When New Zealand Prime Minister John Key sits in ANZ Stadium on Sunday as the Warriors do battle with the Sea Eagles, I hope that hundreds of thousands of kiwis across New Zealand tune in to watch a cracking game.
I hope the NRL Grand Final gets huge coverage in the New Zealand media, and I hope above all else the IRB notice the passion and excitement.
Why would an Australia rugby supporter want this?
This is not some cunning plan to dilute the future playing stocks of the All Blacks by getting them to switch to league.
Rather, I want the IRB head honchos to see how serious this end of the earth is about rugby league.
I want the IRB to realise the impact of competition and the need to meet the demands of the paying public.
I believe the IRB may see rugby league as a niche sport on the world stage, but on Sunday they will see much more.
They will see a ‘domestic’ competition sell out a 90,000 seat stadium. They will see a sport that is on the verge of a billion dollar broadcast deal.
They will see a sport that is easy to understand and is loved by broadcasters and the paying public.
They will see a sport that is making inroads into the top rugby talent pools in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
They will see one of the sports that has relegated rugby to the third choice winter code in Australia.
It highlights that the motto ‘build it and they will come’ will not work for rugby. There is tough competition out there.
Australia is a microcosm for sport. It has one of the most competitive sporting markets in the world.
It is a ‘canary in the mine’ for rugby. If the game is healthy in Australia it is in good shape to take on the world.
The Warriors success couldn’t have come at a better time for rugby.
If this had occurred at any other time the IRB heavies would be tucked away in Europe, oblivious to what was happening at this end of the earth, but now they are in town they will see what a slick competitor can do.
They will see the rugby nation of New Zealand tune out of their own Rugby World Cup bubble to focus on a rival game across the ditch.
I hope this serves as a wake up call to the IRB. Undoubtedly they have a done a good job expanding rugby in the 16 years of professionalism, but they cannot rest on their laurels.
They must continue to seek improvement as they try to embrace a wider audience. They must make the game easier to understand without losing the quintessential elements that make rugby, rugby.
If they do they will make greater inroads into the highly competitive markets such as North America that they so desperately crave.
Finally, I am not saying that rugby league will surpass rugby union on the World stage, nor am I saying league is better than union (or visa versa).
I am saying that to become the global sport the IRB wants rugby to become it must continue to seek improvement, it must continue to challenge itself. The IRB does not have the world to itself.
p.Tah
Guest
Turned out to be a very good game. Despite the fact the Warriors lost there was huge media coverage in NZ. As outlined in the article... I hope you're paying attention IRB...
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Rugby as above doesn't need to be number 1 in any country. Soccer will always be dominant as it appeals to the most people to play and watch. However, Rugby is carving out in many nations very successful positions appealing and attracting the athletes either not terribly interested in playing Soccer or not physically best suited to it (I was one, grew up playing League on a Friday at school, Soccer on Saturday and Rugby on Sunday) who are looking for a multi-faceted game to play that best exploits their physicality when they realise they no longer or just plain don't suit Soccer.
BT
Guest
How true, and it is 4th in line in Australia and they still go well on the world stage!!!
p.Tah
Guest
Hey, it's number one in Madagascar AND Nuie!!
Rough Conduct
Guest
"At the end of the day, the only country where it is the No.1 footballing code is NZ" Rugby does not need to be the No.1 code anywhere, it is much better suited to sitting behind a dominant code, look at the Rugby powerhouse nations of France, England and Sth Africa, Football is dominant in all these countries but look how successful the Rugby competitions are there. The point is that Rugby is quite content to take a back seat, it can do this in such a large number of countries, it does not need to be the dominant anywhere.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Bakkies.You came on board in the sometimes dismissive ru manner(which I have experienced over the years), stating the game(rl ) is non existent in Scotland.You did not spell out professional rl,just generalised.If you generalise without specifics ,it's hammer time. its all in the rl scotland website. http://www.scotlandrl.com/ And one can argue similar situations exist in many ru minnow countries,where the sport is amateur.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
It is all in the eyes of the beholder Mario.And league is not complaining one iota about the games structure and rules.Tweaking here and there is all that is neede.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Yes I am sure Lockyer and Beale did not contest the high ball,and the fact Lockyer's fractured eye socket cam from running away from the high ball,when he collected Beale's knee in a jump One of your best . And of course Mr Matai sliding in to try and remove the pill from the winger Yow Yeh,as he scored showed no contest.And Keiran Foran taking the ball out of the hands of the Broncos fullback to score was uncontested. Every full blooded tackle is meant to try and dislodge the ball from the attacker,bundle him into touch,prevent his scoring ,trying a one on one stri,confining him to his goal line for a drop out.yep i have read it all.Soemthing out of the Fitzfiles.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
That is an interesting comment jus de couchon. But I would offer this view made by people developing the game(code 13 in europe),it is the simplicity of the game,that makes it easier to explain the rules to newcomers and those who have played ru .It is a view shared by those developing the code under the USARL and AMNRL banner. If that somehow is league's mistake when it is doing very well in this country,apparently getting off the ground in NZ and France and the UK,and being played in more countries than any time of its history,then simplicity is not such a bad thing,hey what.I can deal wtih simplicty rather than a income tax book of rules.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Parra Eels You had better ask six oçlock.He initiated the professionalism argument having his dig at rl,not I.He got my considered response ,as any debater worth his salt would.
Rough Conduct
Guest
Yep, the uncontested ball of RL is the way to go, have you seen how no one will even contest for a high-ball anymore, they just stand there and wait for the ball to bounce, then maybe have a go if it does not look too risky, now that’s exciting.
Big Time
Guest
Kovana, I think you better come back. Some 2 year old kid has just hacked into your computer and dribbled out a whole lot of BS. Terry Tavita, the truth is that you Yawnion Toffs just think your sport is a bigger then what it actually is. At the end of the day, the only country where it is the No.1 footballing code is NZ.
Big Time
Guest
It would be on FTA if the channels thought it was worth paying for!!
Big Time
Guest
Well I am a lowly League supporter aren't I. I do not have the smarts of you Leather patches.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Repeat scrums are all the rage,with a predictable outcome.
kovana
Guest
Wow. You wearing the one eyed glasses today NF. In many Rugby threads, especially ones about Rugbys Growth, some league fan will also post in there as well.. usually using soccer as a comaprision sport to try and put down Rugby. AND AS I SAID. It goes both ways. Have seen countless other Rugby threads ruined by code wars.. Also, this thread is in the RUGBY section.
kovana
Guest
@ Hutch. Really.. So there were far far more people watching the RWC in 2007 than the 2008 RLWC. Cheers Hutch
me, I like football
Guest
The Last Time the Swans played in a preliminary final that was not up against an NRL match they got 411k watching in Sydney
kovana
Guest
Lol.. Love how you are calling it just 'union' and are somewhat trying to claim the word 'Rugby' by calling it Rugby League at every opportunity. We all know its because you are trying to be associated with RUGBY because its now in the Olympics, so now you want to be as close as possible to Rugby. Riding the coattails. A few years ago, league fans were dying to get rid of the 'Rugby' because it was associated with RU.. You know, that slow boring sport. Then along comes the 2009 Decision for RU 7s to be in the Olympics.. not to mention the growth in the RWC... and voila. League fans are crawling back to try and claim the word Rugby.
kovana
Guest
For someone who regularly accusses people of making up figures you should be ashamed of yourself Matt S. From what i read it was 15K. Matt S. Take your bitterness and pathetic handicapped attitude out of here. You make league fans look like idiots.