NRL clubs need to help the international game
Roar Guru By M1tch, 30 Dec 2009 M1tch is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Australia, Four Nations, New Zealand, NRL, Rugby League
It’s fair to say the gap in international rugby league is too far apart. The Australian national team have had the edge over England/Great Britain, France and New Zealand since the mid 60s.
It’s no surprise that since the Warriors have started in the NRL, that the New Zealand national team is winning matches more consistently, and, of course, won the World Cup in 2008.
Meanwhile, England has stayed still and France has gone backwards.
Therefore, we – the Australian and New Zealand rugby league communities – need to help the lesser nations with their junior development for the benefit of the international game.
Each NRL club should sign up to two overseas players from nations such as France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, Germany, Italy, Serbia and the United States.
Have them train with the top grade or under 20s teams, watch how we play the game, our tactics, our thoughts, etc.
Give them the full experience for a year or two so they can then go back home and share the experience with their fellow players.
It’s not a process that will cure the ‘gap’ overnight, but it’s something to help these nations become better rugby league nations.
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December 31st 2009 @ 12:24am
Corey said | December 31st 2009 @ 12:24am | Report comment
I strongly agree with you M1tch, I have written into the Broncos Football Manager and Broncos Media Manager suggesting they should tour emerging nations or Russia or America for the expansion of the game and their brand. But, alas, once again the chance to promote the sport goes a wanting. Imagine the teams promoting the sport internationally, via trials against the home nation. Wests play Fiji, Cowboys play PNG, Panthers v Tonga, Dogs v Lebanon, Warriors v Cook Islands, Storm v Victoria or WA, Broncos v USA/Russia, Titans v Jamaica, Parramatta v East Timor or Rwanda where they help out every year, Canberra v ACT or NT, Roosters v Germany or Italy, Knights v Samoa. May be the teams cannot afford this but the RLIF may be or the NRL.
December 31st 2009 @ 10:02am
mahony said | December 31st 2009 @ 10:02am | Report comment
The NRL can no more afford to go on a philanthropic international development crusade (i.e subsidizing other leagues around the world in the hope that they prosper) than I could fly. It is not the direct cost that is an issue as the NRL has cash – but the ‘opportunity cost’. The NRL have to focus on building their domestic grass-roots which are under some strain so as to ensure the future of the elite game here in Australia – and moves by the clubs to ‘take back the game’ will ensure this remains the focus. There is only one code in this country with the serious cash to waste on such a well meaning, but ultimately profligate exercise – but given its international irrelevance, it is wasting it on the Gold Coast and Western Sydney in an egg-ball Civil War (another thing the NRL needs to spend its money on). Any Australian code looking to grow beyond its territorial boundaries (including for international developmental reasons) needs either to win the lottery big time – or, while simultaneously keeping overheads down, build on existing, strong, community grass-roots in their proposed expansion areas. There is only one code that can do this long term.
December 31st 2009 @ 10:08am
Dogs Of War said | December 31st 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Good to see you read the article.It is not about expansion into other areas, ratheriIt was about assisting other countries who already play the game develop players, countries like France and PNG who would be much better off if there players were given more intense training. Even if they don’t make the grade in Australia/England, they go back to France/PNG with a much better League education, and hopefully can assist others in raising the standard.
December 31st 2009 @ 10:18am
mahony said | December 31st 2009 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Read my qualifications on international development being a form of expansion (as domestic expansion for the AFL is) given the use of indirect subsidies to do so. Can you ‘chew gum and walk’? If my arguments are too subtle to follow I apologize.
December 31st 2009 @ 11:30am
Crosscoder said | December 31st 2009 @ 11:30am | Report comment
An example of what is being done even though involving a small country.This is being repeated in Europe.
http://www.fijitimes.com/print.aspx?id=136415
The Fiji National Rugby League has confirmed 3 tests for the Fiji Bati next year.
First up for the Jo Rabele coached Bati side will be 2 home tests aginst PNG Kumuls in June followed by a trip to Samoa.
FNRL patron Rajesh Singh said the Junior Bati was also set to tour AUSTRALIA next year diring the first term school holidays.
“This tour will be a defining moment for many of our secondary school students as scholarships are on offer to join a Sydney secondary school famous for its rl development program”he said
Singh said Matraville Sports High School provided students/athletes with an opportunity to further their interests in sport and academic work”.Matraville has expressed interest in providing elite Fijian rl players with scholarships to further their education and develop their rl talent’
singh said the 2010 secondary schools comp would be launched next month by intnl rl chairman Colin Love,who would be donating a trophy as well’.
“This move will also help FNRL to build a Fiji Bati player base for the 2013 RLWC”. he said.
Whilst money is important ,having lots of it does not guarantee intnl expansion,ask the NFL in Europe.
In fact rugby league has a bigger intnl program in place and being planned for the next 3-4 years,than at any time before.
BTW Mahony it is not the NRL involved in intnl expansion but the RLIF and the RLEF,and they got a little leg up with a $5m plus profit from the 2008WC in Oz.Just thought a correction was needed.Can’t get off on the wrong foot,can we?.
December 31st 2009 @ 11:49am
Springs said | December 31st 2009 @ 11:49am | Report comment
That’s great considering no pacific cup next year. Hopefully Tonga and Samoa can get international programs going as well. I would suggest at the end of the year when NZ play a Pacific team that Australia, England and PNG play the others. So, say Australia vs Samoa, New Zealand vs Tonga, England vs Fiji and PNG vs Cook Islands. Hopefully that would also persuade some of Samoa/Tonga/Fiji’s bigger names to play sice they will be playing against the best.
January 1st 2010 @ 8:24pm
mahony said | January 1st 2010 @ 8:24pm | Report comment
Was unaware of that CC – but its modest nature underscores my point. The code needs to be very careful in how it leverages its Australian and English ‘strongholds’ internationally. For a historical comparison you need to ask the Romans about how the Barbarians (excuse the pun) were able to sack the empire. Rugby League has two big enemies in its two strongholds (AFL and Football) and with the relatively strong international presence of Union, Rugby needs to very carefully consider its value proposition in new international markets (how many rugby’s can developing markets contend with?) lest it loose the motherland as it seeks to build an empire. It is the same conundrum for the AFL face within Australia, but on a regional and quasi-global scale.
January 1st 2010 @ 7:31pm
Corey said | January 1st 2010 @ 7:31pm | Report comment
And what is with that, why is there an RLEF, but nothing for the pacific region? I know we have the RLIF but that is trying to spend the 5mill- which most of it is gone now- in developing he game elsewhere, i.e. Dubai, South Africa and the like.
January 2nd 2010 @ 1:19pm
Springs said | January 2nd 2010 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
The Pacific Islands Rugby League Federation was created last month. It is a partnership between the five Pacific Nations countries.
January 2nd 2010 @ 2:40pm
Corey said | January 2nd 2010 @ 2:40pm | Report comment
But I think we need one where the whole Pacific is measured by a body, like the RLEF- the Pacific includes Aus, NZ, the five nations in the PIRLF, USA, Jamaica (and hopefully the Caribbean), and other countries that will hopefully be invested into- especially Asia.
January 2nd 2010 @ 6:16am
Crosscoder said | January 2nd 2010 @ 6:16am | Report comment
mahony
I am not trying to make it sound bigger than it really is,simply to state there is movement at the station so to speak.
It is obvious that the financial strength and power of rl ,resides in Oz,no argument there.The code is I understand via the RLEF and RLIF being very careful as to how the money is being distributed.They have to be on limited financial resources.
There is in fact have quite a busy intnl schedule (again on a modest basis) for the code in Europe).
I would suggest further yes the NRL is well aware of the growth of soccer and the AFL,and the intnl clout of ru.That being the case rl is also aware of the popularity of their game on the box in Australia and NZ in terms of TV ratings and as a consequence Tv contracts.On that alone they can more than match soccer,are so close to AFL it doesn’t matter,and literally trounce ru .
And we all know what happened in the end to the Barbarians.The Romans still survive to this day.Todays Barbarians now live in Afghan caves, hiding from US missile strikes.
Champ,the code of rugby league survived a Super league war,in which just about every man woman and kiddie thought would lead to its demise.It survived and is now stronger than ever.Competiton for rl is not a new phenomenon.
I hasten to add,this is a very big world with 6 billion residents,there is room and opportunity for all codes,and rl .
BTW it won’t lose the motherland.The growing fan/playing base and financial strength,and the opportunity to expopand further within Oz,will further underpin its current strength.
Again I repeat the NRL does not ATM involve itself in financing the intnl scene.The last WC08 in Oz,was promoted by Love of the ARL with backing from the RLIF.None of the $5m plus profit went to the NRL .There is one now set in stone for 2013 in England,that will test the lie of the land.
January 6th 2010 @ 10:22pm
Siva Samoa said | January 6th 2010 @ 10:22pm | Report comment
So league trounce rugby in new zealand as well ?
January 7th 2010 @ 1:34am
jus de couchon said | January 7th 2010 @ 1:34am | Report comment
Must be difficult inventing an International calender with just 3 real teams. The recent 4 nations European Cup was a farce. A stronger France would be interesting but Leagues planners exist in another space/time paralell universe.
January 10th 2010 @ 3:40pm
Sam el Perro said | January 10th 2010 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
I think you are getting confused. There were six teams in the European Cup this year: Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Serbia, Lebanon and Italy. There were four teams in the, obviously named, Four Nations: Australia, England, New Zealand and France.
January 10th 2010 @ 3:33pm
Crosscoder said | January 10th 2010 @ 3:33pm | Report comment
Siva.
What are you on about.NRL on Sky is doing very well in NZ.They pay a nice slice of money to the NRL as part of the TV contract.
Now be a good lad,and stop trying to find pixies in the garden,that are simply not there.
BTW it is rugby league not league.
April 20th 2010 @ 8:06am
Dave said | April 20th 2010 @ 8:06am | Report comment
You seem to know its ratings its ass off CC. Where’s the evidence?
January 10th 2010 @ 3:44pm
Crosscoder said | January 10th 2010 @ 3:44pm | Report comment
jus de couchon
Well my friend that is what the current French rl administration trying to do,expand the number of teams in SL(eg Toulouse),and grow the juniors.The latter is already happening.
Everyone within the game wants a strong French team,a no brainer.
League planners are restricted by one thing certainly not volunteers,folding money.It is not a bottomless pit.
Although now learn Lebanon (considered a farce in the 2000WC) has has been afforded full federation status in that country.As decreed by the Ministry of Youth & Sports Tech Affairs Dept on 30/12/09.
http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id+35159.html
I expect the usual troll response from one who shall remain nameless.
April 20th 2010 @ 8:08am
Dave said | April 20th 2010 @ 8:08am | Report comment
It seems that Lebanon has been mention by CC 10,000 times already this year.