A few days ago I wrote an article which caused some consternation (and some confusion) among my fellow Roarers.
I suggested change to the World Club Challenge. Either it be better co-ordinated in order to become a more meaningful game for both teams, or it should be scrapped.
This moved some of my readers to suggest that I am ‘insular’ and not interested in the growth of our game internationally.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Firstly, I don’t mind seeing the WCC continue, even within its current framework. I just think it can be better and, given a choice, I’d prefer to see our international team playing in England more often than our premiers.
But let’s return to the question of international growth.
For those readers who mentioned countries like Italy and Lebanon as centres of growth, please send me links to evidence that there is any real interest in league coming out of those countries.
Anthony Minichello playing for Italy does not count, unless 10,000 show up to see him play in Rome.
Instead of worrying about Italy and Lebanon, which will be extremely hard nuts to crack, we should instead be doubling efforts in areas which have greater immediate potential for inroads.
Scotland, Ireland and Wales are filled with enthusiastic rugby players. We need the main bodies of our game, the NRL, the English RFL and the NZRL, to put together a recruitment fund to help the International Rugby League Federation do its work.
And that work would be threefold: 1) bolster local competitions through greater recruitment efforts and promotion to grow the game at the junior level; 2) Ensure regular international contests and promotion of those games and 3); Be prepared to pay union players to also play our game and create infrastructure that allows them to learn and prepare for representative games.
This third part of the overall strategy is pathetically underfunded and under-utilised.
Right now, we have union players in South Africa, France, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and even the United States who could be playing league if we were prepared to pay and train them to represent their nations.
Yes, it may seem like money and effort for little return at first. But the only way we can grow the game internationally is to have legitimate international competition that can be broadcast and promoted.
Citizens from other nations do not care about foreign-born players from thousands of miles away representing their country based on a generational connection forty or fifty years back.
We must be prepared to commit twenty years of funding and infrastructure to the effort of luring union players to league. It is ridiculous that South Africa does not field a team at least the equal of France, Papua New Guinea or one of the Pacific Islands nations.
League must also look to continue building a real local competition in the US while also, and this may seem outlandish, pay ex-grid iron players to come down to Australia to play in the feeder competitions.
This is a no-lose proposition. Having those athletes play league will be enormously entertaining no matter what the outcome while also creating a much more competitive US league team.
Ex-running backs and wide receivers have the potential to be impact players in the middle as yardage men and also out wide as finishers.
If Martin Offiah can represent England, some of these college players could play NSW cup with some time and development. Developing good playmakers in key positions will be more difficult but worth the attempt.
Finally, we must have a yearly Oceania Cup competition, with Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and the Cook Islands battling it out with Papua New Guinea. The winner could play either the Kangaroos or an Australia A side.
The game is already making huge inroads in those nations and this would consolidate those gains.
Meaningfully growing the game will take real money and twenty years of consistent work by all the major bodies. It will also mean being realistic about where we stand right now.
Italy, Lebanon and Russia can wait.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The fact the codes switched in France in the first place Westy, rl was considered by a not inconsequential number of players,as being a more open running game and yes money could be earned...At one stage before 41 there was around 200 rl clubs playing. If that is hijacking,perhaps you should ask the FFR why they allowed violence to continue in their game in the 30s/40s and why the players preferred a more open game Not all who switched earnt money. Its called competition ,a much alternative in sport than having it banned)sporting bastardry). No one put a gun to their(players') backs to play rl,.the code ATT was making huge inroads into the sporting scene in France,and the FFR knew it and were deeply concerned about the growing sustained growth. The Occupation Govt then ,had a couple of people who were ru enthusiasts,who were the pipeline for the FFR officials who lobbied to get rugby league banned. if there had been no banning of rugby league in Dec 1941,the code would have been a force for decades to come.Why? There would have been continuty of development in schools.They would have had the asset and financial backing to underpin grassroots growth. They would have received Govt grants to grow the game.And they would have a greater spread of interest and cities involved in the game.And official sports get company backing. The fact that a code happens to be a spin off from another,is a sign of democracy at work(freedom of choice),disenchantment with the original game.the fact codes such as NFL and rugby league are still around and growing ,suggests it was the right move for the people who stated it. State of denial otherwise. And I note now rugby league in Wales,France and NZ are growing at grassroots level.is that a form of hijacking? My post awaiting moderation.Shades of 41 perhaps? You completely and again conveniently ignored why the players went back to rugby union clubs in numbers.Rugby league was banned,and it was not recognised later as an official sport. If one sets out a story,salient points must not be left out. If there had been no banning,I suggest few would have gone back then.You can thank a few powerful FFR officials with contacts within the Occupation Govt,for saving the day and reducing rl to a minor sport.The 2002 Govt report said as much.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
Superleague was never given a great deal of chance to fulfill its promises and expansion plans because it was mainly more occupied in the court rooms and office buildings.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
The game of rugby union was ban from using GAA grounds, stadiums or resources in Ireland for over 100 years but lets not mention that one its in the past as Rafiki would said.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
The game of rugby league was born out of rugby union clubs and in France and Australia the same was done by making some rugby union clubs to play the professional game. This rugby league plot fail in New Zealand and Wales where the game of rugby union was already taking a national interest. In France the rugby league clubs which were originally rugby union anyway switch back in large numbers. If anyone question my theory you just have to read this piece of history from the Welsh Rugby League website to realize what rugby league plans were in those days. It was always been more about hjacking RU, than setting a new sport in his own right, focusing more their efforts on taking over RU ressources than setting up their own business. http://www.walesrugbyleague.co.uk/about_us/governing_body Similar breakaway factions occurred from RFU-aligned rugby unions in New Zealand and Australia in 1907 and 1908 respectively, and formed associations known as "Rugby Football Leagues‟. The Northern Union later changed its name to the Rugby Football League in 1922 and thus, over time the sport itself became known as rugby league. Over the following decades, the rules of both codes of rugby were gradually changed, and now rugby league and rugby union are distinctly different sports. In 1926, the newly renamed RFL formed a Welsh commission in an attempt to convert rugby union clubs to rugby league.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
But in two seconds that push can be done on a internet forum or in a dream.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
No thanks, Don't want to watch the same teams playing with a odd one or two internationals in there and SOO the pinnacle of the game in between.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
Rugby union has over over 70,000 Participants and not including the 500,000 Rookie Rugby Participants, 77,000 youth and high school aged players . How many does rugby league has in the USA?
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
To sum up your post in short superstar superhuman, after 80 years of professional clubs in Northern England, NSW and QLD having their own competition they decided to expand and let other teams from outside to participate and develop the game at the same time. Finally the game isn't held back by a few clubs.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
To busy spending my time,responding to your cynical rl posts.It's a full time job.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
I wish you guys make your mind up, on one hand you have some fans who blames the name rugby not been used in France for rugby league failures and now the name rugby is the stumbling block? My own opinion is not about the name but the action of the people running the game it can be call idiot football or whatever as long as there's people willing to develop it then it shouldn't have a problem.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
It goes to show having Lebanon introduce the game into schools ,unis and clubs has helped,secure Govt approval ,and the Espoirs Bank of Lebanon support. So the argument on that basis, rl rides on the coattails of ru in that country is false. The only thing creating problems for the code there ,is the Syrian crisis/.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Ask Mr Campese about spaghetti rugby in Italy.. David Lange the late and former PM of NZ,made a comment about the ABs many years ago:- " " It never ceases to amaze me to see these players ,running around in the best of clothes and driving cars,with no viisible means of support." Now whilst I agree that does not mean they are earning money under the table,but it leaves question marks..Especially as boot money has been acknowledged at times in ru cricles in this country. And the French really made shamateurism a byword. Wikipedia is not a source reference for me lad,so try again.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
Did you miss the post above where he mention the error?
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
If only all the fans and players of both codes around the world can agree with you.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
There is only one pro league team in NZ up against 19 professional teams in super rugby and NPC.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
Were you talking about the game where it was all free tickets and over 20,000 military personnel were given the day off to watch?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
We were supposed to be dead decades ago ,when ru went professional,according to some ru pundits.
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
Would love to see who were hired to count the 102,000 world record.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Do you actually find time to post on ru threads? You certainly love rl threads.Fatal attraction?
Westy The Real Rugby Fan
Guest
I like to know which players were getting paid in NZ during amateur era. Was this also on wikipedia?