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It's time to silence the Rugby League World Cup's critics

22nd October, 2013
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The Rugby League World Cup is here again. (AFP PHOTO/PAUL ELLIS)
Roar Guru
22nd October, 2013
61
3769 Reads

With critics of the Rugby League World Cup lining up, it’s time for fans to give them a reminder – we watch the game, not the politics and goings-on surrounding it.

And that fact should not be lost on this World Cup, nor the benefits it will have.

I read a newspaper article that said it didn’t like the World Cup for the very perceptions we are talking about combating, and suggested a reduced format that separated top teams from lower-ranked teams, effectively making these teams invisible.

This sounded good in principle if you want to reduce the disparity in the short term but it was also very limiting, especially for the future potential of the tournament and rugby league globally.

Everyone understands the concept of good and not so good teams. It’s not unexpected.

At the same time, it’s good to see them go round. After all, it’s a World Cup. Everyone is involved.

Eligibility rules will have zero influence on my enjoyment of the World Cup.

I will be watching the games and it’s bringing me joy seeing the passion and anticipation of the World Cup, and just how much wider the influence of this tournament is this time round on all levels.

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I am seeing comps in Canada and USA, Jamaica and across Europe. Sure, none of those comps are repped a great deal at the World Cup at the moment, but isn’t this the point about the re-investment aspect of the World Cup?

If those countries had players who were good enough, living and playing in their own country – they would use them. This is the challenge for the future… but still, I am not concerned with eligibility.

I just don’t think it should prevent the enjoyment of those games. Actually, it should not prevent the enjoyment of the entire tournament and the many intangible benefits and stories to come out of it.

It makes zero sense to criticise this tournament when you look at its achievements before a ball has been kicked.

1. Most successful already in ticket sales and profit (for reinvestment).

2. Most talked about, even in spaces, areas and mediums not usually associated with rugby league.

3. Most supported in the wider community.

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4. Most anticipated.

Sally Bolton and her team have done a fantastic job promoting this event. Also, the group promoting the Wembley semi-final is doing well.

I fail to see how anyone can bag the relevance and appeal of this tournament, especially when orgniasers are well on their way to filling Wembley, Old Trafford and the Millennium Stadium.

The opening game at Millennium has sold around 50,000 so far – although actual numbers are hard to come by, the entire lower half of the stadium is full and sections in the top half are selling out.

Wembley and Old Trafford have sold 50 and 60,000 tickets respectively, with over four weeks to go until either fixture.

France’s game against New Zealand in Avignon has sold out, as has England’s clash with Ireland at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield, while the RLWC ticketing website has been getting 30,000 hits per day – and rising.

And how can one bag the actual games themselves?

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The pundits who trot out the fallacy of lopsidedness each year are doing the sport on injustice. It’s a world tournament – not every team is going to be in the top echelon.

The organisation of this tournament has been very smart, with the semi-final double header at Wembley a particularly good move.

You are almost guaranteed to be seeing Australia, New Zealand and England play on the same night, and find out who the finalists are on the same day.

Even more importantly, holding the games at Wembley will attract people who have never been to a rugby league game before, with most tickets of the tickets sold so far going to people in and around London.

The culture among league fans themselves is to buy late, and the smaller amount of tickets than usual sold in the heartland for this game speaks of people making sure England actually make it.

If England get there, sales will skyrocket.

In Cardiff, they have put up World Cup banners in the city centre, while banners are also up across the North of England. Some people may say that’s not reaching far, but this level of presence has NEVER happened for rugby league before.

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There was a Parliamentary luncheon for the World Cup where many members of Parliament attended. There was a message from the Prime Minister. The Mayor of London being involved and promoting it.

There is a buzz about the tournament in England, and it’s only starting to ramp up. The interest in the England/Italy and New Zealand/Cook Islands games were a taste of the anticipation to come.

At the end of the day, this tournament is about promoting rugby league across the globe, as far and wide as we can.

It may pale into comparison with football’s World Cup, but you do have to start somewhere. Besides, the barometer is not football’s or union’s World Cup – the barometer is our last World Cup.

Rugby league needs to stop comparing itself to other sports and beat our own marks.

In terms of profits, estimates put it anywhere between $25-50 million. They have sold roughly 360,000 tickets so far. The maximum they can sell is about 500k, given stadia capacities, and they hope to reach 70 percent of that total.

The money generated is small bikkies compared to some, but again – at no point in the history of the sport has it generated such an amount at the World Cup.

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Sure, $30 million won’t be spread around thickly, but it’s better than nothing and it’s more than ever before.

In terms of the townships and cities around the UK, there has been a lot of support from councils and stadiums in an effort to promote rugby league.

Television coverage for the tournament is also shaping up nicely, even in Australia where all 28 games will be shown live or delayed (and replayed) on Channel 7 and 7mate.

Meanwhile in England, the BBC is promoting this event like never before and has even signed on to broadcast the next World Cup.

Some people don’t realise how good this World Cup is for the sport, and how amazing a job the team behind the tournament have done.

With the critics silenced, we can all simply sit back, relax, and enjoy the game we love.

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