 6 / 0 / 1
Europe / 1 / 5 / 1
Americas / 0 / 1 / 1
MEA / 1 / 0 / 1

Tournaments:
Pacific Qualifiers
MEA Qualifiers
European Qualifiers
American Qualifiers
Southern playoff: Asia-Pacific winner vs MEA winner
Northern playoff: European Cup 6th place vs Americas Cup runner up

And for good measure, how this could all pan out!

-Round 0 - early 2018
European Regional Qualifiers
4 groups of 4. Top 2 each group enters Round 2
(North)
Latvia
Sweden
Norway
Russia
(West)
Denmark
Belgium
Germany
Netherlands
(South)
Bulgaria
Greece
Spain
Malta
(East)
Czech Republic
Ukraine
Serbia
Hungary

-Round 1 - late 2018
European B Qualifiers
2 groups of 4. Top 1 each group enters Round 2. 2nd places playoff for Round 2.
(Group A)
South 1
West 1
East 2
North 2
(Group B)
East 1
North 1
South 2
West 2

American B Qualifiers
1 group. Winner enters Round 2.
Chile
Argentina

-Round 2 - mid 2019
Asia-Pacific Qualifiers
2 groups of 3. 1st in each group playoff to enter Round 3
Cook Islands
Vanuatu
Solomon Islands

Thailand
Philippines
Niue

European A Qualifiers
2 groups of 4. Top 2 each group enter WC. 3rds playoff for WC. Loser of playoff enters Round 3.
France
Scotland
Italy
Round 2A Winner

Ireland
Wales
Round 2B Winner
Round 2 Playoff Winner

MEA Qualifiers
1 group. Winner enters Round 3.
South Africa
???

American A Qualifiers
1 group of 4. Winner enters WC. 2nd enters Round 3.
USA
Canada
Jamaica
Round 2 Winner

-Round 3 - late 2019
2 home and away playoffs. Winners enter WC.
Europe vs America home+away playoff
Asia-Pacific v MEA home+away playoff



That all sounds great but I assume it will fail to live up to its potential and be totally half arsed and unfair on certain regions

We can only hope not.

 

[siv]

I would like to see a Asia Cup winner, HK, Japan, Phillipines play the best of ME/Africa

Better that the Pacific Islands playoff for a spot outright

But I think Samoa should go back and qualify

 

[langpark]

Can someone tell me how on earth North America deserve 2 automatic spots!?!? USA are looking the weakest team at this World Cup, yet we want to give another spot to their confederation? I say 1 spot, plus 1 playoff against Cook Islands.

I can understand doing it for WC 2025, if they host it, but not for 2021.

 

[adamkungl]

Can someone tell me how on earth North America deserve 2 automatic spots!?!? USA are looking the weakest team at this World Cup, yet we want to give another spot to their confederation? I say 1 spot, plus 1 playoff against Cook Islands.

I can understand doing it for WC 2025, if they host it, but not for 2021.

Agree, see above. 2nd American team should be playing off with Europe 7th imo

 

[langpark]

Agree, see above. 2nd American team should be playing off with Europe 7th imo

Yep i saw it, I was aiming that comment at your quote of RLIF, where they said: 2 from the Americas

I really hope that's not set in stone.

 

[adamkungl]

Yep i saw it, I was aiming that comment at your quote of RLIF, where they said: 2 from the Americas

I really hope that's not set in stone.

I don't see how it can be, they numbers they presented simply don't add up.
What I expect will happen is America drops 1 into the the 3 way playoff (which Cook Islands will likely romp in).
What I hope will happen is both America and Europe drop one (since Europe have had such a poor showing this WC) and there are 2 playoffs, or a 4 way playoff series.

 

[siv]

I would like to see

Cooks Niue Solomons Vanuatu

Play Europe 3 4 5 6

For a place in the RLWC

 

[bowes]

Yes, it is right.

The Europe - 7, Asia/Pacific - 6, Americas - 2 doesn't count if Lebanon and 6 Asia/Pacific teams qualify automatically.

Since they have stated that the play-off series will involve Middle-East/Africa 2, Americas 3 and Asia/Pacific 7 if Australia, NZ, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Lebanon all auto-qualify then that means Europe's 7th spot has to go to Lebanon.

They'd stick to having 2 Americas teams auto-qualify I'd imagine as they host 2025.

Why would they give the 3rd team in the Americas a playoff if Lebanon and 6 from the Pacific qualify automatically but not if one of those misses out on qualifying? That seems so arbitrary. There's also been no indication of Lebanon getting one of Europe's spots

 

[Springs09]

Why would they give the 3rd team in the Americas a playoff if Lebanon and 6 from the Pacific qualify automatically but not if one of those misses out on qualifying? That seems so arbitrary. There's also been no indication of Lebanon getting one of Europe's spots

I don't know why, but that's what they have officially said. The indication is the situation they have outlined if 6 Pacific teams and Lebanon auto-qualify. 6 Pacific teams + 2 Americas + Playoff winner + Lebanon - 10 teams. That leaves only 6 for Europe.

It's not very clear and hopefully it will change but that is the situation that is outlined at the moment.

 

[bowes]

I don't know why, but that's what they have officially said. The indication is the situation they have outlined if 6 Pacific teams and Lebanon auto-qualify. 6 Pacific teams + 2 Americas + Playoff winner + Lebanon - 10 teams. That leaves only 6 for Europe.

It's not very clear and hopefully it will change but that is the situation that is outlined at the moment.

Clearly they've made a mistake somewhere in their announcement, the question is where. I can't believe 3rd in Americas will enter the playoff, 7th in Europe may make some sense especially if Scotland get the boot. I do think though both Canada and Jamaica would beat Russia and Serbia

 

[Krzzystuff]

Should 6 teams pre-qualify via the Quarter- Finals from Asia Pacific and Lebanon qualify via the Quarter Finals in 2017 that a play-off be held hosted by Middle East/Africa between the highest placed team in Middle/East Africa excluding Lebanon, the 3rd placed team in the Americas and the 7th placed team in Asia-Pacific.

I read this as America's have 2 guaranteed with a 3rd potential team no? Or do 1&2 in America's play for one spot and 3rd has to go though this other qualification to make up the 2 spots from America's?
Seems weird that you would potentially send your best and 3rd best teams and leave 2nd best at home?

 

[adamkungl]

Clearly they've made a mistake somewhere in their announcement, the question is where. I can't believe 3rd in Americas will enter the playoff, 7th in Europe may make some sense especially if Scotland get the boot. I do think though both Canada and Jamaica would beat Russia and Serbia

I really think it should be split into 2 playoffs.
America 2 v Europe 7
Asia-Pacific 7 v Middle-East-Africa 2

Giving both America and Europe extra places when they performed terribly in this WC is off.

 

[Krzzystuff]

I really think it should be split into 2 playoffs.
America 2 v Europe 7
Asia-Pacific 7 v Middle-East-Africa 2

Giving both America and Europe extra places when they performed terribly in this WC is off.

We will be hosting in 2025 between Canada and the US so we will have 2 spots then. This year the US is doing poorly because they are playing local players in preparation of the 2025 tournament. The US supports it's teams...so long as they are American so this is a very strategic move and also isn't that the goal for all nations?

Funny thing is if they played heritage players people would say the team is a farce, they play local players and it's a joke that they are hosting a WC.

 

[siv]

Only host nation and 4 semifinals should auto qualify

Rest should play in a 8 week qualifying period 12 months prior in Oct-Nov