World Cup expands to 14 teams

[bender]

Oh dear, it seems the Cook Islands will be given automatic qualification ahead of Lebanon due to making the Pacific final. Bad move I reckon. Hopefully Lebanon will still make it but I think they've done enough to get a free pass. They have a growing domestic scene, they finished third in the Euro Cup (ahead of Ireland) and never lost a 2008 qualifier. Plus they could attract good TV and sponsorship deals from Middle East companies and would have the backing of their government. The RLIF is missing a trick already.

That would leave a Euro qualifying tournament with Lebanon, Russia, Serbia, Italy and possibly any number of others, and an "Atlantic" (or World) group with the USA, Jamaica, Japan and South Africa.

You would think that those who played in the last world cup would be guaranteed a place. Perhaps just reward too (if we are having so many qualifiers). This leaves Wales, who would have to be a certainty for the other spot, leaving one place open. Personally, i get the feeling that this place will go to the USA. I think that they will gamble that they might get some US money (in the short or longer term) with an American side.

Russia are also a chance, as they are actually a test nation, so they can be justified. Lebanon and Cook Islands are other possibilities, but i think that they will both be overlooked, as the reality is that they should be good enough to qualify anyway, and if they cant then they probably dont deserve to be there in the first place.

I think that they will go with 2 four team playoffs for the last place. I can see a Europe group with Lebanon, Italy, Russia and Serbia and a World Group with Cook Islands, South Africa, Jamaica, and Japan. I think that Serbia may be forced to qualify against Germany, Holland, Greece. Dont forget also that if a side doesnt have a domestic competition, they wont be allowed in, so Italy, Greece etc will have to establish competitions to be eligible, even for qualifying. I think they will be much stricter on this, this time. I expect the qualifing will actually be a pretty good tournament. I just hope the main teams actually get some decent competition against each other. If it means that the Automatic qualifiers play each other instead of qualifiers, then this is a master stroke. If not, then we have lost a big opportunity by having too many autoqualifiers.

 

[Mullins_y2k]

I'm getting excited already!! haha long wait though!
I'd love to see Lebanon and Italy make it and really make some big strides forward. But as long as the best two qualifying nations make it I'm happy

 

[Mullins_y2k]

Lebanon and Cook Islands are other possibilities, but i think that they will both be overlooked, as the reality is that they should be good enough to qualify anyway, and if they cant then they probably dont deserve to be there in the first place.

Great point! totally agree.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

You would think that those who played in the last world cup would be guaranteed a place. Perhaps just reward too (if we are having so many qualifiers). This leaves Wales, who would have to be a certainty for the other spot, leaving one place open. Personally, i get the feeling that this place will go to the USA. I think that they will gamble that they might get some US money (in the short or longer term) with an American side.

Russia are also a chance, as they are actually a test nation, so they can be justified. Lebanon and Cook Islands are other possibilities, but i think that they will both be overlooked, as the reality is that they should be good enough to qualify anyway, and if they cant then they probably dont deserve to be there in the first place.

I think that they will go with 2 four team playoffs for the last place. I can see a Europe group with Lebanon, Italy, Russia and Serbia and a World Group with Cook Islands, South Africa, Jamaica, and Japan. I think that Serbia may be forced to qualify against Germany, Holland, Greece. Dont forget also that if a side doesnt have a domestic competition, they wont be allowed in, so Italy, Greece etc will have to establish competitions to be eligible, even for qualifying. I think they will be much stricter on this, this time. I expect the qualifing will actually be a pretty good tournament. I just hope the main teams actually get some decent competition against each other. If it means that the Automatic qualifiers play each other instead of qualifiers, then this is a master stroke. If not, then we have lost a big opportunity by having too many autoqualifiers.

But what I'm saying is that I've heard the Cook Islands will be one of the 12. It's just a rumour but it seems likely.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I'm getting excited already!! haha long wait though!
I'd love to see Lebanon and Italy make it and really make some big strides forward. But as long as the best two qualifying nations make it I'm happy

Its only 3 years away, and a shorter gap between the last WC, 8 years.

Still I hope its as good as the last one and 1995.

 

[Springs]

There should be a Euro Cup and pacific Cup to determine the ranking places in the pools, say Australia and England qualify for Pool 1, NZ for pool 2. The other 5 places should be determined through the Top 3 Euro and Top 2 pacific.
Pool 1
Australia
England
Pacific 1
Euro 2

Pool 2
New Zealand
Euro 1
Pacific 2
Euro 3

With Euro 4+5 and Pacific 3+4 qualifying for the lesser pools, with the other two nations to be determined through repechage rounds. At least it will give these nations some international fixtures during 2012.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I think the pools should be determined based on the best outcomes. If they're going to have a pool played in Fance then clearly France should be in a pool away from the big 3. The same could go for Wales. If they need a blockbuster to open the tournament then they'll have to have Australia and England in the same pool etc. The same should go for venues. If Lebanon makes it they should play in London where they might attract some Lebanese people. The same goes for Australia and NZ in London. If Ireland is going to attract bigger crowds in the north west of England then they should play there. I think they did a reasonable job putting games in the right places in 2008 and they could do even better in the future.

 

[ucantseeme]

The 1995 & 2008 RLWC were profitable and had 10 teams.

14 is too many. Anyone who watched the OZ vs Fiji semi final would see that. Apart from the big 3 the others cannot compete.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

The ten teams from the last WC will get auto entry plus, I think, Wales and the US (decent point made above by bender regarding looking to the future with the US).

Lebanon will win the Euro qualifier and Cook Is will win the Pacific Qualifier. There's our 14 teams.

Two Super Groups of 4 each, two minor groups of 3 each.

Aus and NZ in Super 1 to guarantee the TransTasman battle, Eng and France in Super 2 to guarantee the Euro battle. All the other spots will be drawn by lot but I'd personally be tempted to select them so as to ensure matches such as Samoa v Tonga.

1st place from Super groups 1 & 2 advance straight to semis. Runners up in S1&2 play winners from the minor groups in the quarters, where they will jump across to the other side of the draw (so that, for example, NZ doesn't end up playing Aus again in the Semi).

There's your WC, folks.

 

[lifesgood]

14 is a decent result, would like to have seen 16, and just as good a result is that there will be 12 automatic qualifiers. It seems like there will be two pools of 4, two of 3.

It is good that 12 teams are given automatic entry, none of those teams should be forced to needlessly jump through the hoops to qualify. Now they can get on with the business of playing regular tournaments. I guess the automatic qualifiers will be:

England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland (the Home Nations will probably host games)
Australia, NZ, France (other full time pro nations)
PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga (established PI nations)

and one other?

Cook Islands and Lebanon

 

[lifesgood]

Cook Islands may get automatic qualification for making the final this year in pacific cup.
But the european cup this year still has to be played, and the winner of that wins a spot in four nations in 2011 and also a world cup spot. So im guessing Lebanon a5re the only European team that will not be a guaranteed a spot unless they win the european cup or make the final.

 

[druzik]

As I mentioned before... my sources tell me...

10 teams from the 2008 WC are automatic

Wales and Cook Is are automatic

the last two spots come from [Lebanon, Serbia, Italy, Russia(?)] and [USA, Jamaica, SA, Japan]

I will also say this. Do not be surprised to see another backfilp and the teams reduced to 19 or even 18 teams playing.

 

[griff]

I think this time they need to be a bit more strategic with the qualifying set up to give a better geographic spread of nations.

Eastern Europe should be a strategic growth area for RL, and getting Russia back on steam should be seen as extremely important. I'd therefore have a separate Eastern Europe qualifying group to guarantee an Eastern European country entry to the main draw.

 

[Panadol]

well 14 teams would most likely split into a 3-3-4-4 pool system, but perhaps maybe they'll make the two groups of 3 as the super pools

Aus
Eng
Wal

NZ
Fra
PNG

and the rest of the world make up the other group

It would avoid potential mismatches

 

[pcpp]

I think it will go something like this:

Group A: Australia, England, Wales, PNG (3 to progress)
Group B: NZ, France, Fiji, Ireland (3 to progress)
Group C: Scotland, Samoa, ? (1 to progress)
Group D: Tonga, Cook Islands, ? (1 to progress)

Group C and D teams play a cross-group match each to ensure that every team plays 3 matches before the quarter finals.

Quarter Finals:
QF1: A1 v B3
QF2: A2 V C1
QF3: B1 v A3
QF4: B2 V D1

Semi-Finals:
SF1: Winner QF1 v QF4
SF2: Winner QF2 v QF3

 

[roughyedspud]

I think it will go something like this:

Group A: Australia, England, Wales, PNG (3 to progress)
Group B: NZ, France, Fiji, Ireland (3 to progress)
Group C: Scotland, Samoa, ? (1 to progress)
Group D: Tonga, Cook Islands, ? (1 to progress)

Group C and D teams play a cross-group match each to ensure that every team plays 3 matches before the quarter finals.

Quarter Finals:
QF1: A1 v B3
QF2: A2 V C1
QF3: B1 v A3
QF4: B2 V D1

Semi-Finals:
SF1: Winner QF1 v QF4
SF2: Winner QF2 v QF3

looks alright to me

 

[Coastbloke]

well 14 teams would most likely split into a 3-3-4-4 pool system, but perhaps maybe they'll make the two groups of 3 as the super pools

Aus
Eng
Wal

NZ
Fra
PNG

and the rest of the world make up the other group

It would avoid potential mismatches

Why are we always concerned with pool mismatches..??

Here's some 2007 ruwc scores:

59-7
91-3
72-18
108-13
64-7
87-10
40-0
85-8

 

[Jankuloski]

Why should we copy someone else's mistakes?

International RU is very hyped, and from a marketing standpoint is ahead of RL. It doesn't help that aussies keep calling rugby union just rugby. People come to see the all blacks because they've seen them in commercials and movies, not because they want to see the game.

We do not have those kind of luxuries. The only thing RL has over RU at the moment is that it's a better game, so people who come to the games expect good matches.

 

[Springs]

pcpp's outline is basically the same as mine. England will definitely be in the same group as Australia. And I don't think the teams in groups C and D will be play 3 games each. The RFL must consider crowd interest. The only thing I can see is ranking matches between the bottom 4 teams, although I don't think they serve any use.

We are going from 18 games to most likely 25 games. Roughly the same amount that would have been played with 3 groups of 4 teams, so it's not that bad a move by the RFL, having two extra teams with the same amount of games, along with an opportunity for an eight-team finals. Looking forward to it!

 

[Springs]

well 14 teams would most likely split into a 3-3-4-4 pool system, but perhaps maybe they'll make the two groups of 3 as the super pools

Aus
Eng
Wal

NZ
Fra
PNG

and the rest of the world make up the other group

It would avoid potential mismatches

There is no way England will be in a group of 3, they will only play two games while the lesser nations play 3!