If Rugby League ever wants to have an international game on the scale Rugby Union has – where a World Cup could possibly, if not probably, have five nations win – league needs to grow its international game. And the best way of doing this is through a re-think of national eligibility laws.
Presently the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) is made up of 12 member nations – Australia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa, South Africa, Tonga and Wales. Within these 12 nations there are two distinct tiers.
The first tier consists of the nations that could all possibly beat each other but, when faced with any of the other nations, are guaranteed victory. Australia, New Zealand and England make this top tier.
The second tier is every other nation – nine countries who could probably each beat each other, on their given day, but when facing one of the top tier nations, it’s simply a matter of how much they will lose by.
(Obviously there are always exceptions to this rule, but the reality of 95 percent of international results back up the above statements.)
As a result, there is very little interest in rugby league at an international level.
There will be a Four Nations cup played at the end of the season between Australia, New Zealand, England and France and of those, interest will pique around Australia versus New Zealand, but English and French games will more or less be viewed as dead rubbers.
As for the other eight nations that make up the RLIF, well to be perfectly honest, who cares? This is not a statement of callousness but rather, largely, of fact. Who actually cares about watching minnow nations play one another merely for the pride at stake?
The reality of the answer is probably, “people of those nations”. If rugby league wants to grow an international game, the answer should be “fans of rugby league”.
Some of the best players in the game have heritage with these minnow nations – 40 percent of the NRL’s players are of Polynesian descent – but cannot represent them because that would in effect rule them out of playing for Australia (and therefore State of Origin) or New Zealand.
Presently, RLIF laws state,
“When a player plays a Senior International Match for a country, he is deemed to have elected to play for that country. Once an election is made the player may not play Senior representative rugby league for any other country until the end of the next World Cup tournament, or the expiry of two years, whichever is earlier (‘Election Period’).”
Which is where the aforementioned eligibility law re-think comes in. As long as there are the two distinct tiers of rugby league playing nations, national eligibility should also be divided into two tiers.
A player elects to represent one of the top tier nations by playing a senior game for them and that shall be the only top tier nation said player will be allowed to represent for the length of their career. The idea that a player can represent New Zealand at one World Cup and switch to Australia for the next (a complicated international jig known as “doing the Tonie Carroll”) is ludicrous.
But a player should be allowed to nominate a second tier nations to represent, obviously based on current eligibility laws – a player’s birth, residence or heritage in their nominated nation would be examined.
If they are not selected to play for their top tier nation, they can instead play for their second tier nation without having to wait for two years or a world cup before being ruled eligible to represent their top tier nation again.
Though this may seem like a double standard, the question that needs to be asked is would this weaken international rugby league?
If Jarryd Hayne does not make the Australian squad for the upcoming Four Nations, would anyone really consider it to be to the detriment of international rugby league if he instead played a few games for the Bati?
Ditto for Nev Costigan having a run with the Kumuls? Or Robbie Farah with the Cedars?
With the present rules none of these players would dream of playing for the nations of their heritage because it would be the end of their Australian and Origin dreams until the completion of the 2013 World Cup, so in reality season 2014.
Rather than ask whether this would serve to weaken international rugby league, perhaps we should examine who would benefit from this system.
First of all, the players good enough to nominate and play for two nations. Jarryd Hayne has said on numerous occasions what a huge benefit it was to him, both professionally and personally, to play for the Bati at the 2008 World Cup, saying at the time:
“This has been one of the best experiences of my life and I wouldn’t take it back for anything. We play like we’re family. We don’t go out there with any pressure, we go out there to have fun.”
Playing for second tier nations serves to show professional players how good they have it and allows them to show their pride in their heritage.
(It also would give them a chance to show their first tier selectors how wrong they got it by leaving them out of their teams.)
Secondly, the fans.
While it’s great watching Australia win every international game they play (except the two or three that actually ever matter) wouldn’t it be better to watch a competitive game of rugby league?
And in league mad countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa, wouldn’t it be nice for the locals to get a chance to support a team that had a legitimate chance of winning games against the bigger league nations?
Could you imagine the scenes in Port Moresby if the Kumuls got a win against the Kangaroos with Nev Costigan leading the way?
Thirdly: the rugby league federations of these second tier countries.
While the NRL wring their hands over whether they will crack the magical billion with their next TV deal, most second tier federations operate on a budget that wouldn’t pay for a Toyota Cup team.
If their national sides had a handful of superstars each, all of a sudden gate receipts would go up, along with jersey sales and there may even be interest from TV networks in showing their games.
Though these are the kind of financial boosts not even Cronulla would be fussed over, they would serve to massively inflate the budgets of the struggling nations, in turn helping them create better conditions for not only their players but also the kids of their nations who dream of one day playing international rugby league for their country.
Perhaps the only people who would have a cause to gripe would be the players who faithfully serve their country only to be replaced when a better player doesn’t make the cut for his first-nominated nation.
But while these players would have legitimate complaints about losing their spot, the benefits of playing or even just training alongside internationally recognised players are enormous. Their own games would improve dramatically by seeing how professionals do it.
More importantly, many players in these teams would suddenly be exposed to the international rugby league community, markedly improving their chances of getting a professional contract for themselves.
All those benefits aside, getting replaced by a better player is the nature of the beast in professional sport. And while it would be tough for Fiji’s regular players to be displaced, they would all have to admit it would be fantastic for Fiji if Petero Civonicieva, Jarryd Hayne, Lote Tuqiri, Aku Uate and Sisa Waqa lined up for the Bati against a top tier nation, played with passion to put a Queenslander to shame and caused a boil-over.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what the aim of this tiered system should be. Not that players of international standard continue to choose to play for two nations but rather that these second tier nations become so competitive that the superstars of the game decide they only want to play for that nation, thus negating the need for the tiered system.
This may be decades away but one needs only compare the Rugby World Cup’s humble beginnings at Concord in 1987 with the global coverage it receives today to see the benefits. Acknowledging and operating a two tiered system could be the first step in putting league on a comparative level.
League may be the dominant rugby in Australia, with daylight coming in well before Union but, with the world’s eyes on New Zealand hosting the Rugby World Cup this month, it shows Union is light years ahead of League on a global scale.
R
Guest
Aussie and NZ rugby have helped the Island teams by including their players in provincial, super 12 and lower grade representative sides; league is the same. I agree, if they don't make it into the final training squad for the top tier teams, release them to their country of origin or heritage, as ambassadors of the game. Think of how proud those locals feel when one of their own goes home to pass on knowledge - whether it be to a community in outback Australia, Samoa, Tonga, NZ or Croatia. And high paid, professional players equals currency in tin pot towns, as it does at ANZ stadium - listen to the players, and listen to their families and communities and grow the game !!!
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
WCR I suggest with the current standings of Japan with all the money at their disposal not winning a Wc match (17 straight) and Namibia being thrashed 87 to blot,some of the money may not have been spent wisely by the IRB in a couple of places. Regardless of the ability and business acumen of organisations,somewhere down the line ,money is squandered or used inefficiently.I have ssen it in business over the years and of course politics.
sonny bill
Guest
rugby league cannot afford for players not to be playing internationally jarred hayne hes behing slater and boyd for aus how can we not have him playing internationally for figi,the rules of origin firstly need to b changed so that pacific players can play but also allowed to play for png tonga etc.The main problem is there are so few international games that players like uate would rather play for aus perhaps 3 times than fiji 30 times,four nations needs to b scrapped instead aus and nz play each other 3 times a season while samoa fiji tonga png play each other in a comp,then at end the best players in that comp play the winner of aus v nz it would then mean that samo tonga etc could attract the players because the reward is a game against aus or nz,in britain there needs to b a 5 nations like in rugby i see so many players playing for england who perhaps only have 2 caps like briscoe coley carvel, they only play for england to play auz or nz cos the other home nations arnt worth playing for this needs to change, I dont care wat it is but players with even the slightest bit of scottish or irish should b allowed to play for them countries,there are so many players in super league who wont b able tp play for a country,wales for eg have to pick championship 1 players when so many players in super league must have some welshness in them for eg someone like andy lynch at bradford not going to play gor eng but what a waste when the other home countries have to pick championship players.then the insentive would b that this 5 nations goes on for 2 years then a gb team is picked to tour austrilia,then the following season tournament starts up again to give teams chance to work together for wc the next year, THEN AFTER WC BACK TO 2YEARS OF 5 NATIONS THEN A GB TOUR AND SO ON
JCVD
Guest
By toughest I meant unpredictable and such close games in nrl compared with other sports
JCVD
Guest
Well wat other competition has such unpredictability such as the nrl?? None. I didnt say league will take over union. I said more kids will start playing league in nz. If nrls salary cap is increased to say 5-6 million per yr. That would definitely drum up some more support for league. It's no coincidence that league in nz is on the up since the warriors made the nrl gf in 2001. 4yrs later nz win thee tri nations in 2005. 3yrs later they win they world cup. N the warriors Toyota cup team is just a prime example of the talent that had been coming through the warriors feeder system. Face it. League is slowly on the rise in nz and around the world
Working Class Rugger
Guest
CC, The ARU squandered their surplus, as can be best demonstrated by the current RWC the IRB hasn't.
Emric
Guest
wasn't that game in Sydney? How many kiwis do you think traveled to watch the warriors game last night?
kovana
Guest
Its naive to think that both codes can grow at their OPTIMUM maximum potential while they are still at each others throats.
go warriors
Guest
Siva the fact that you played RL for some many clubs within a short distance from each other just show how many RL clubs there are in Auckland and how popular the game is. Mate you go on about NZRL taking ru juniors however not is forcing them to play RL. They are obviously enjoying it and relishing the oppurtunties RL provides. The warriors u20s, the vulcans and the warriors are all only one game away from their grand finals. The kiwis hold the world cup and the 4 nations trophy. Not bad aye for such a tiny sport as you try to make out. And to everyone that claims the NZ could not give a toss about RL they obviously were not at the warriors game last night. The support was incredible and they were celebrating like they had won the grand final. It was unbelievable. Cmon warriors
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Siva. Pub teams!!! Previous posts those in the past had no trouble knocking development in France and NZ ,and loving to quote diminishing playing numbers.Well my friend theTtrend has been reversed.These kids have not been playing in pub teams.and Toulouse has an ambition eventually to enter the ESL.Give them time. You are no more a rugby league supporter thn I am an AFL fan I was apparently going on about the NRLUSL taking on the world was I? Please provide me the actual quote where I made such a statement.And then apologise when you can't .All I stated at the time it was an ambitious move and hoped it works..It didn't .A new setup is in place in the US: the AMNRL and the more professionally set up USARL.I am more optimistic this timeTwice the number of teams,and in some cases development in teh schools such as the Axemen.. Well we know by reading your posts you are looking for negatives in rl.If you believe going around in life looking for negatives all the time is heh way to go,one ends up a very sad and misguided person As there are more countries playing rugby league than ever before and in countries like France,Wales ,Serbia etc the numbers continueto grow as with the others,I am positive about the game's future.What;s your excuse?. and if you have the decency to read some of my posts in the past,I criticise the code,its players when it is warranted.Something you have diifculty in doing with yours. I take note of the people involved,not some references,you come up with.There are hiccups in development in many countries.That does not prevent nor preclude the game growing.
Siva Samoa
Roar Pro
the best thing for nz and international rugby league is for nz and france to have their professional competition so more players can play at the top level. the nz warriors under 20 side are doing well thanks to the rugby union players from many nz schools they signed. they know where the best talents are.
Rob9
Guest
With the current pools at this rwc, try telling fiji, samoa, wales, scotland, argentina, italy, ireland that things start getting serious in the quarters. There's really only one pool that's a forgone conclusion. No doubt the nrl is a tough as nuts league that asks a lot of their athletes, but id suggest being a wallaby has similar demands. 17 super rugby games before finals as of this year and around 13 tests. Not exactly a walk in the park...
Siva Samoa
Roar Pro
your right on the money rob9, i just wish some can take and post positive and negative news all at once instead of always turning whats not there or negative into positives.
Rob9
Guest
Seeing this rubbish makes my blood boil. Ive only just been put onto this site and have chucked in my 2 cents above. Its an absolute joke how some clowns carry on on here when you raise an opinion that doesnt fly with theirs. As a fan of both codes I plan on giving an opinion on issues in both games. Some may be critical of certain suggestions for the future direction of both codes, such is the case here with leagues apparent global aspirations. As a fan im entitled to throw my 2 bobs worth in and it'd be nice to do it without being labelled a 'unionist' etc by some twit who knows squat about me or my interests. Some people really need to grow up, read comments carefully and not take everything that's critical as an attack on the game. There are these rare species out there who enjoy both games, pull your heads in!
Siva Samoa
Roar Pro
there is a huge different in talking positive and mention pub teams here and there and one or two individuals sign by a superleague club and developments of the game all over the world. we want to hear the big picture things like whta happen to the nrlus you and oikee were going on about taking over the world and so on. by reading your post above it seems "POSITIVE" is your middle name. you praise toulouse when they enter the rfl championship a couple of years ago and now your prasing the same team going back to france. i said rugbyleague planet and the south african rugby league posters there all talk about the kaos happening there very different from the "POSITIVE" news your preaching here. here have a read yourself. http://forums.rugbyleagueplanet.com/topic/4345071/1/#new
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Kovana The fact players like the Brisbane centre and Widdop have opted for English selection,is beginning to show the priorities of the players. 2013 will be the real test for the RLWC provided they do it correctly,it could be a launching pad for bigger and a brighter future for the intnl game.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
WCR I actually agree with you view.the last RLWC2008 used its small profit to assist new and growing countries ,with the limited funds available.The RLWC 2013 with a higher number of countries participating and better planned,will assist further. You mention 3 rl countries as being first class,again I have to agree,but by the same token there are no more than 6 -8 ru countries that can be classified as first class (out of 150).And again that will take many years to increase that number dramatically. The overwhelming financial clout has to be delivered properly.The ARU had $48m in the bank post 2003,and blew a fair percentage of it.The overwhelming financial clout has not reduced the popularity of rl in this country ,and one could suggest the code with their next Tv contract will have financial clout here(which will assist NZ) also. The overwhleming financial clout in the UK ,has meant a couple of rl players defecting,but has not inhibited growth in those countries,nor has the monies being expended in France by ru sugardaddies and the FRU. 7s is indeed a boost for ru in the olympics.I might add getting rugby league as a cat3 applicant for the Commonwealth games is also a boost ',albeit early days,but a first step.You dont'get that initial acceptance ,unless you can show you have grown the game in X number of Commonwealth countries. It is fair and reasonable to say rugby league will always be behind rugby union internationally.That is hardly something to be embarrassed about,as for example the code in this country at least has 4 tiers on which they operate from u20,club,SOO and tests. There is also a saying you have a better chance of securing quality ,when you have an increasing quantity.That is all rugby league should be aiming for. I like these sooothsayers who predict 20 years ahead,that the growth will be restricted in its growth.If an ARU CEO who predicted ru would overtake rl in 5 years from 2001 in Australia,cant get it right,how the hell should we accept a 20 year prediction.If a former Wallaby coach who predicted rl's demise within 5 years,when union went pro,couldn't get it right fill in the blanks..........
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
go warriors. Correct ,the majority of the world look at football (soccer) first ,second and third.I concede that view ,and I am by no meansa soccer follower.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Kovana. Rugby league is now back being played in Ítaly,with 2 separate administrations.I do not see or have not heard the Italian Govt,complain about the fact there are two rugby codes operating.The message has finally sunk in with them.Just as the French finally had to concede. Rugby league is not hindered by the name,as growth overseas suggests.""Fighting for the same demographic " in countries with populations 2 to 3 times as big as Australia,come off it.In the case of the USA,15 times as big. Its called choice Kovana,players now have a choice ,some prefer ru,and now some prefer rl.Ask the young Warriors half Shaun Johnson what his preference is.Ask Ben Flowers the Welsh kid who was signed up by an ESL club . People make a choice when they see a code and/or play a code.That choice should never again be denied to them. From my reading of the situation both rugby codes are growing intnlly,so I can't see one being detrimental to the other.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Kovana. Seeing you are in defensive mode,confirming my bees to honey theory.The answer for ru is probably no.The point is ,it is an area where rugby league has been played decades ago ,and has been revived and is growing at a fast pace. One confirms a lot of things by checking with the people involved at the Serbian rl,and a story in Rugby League world Magazine. The fact that the code has govt recognition and the RLIF has made the country a full member,which in itself is a reward for the work they have done.