How to save Test rugby league

That question has been answered many times before jus.Older code(parent code),established in many countries by diplomats and armed services etc for many a long year.The intrusion of WW2 in france which had a long term effect (though many from ru will deny this) and the super league war held rugby league back for various periods of time.The banning of rl in the british Armed services til the early 90s held things back.it is now booming in that area. As far as stagnation is concerned,that notion is way off the mark.The RLWC2013 is already profitable according to the people involved and there is still 250 days to go.The code has received stage 3 acceptance into the Commonwealth games,due its development and expansion work in countries that fall under that umbrella.eg Jamaica,Ghana,Serra Leone,Canada,South Africa,Malta,trinidad & Tobago. The Welsh Rugby league recently sent over a development team to Sierra Leone for development and code establishment. Understand there was no rl in the USA 20 years ago,now establishing an u23 comp. The code has received EU Zone support due to its expansionary and growth efforts in Europe,with countries such as Serbia,Ukraine,Czech,Russia,Germany,Norway,France and indeed Italy with quite a few ru clubs coming on board in their off season.It has established a club in Boznia and Herz,Morrocco will have a comp started up as will the UAE.Lebanon well established. PNG has a semi pro comp,and the game is going gangbusters.Fiji the code is booming ,and participation numbers are up in NZ and Australia as well as France.Vanuatu has now a rl presence.The game has decent numbers in Tonga and Cook Islands and Samoa is only just being tapped. The number of countries today with established comps compared to less than twenty years ago,is chalk and cheese.The only thing that really held the code back, is huge financial backing and resources . Union is a far far bigger international code,just as soccer is a far far bigger code than union.Should that by example mean rugby league should just avoid International expansion.No and here's the reason why. .In countries where there is "co operation"between the rugby codes ,such as Italy for example(who are playing in the RLWC),quite a few participants play both codes 12 months of the year.Many of the players love the simplicty and speed of rugby league and in fact love playing it.History notes rugby league was played in that country in the 50s and was only dissolved due to its professional status and no Govt support for player insurance(due to influence from another code). Stagnating means showing little activity.If that were the case,the Commonwealth Games committee would have rejected the code's application,Govts of countries would not have given the code official sanction,the RLWC08 would not have made a profit nore the 2013 one,new countries would not be taking up the game,getting refs and coaches qualified,and there would not be more countries involved playing the game,nor particpants innvolved, internationally than ever before. In lil ole Tasmania,there are currently 4 rl clubs and a 5th in Nth west Tasmania just forming,not so 5 years ago.There was no Melbourne team 20 years ago. My source information comes from the RLEF,RLIF,PNGRL,NZRL,ARL,USARL and AMNRL,JRL,Fiji Times and FRL,SARL,ARL,RL Review,Total RL,LRL,SRL,FIRL,Norwegian rl.To name some.IOW people at the coal face.It is not hard to research the countries involved. Rugby union of course is huge compared to rl on the Intnl stage,but the notion regularly expressed by some ru people that it(rl) should remain in situ ,comes across as being oligarchic in attitude or perhaps one suggests a feeling of unease prevails, that the younger brother is intruding on their god given lands.And as a former ru school player,I had a similar attitude.the code was the only Intnl one. Of course we will get those(the usual suspects and trolls ) who come on board suggesting ,but the numbers are small,,no one knows the code exists,the usual claptrap,which is not the point.The point is growth. In summary stagnating is a myth.

You have to ask yourself the question, Why is Union more popular than League? Has League gone past the point of no return regarding its aspirations to become an International sport? League is a great product and I think more suited to media entertainment than the complicated rule machinations of Union. Why is it stagnating?

Hey Ryno, I think the idea of a world cup every 4 years is to give countries like Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, PNG, Scotland, Wales and Ireland an opportunity to rank in the Top 3. The annual fixtures are played between the Top 3 sides. It's not a bad idea and the author has a point ,which is that Rugby on the world stage is a long way in front of League. Unless the administration recognizes this and addresses this we will forever be the little poorer brother in every way.

The Spectator- I guarantee that with an annual 3 test series NZ and England will build stronger combinations and Australia with only 1 off tests to maintain combinations would really have their work cut out to consistently win that 1 off title defence. Admitted SOO gives the Kangaroo's an advantage in the combo discussion, but nothing is stopping the kiwis or England from building their own rep schedule to counter this...

4 week break in super league and nrl when origin on play that 3 weeks in row then nz aussies test,same time samoa tonga png fiji cook island play in pacific cup before theses games ment nothing cos they were just local players but by having break in club rugby all the heritage players we see in recent tonga samoa squads could play as well as players playing in super league, its shocking that now just cos world cup year these players are playing for these countries but on other hand u can understand it with no regular international fixtures,so this needs to b done evey year to really improve game.over in england a5 nations like in union yes u may say england hammer everyone but not if scotl irela wales uses heritage players im seeing today daniel mortimer wants to play for wales and there will b loads more eligible for these countries we dont know about and havent played cos simply there haas been no international games. now my favourite part bring back GB players playing in 5 nations use that to impress to get on tour aus home nz away aus away nz home over 4 years at end season , winners of pacific cup reward is game against britain and series against france, in 5 th year its world cup.SORTED ;-)

They beat us in the four nations in 2010 as well. The passion is definitely there....I think I posted the results of the last 10 test matches and there was only 1 real blow out, where we gave the kiwis a 42-6 flogging in Newcastle in 2011. The Wembley test between Australia in England in 2011 was also a terrific test match. I've enjoyed the internationals more over the past 5 years than origin....I think the kiwis winning the world cup sort of gave both them and England a bit of belief that they can match us. Obviously we have the majority of the worlds best players so it's going to be rare for this current kangaroos side to lose but there's definitely been contests.

What Draw at Twickenham? When ? Only Sam is world cass Oikee, wel see how George develops. The bookies have got NZ at $6.00 for a test match!! Dont get me wrong i enjoy Internationals i just wish the Kiwis could better than 1 in 10 and the poms better than 1 in 20,

So you did not watch the draw at Twickenham Stoop. Mate Rugby League test matches have been up with the best games ever in world sport. The Kiwis hold the world cup, not the Aussies. Even the Poms are looking good this year. The Burgess Brothers are worldclass.

Last time one was on, when was the last time the Kiwis beat us, Apart from thier fluke win in the last world cup which they won becuase Aust was Bad not becuase they were good.

Stopped reading after the first paragraph.....if you actually watched the last few test matches, you would have a different view.

"There is no passion in the tests anymore." When was the last time you watched a test match?

Looking forward to the rep weekend action.... all four games promise good contests and the concept will only grow from here. Future years hope to see Fiji, Cook Islands, PNG taking part in games..... the audience and interest will follow.

IM Actualy looking forward to the U/20"s SOO the most followed by the Tonga Samoa match then the Aus/NZ game. There is no passion in the tests anymore. The Kiwis need to take it to the Aussies the same way NSW and QLD do to each other then you might get people interested.

Enrico and Oikee are brothers fom a different mother. :)

Love international Football We need 4 dedicated in season international rep weekends worldwide in season in 2 fort nights one in May one in June NRL to revert to 25 rounds 18 teams. Its only 24 rounds with 16 teams today In Australia 4 rep weekends feature NSW & QLD City v Country and SOO I II III all with U20/U18 early fixtures. And Minor States SOO series Also in this period 4 nation Pacific Cup NZ PNG Fiji Cook Isl 4 nation Euro Cup England Wales France Ireland All broadcast worldwide Then at the end of the season we have - Fri 3rd week Oct WCC Tier 1 5 Nations Australia best 2 Euro and best 2 Pacific nations Tier 2 6 Nation Pacific Shield Tier 2 6 Nation Euro Shield Americas Cup Asia Cup

I am really clueless to all this talk about rep weekend being over the last time it's done. -Wow 25,000 fans will turn up tonight a sell-out, it will rate quite well, generate interest in international rugby league. -A good crowd will be on hand to for Samoa VS Tonga -And all these doomsday's want this weekend cancelled, . How negative, be patient and teams like samoa will develop. Last year in rugby union, USA VS Italy in Houston got 17,000, and it was a record crowd. Do we just give up on USA rugby, coz they only got 17,000. No you don't. -Test matches like this promote the sport of rugby league to a wider audience . Keep the faith, I for one would be disappointed if this match was cancelled coz of a few negative fans, and and negative media. Last year at Eden Park they pulled 35,000. You don't need a cord of 50,000, for a sports event to be considered a success. Get a grip

hehe. Yes, your last line is very dramatic and very true.

Fizzer? Well you have had your head in the sand for the last few years by the sound of it. The Kiwis are World Cup champs. They one the 2004 Tri-nations and the 2010 Four Nations. Not bad effort if you ask me. And lets look at the two one off test in 2012. It's not the boring test you make it out to be. Oct 13th Australia 18 - New Zealand 10 (Trans-Tasman Test) Apr 20th New Zealand 12 - Australia 20 (Anzac Test) And What about the Samoa v Tonga game? If it is anything like the clash in the 2008 RLWC it will be one to see. Those boys are just as passionate about their country as NSW & QLD are about their States. I am actually looking forward to a break in the NRL and can't wait to watch the matches over this weekend. If anything they could be making it like an international carnival and have other international teams join in the fun.

So if the ozzies win the world cup for the next 4 years we only play one test a year , the winner of the 3 test format will continually be NZ v Engaland meeting australia for a one pff ??? Meanwhile back at the ranch!! why dont we use this weekend to promote in one off test's, Anzac's v United Kingdom. ?

The International series u talk of won't work, SL & distance. Why would u play a world cup if u keep play ing a one off each year. Game 1 & 3 of Origin, stand alone w'end played Sun Night(game two on Wed N). With other games played over the w'ends like Origin 'A game, Pacific Origin, NZ Origin, Legends game etc. Then play Internationals after series, Aus v Nzld, Polynesia or NZ Maoris v Aust Indigenous; Italy, USA, Lebanon, Russia could play, as well as Pacific Nations, Legends Game, U20's etc