WCC news

[Foreign Legion]

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/billy-slater-makes-young-leeds-fans-dream/

Billy Slater turned a Leeds Rhinos fan’s trip to Australia an unforgettable one by giving the youngster his World Club Challenge winners medal.

Melbourne Storm beat Leeds 38-4 in the 2018 World Club Challenge at AAMI Park on Friday.
And after the game, Slater handed the youngster his winners medal, making it a trip of a lifetime him.


https://twitter.com/rhinorobinson/status/964464108404912135
Neil Robinson@rhinorobinson

Thank you Billy Slater for making my sons trip - handed over his winners medal #stormRhinos #billyslater #leedsrhinos






Slater told NRL.com: “I just saw them during the game – the Leeds Rhinos fans – and thought how far they had travelled to come over and support their team.

“I thought it was fitting to give one of the young fellas a nice little memento to go home with and something he’ll probably remember for the rest of his life.

“I remember interactions with NRL players when I was growing up. Things like that can make a big difference.”

It’s hard not to like the Australia star, isn’t it?

 

[Foreign Legion]

World Club Challenge future in doubt

Confusion surrounds the World Club Challenge next year with no confirmation yet that it will be played, report League Weekly.

The World Club Challenge sees the winners of the Super League Grand Final and NRL Grand Final come together to determine the best the club in the world. League Weeklyunderstands that discussions are ongoing, but a senior NRL executive admitted: “There has been no real talks about it here.”


https://www.loverugbyleague.com/features/off-the-record/

 

[deluded pom?]

World Club Challenge future in doubt

Confusion surrounds the World Club Challenge next year with no confirmation yet that it will be played, report League Weekly.

The World Club Challenge sees the winners of the Super League Grand Final and NRL Grand Final come together to determine the best the club in the world. League Weeklyunderstands that discussions are ongoing, but a senior NRL executive admitted: “There has been no real talks about it here.”


https://www.loverugbyleague.com/features/off-the-record/

That’s nothing new. They don’t usually bother mentioning it until both GF winners are decided.

 

[roughyedspud]

Our clubs will always travel down under if the costs are covered...

 

[Foreign Legion]

If the WCC game is played next year anyone know where it may possibly be played at? SFS is out of the picture.

 

[Coastbloke]

I think South Africa would be a great idea

 

[adamkungl]

Welcome back to Sydney, Wigan

 

[Tigers1986]

WCC should be played at the end of the season anyway. Makes no sense doing it at the start of the new season with both teams having new squads etc

 

[deluded pom?]

Welcome back to Sydney, Wigan

I’m sure that will happen seeing as Wigan are sponsored by Sydney.com.

 

[CC_Roosters]

Just a pain that the WCC very continuation is subject to an annual negotiation by the NRL clubs. How much do the SL have to beg each year to get it nailed on i wonder.

 

[Foreign Legion]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/10/26/nrl-looks-at-united-states-option-for-world-club-challenge/

The World Club Challenge could be played in a neutral country in future seasons as the NRL continues to assess the feasibility of taking a premiership match to the United States.

NRL officials had hoped to open the 2019 season by playing a match in California before the rest of the first round but the financial risk and broadcast issues put paid to the venture for now.

However, NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg and chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo told a media briefing before the unveiling of the 2019 draw that they hadn’t given up on the concept and would continue to pursue it without the involvement of promoters.

As a first step, the 2020 World Club Challenge between next season’s NRL and Super League premiers could be played in the US or another neutral venue, such as Singapore or Hong Kong.

While the time difference in the US is an issue for broadcasters, Singapore and Hong Kong are in the same time zone as Perth, which will host a State of Origin fixture next year.

The flying time from Manchester to Singapore or Hong Kong is about 13 hours, compared to about nine hours from Sydney.

However, there is considered to be insufficient time to organise next year’s WCC between Sydney Roosters and Wigan at a neutral venue and the match is set to be played in February in Sydney or England.

"We will continue to look at not just America but other ways we can continue to innovate that has a benefit to our fans locally and abroad so the World Club Challenge, for example, is something we want to think about strategically in terms of where it is played, when it is played and how it is viewed," Abdo said.



last weekend’s Test between the Kangaroos and Tonga in New York and Hawaii fell over when promoters baulked at the cost of playing a game in the US and the NRL was forced to underwrite the match in Auckland.

It is understood the Test broke even but Greenberg said the NRL would rather manage big events, such as an overseas premiership fixture, than rely on promoters.

"We got really close to it in this draw, but in simple terms we couldn’t make the numbers stack up and I wasn’t prepared to fund it and put the game’s money at risk," he said.




NRL Telstra premiership draw 2019

"If we are going to do it we need to have a very strong business plan that makes sure the game is protected financially.

"We have seen what has happened with private promoters trying to take games to the United States.

"We are always prepared to take some risk, just like we did on the weekend with that Tonga game, Everyone told me it wasn’t going to happen, everyone told me it couldn’t happen and the only reason it did happen is because we said we will do it, we will run it, we will underwrite it, we will take the risk and we will make sure it happens."

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Jeez, just make me chairman already...

I said months ago that this is the game to be taking overseas. Its the perfect one; outside the regular season so no backing up next week, "World Champion game", Teams are already doing long flight to play the game so why not have them meet in the middle.

US is a bit uninspired, but its a good start.

 

[roughyedspud]

I'll bet you a bucket of rocking horse sh1t it's not played in Hong Kong or Singapore lol


Play it in Perth..

 

[DlEHARD]

It will be played in Hong Kong one day. But it's a while away.

Perth would be a good location.

 

[Foreign Legion]

you do realise the WCC if played in HK will be up against the AFL, better not risk it.

 

[Perth Red]

Hopefully Singapore, if not in Perth.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Looks like the WCC will be played in Wigan on the 17th of Feb.

 

[Foreign Legion]

 

[The Great Dane]

Really should have been played in Australia for a few years...

Don't get me wrong all the best to Wigan, but the only way that it's going to build any sort of serious profile and be taken seriously down here is if it's played here for a good few years and then annually afterwards, until then it just doesn't have the profile to draw media interest and as such is treated as an after thought.

 

[Foreign Legion]

Really should have been played in Australia for a few years...

Don't get me wrong all the best to Wigan, but the only way that it's going to build any sort of serious profile and be taken seriously down here is if it's played here for a good few years and then annually afterwards, until then it just doesn't have the profile to draw media interest and as such is treated as an after thought.

That and the SL and NRL need to sign proper annual deal for x amount of years