Dear Davo Smithy. Last week the Rugby League International Federation met in Canberra and proposed that the 2015 World Club Challenge format be altered.
The changes are to incorporate a three game structure, consisting of:
• NRL winners versus SL winners – the existing WCC match
• NRL runners up versus SL runners up
• NRL third highest team versus SL third highest team
Although these two additional games would replace pre-season trial matches, I do have to ask – what do they prove?
If you win will you be able to lay claim that you’re the best runner up in the world?
I doubt it’s all that prestigious…
For what it’s worth I believe in the World Club Challenge concept. I would however rather see the winners play-off game moved back to October-November and played in the country that is hosting the end of season international tournament.
By doing this the game would be played on a high off the back of a premiership win while clubs still have their full rosters and with minimised travelling costs.
Let’s be honest – rugby league doesn’t have soccer’s global footprint.
But what it does have provides an extra tier of competition that makes it unique in the Australian landscape.
The game needs to take all these forms – nines, club (NRL), State of Origin, All Stars, International Test matches and club internationals – and make them as strong as possible.
So let’s examine the concept of international club football and what we want to achieve from it. In 1997 the Australian Super League ran an expanded WCC featuring 22 clubs over 10 weeks across two hemispheres.
And they wonder why it lost money…
I’m not talking about going to those lengths. Rather than bastardise the existing challenge game let’s revisit that other competition – the World Club Championship. In effect it could be a world cup for clubs played only once every four years featuring the best teams of that era.
In lieu of the existing RLIF proposal I suggest that in 2015 we invite eight teams only:
• Three Australian NRL clubs
• Three English SL clubs
• New Zealand Warriors
• French Catalans Dragons
The games would be held in February with teams involved playing in the Championship instead of pre-season trials.
Matches would be hosted by Australia and New Zealand only.
To increase attendances for travelling fans we must ensure the maximum number of games can be scheduled in advance so I would suggest that two pools of four teams are used – so 12 pool games in all – played across three weekends.
Double headers would be used to ensure that each venue has at least one local club involved. On the fourth weekend the two pool winners would play off in the World Club Championship final.
Every game matters and every team is playing for the same trophy.
By scheduling the tournament in 2015 right in the middle of the World Cup cycle it minimises the impact on international Test football.
Similarly playing it once every four years puts the competition on a pedestal and prevents it from becoming over killed.
To select the NRL and SL clubs to be involved, RLIF should only invite the best performing clubs from the previous four year period.
This would mean inviting WCC, Challenge Cup and grand final winners.
This means there would be no ridiculous ‘third place’ teams.
Later, for example in 2019/2023/2027, the championship could be expanded.
There may be another French or Welsh Super League team or a second New Zealand or Papua New Guinea NRL club.
All of them would merit inclusion.
Similarly the proposed French professional competition may be of high enough quality to enter, likewise with any other league around the world.
If we’re serious about promoting the game internationally then a World Club Championship would be a worthy goal for developing leagues to aspire towards.
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
The one thing that does it in for me is the extra games. Been thinking, as stated far above to johnno's post, I simply think thats all there is to it. I *DID* compromise in my thinking, because I *DO* want these games, and all I could honestly come up with was to keep it as we have it now. And play it over here once in a while if possible, and I don't think it is. But this is also one game we can't lose. I do want to see a WCC But I would dearly love it if the full deal was to happen, I just dont think it will work to good effect.
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
i think you said it right johnno. to my mind, thats all there is to it i too have been thinking about this issue.
code 13
Roar Guru
I agree Oikee but it's off topic. This article is about International Club competition.
code 13
Roar Guru
You need to do both. You may say 'let's get out of club land' but this 8 team international club tournament will be more competitive and generate more revenue and interest than any 8 team tournament that you can configure out of existing national rugby league test sides. This tournament could make enough money to fund international rugby league development.
code 13
Roar Guru
I hate to break it to you but the proposed RLIF games are also replacing trial matches.
code 13
Roar Guru
Given that it would be once every four years and that only 4 NRL clubs are involved and at most they would play 4 games in lieu of trial matches I believe that it's not that big an impact upon players. If the reward on offer was a genuine trophy that the club winning it could claim as being the best club of the era (akin to the World Cup) then I doubt that coaches like Bellamy would treat them like trial matches. Because of RLPA the international season was ruined last year. They should not be allowed to dictate our game's development. As for time zones, remember that 4 NRL clubs involved so any game involving them is going to rate here. In 2019 it would be England's turn to benefit from hosting the tournament.
code 13
Roar Guru
I agree. I just want to ensure that the games played have some kind of meaning behind them. I think that RLIF's proposed 3rd vs 3rd game is rather pointless and a hard sell. It just feels like a trial match. What I'm proposing is a proper international club tournament.
code 13
Roar Guru
Johnno, I believe that there’s still interest in knowing which premier (SL or NRL) is the best rugby league club in the world for that year. However the current system of playing it the following year in England devalues the game. If they commit to alternate hosting and scheduling the match during the end of season internationals then the game will lift in profile. As for the continental idea, well we practically have that with the NRL. I still think there’s an interest in seeing more of the best clubs in Europe & Australasia play more matches against each other Once every four years is enough so that the quantity doesn’t become over killed. What I’m suggesting is just a more meaningful tournament structure than the RLIF’s proposed 3rd vs 3rd.. I believe that the 8 club teams selected with my proposed criteria will provide a closer “international” competition than what any other international rugby league comp currently offers. The 6 pool double headers and final will likely make more money than the World Cup.
Johnno
Guest
I disagree i think it's a flop coz it;s boring and the weaker teams can't compete. And the south american teams do okay sometimes but they don't have the budget's to compete with the Barcelon'as , chelsea, Man United. And it's just not exciting , I get no curiosity or excitement watching Man United VS Gamba Osaka Or Chelsea VS Central Coast Mariner's It's a pointless exercise and gives no clear evidence of who the best club team in the world is, as so many of the european teams aren't even there. A bit like the world cup can be a pointless exercise often as sometimes not all the true best teams are always there. For example not enough european teams. It's a joke how New Zealand could be a the 2010 world cup and Russia could not. I mean fair dinkum. The world cup should be the best 32 teams in the world not , 32 teams spread over continents all in the meaningless name of inclusion.
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
Keep it regional how? By having the NRL premiers play the Warriors and the ESL premiers play Catalans every year? The FIFA World Club Challenge isn't a flop because of the geographical distance between all the continents. It has nothing to do with Aussie soccer fans being unable to relate to English fans. It's a flop because no Asian, African, Oceanian or North American team can compete with South America and Europe. It's that simple. Of the 9 tournaments that have been played, only one team from outside Europe and South America has made it to the final. Mazembe in 2010, and they lost 3-0 to Inter. As it was pointed out in the article, rugby league doesn't have the international footprint that soccer has (a fairly obvious statement regardless of the article), which means we don't have the luxury of "keeping it regional". Do you seriously think fans will flock to see the best of the NRL vs the best of PNG, but the best of the NRL vs the best of ESL will be a flop?
David Hayward
Roar Pro
Great point oikee.
oikee
Guest
Look, you want to send a message, then send a message. ] Rugby league is cruising, and cant really do too much wrong, except shoot itself in both feet all the time. Why anyone would want to price the Country out of a fixture is beyond me. (city country). Moving on, send this message, please. Brisbane, Queensland have not seen a game in Brisbane for 3 weeks by next weekend. Is this code silly, completely stupid or something. Who in their right mind, tell me, what code would not have a game played in Brisbane for 3 weeks around Anzac. Mate, come-on. You want to send a message, send them this post of mine, because it is true. Brisbane has had nothing, not a nicker for 3 weeks come next weekend. ??? See if i am wrong, go check the games and comp. I have never in my life seen such a badly run comp. NRL, YOU ARE NEGLECTING YOUR HEARTLAND. QUEENLAND AND BRISBANE IS STARVED OF BLOCKBUSTERS. Sometimes i wonder if anyone in Sydney has any idea. I could doyuble the stength of the code overnight, yet these numbnuts will get credited for when you wake up and expand the game into Brisbane.
Matt_S
Guest
Yes, let's get out of club land and concentrate on national sides playing regular meaningful competition at international 13 a side level and 9-a side tournaments. We now have semi decent national sides to have tournaments in Europe, North America/Carribean, and the Pacific. In time we can see new tournaments in Africa/Middle East (Sth Africa, Ghana, Morocco, UAE, Lebanon). Asia is a long way off but could involve some amateur stuff with the Philippines and Thailand possibly add Japan (though it just doesn't have the finance to get off the ground but they do manage to raise a team to send to Australia every year for the Cabramatta Nines)
Steve
Guest
The biggest issue will be what type of quality the English sides will bring. In 2015 the NRL cap will be about A$6.5 million, the English Super League clubs will be about A$2.2 million. That makes it hard because squad sizes will need to be bigger if your playing an extra 4 or 5 games per year. I can't see English teams being competitive, as well as this it would be a logistical nightmare. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Rabby
Guest
Trial games are not games they are training. An important part of training. You cannot play a real match instead of training it doesn't work, they are not the same thing so lets stop suggesting that any form of competition can ever replace trial matches because they can't.
B.A Sports
Guest
Good luck getting the RLPA to agree to five or six additional games. I mean you can say they are going to replace trial games but then teams are just going to use them as trials and then you have a diminished product - not to mention the impact it has on teams at the end of the season. Also not to sure how bringing a couple of average teams to Australia/NZ who are no better (and probably worse) than almost all the NRL teams increases interest in the game locally, and the games will end up being played in the wee early hours of the morning in the northern hemisphere so you are hardly going to get mass media coverage there.
graz
Guest
An expanded WCC once every four years is a great idea. The three game series is not a bad idea either. The game needs to explore ways to increase its international profile despite the various obstacles. The fact that FIFA's version is a flop is irrelevant. Also its interesting to note that European soccer tournaments were a flop when they first started.
Johnno
Guest
A good article, covers many points about why to have it,but I have been thinking about this issue for the last 1 year, and have came to my opinion. The world club challenge beyond the 1-match in England each year is a waste of time, why ? FIFA has a world club championship, it's a waste of time . Not exciting at all. -Continent championships, or Hemphisphere championships are what's exciting, or regional. -Not world club challenges, it to vast. -Preferably club championships should always be continent-centric and focused only. European champion's league, asian champions's league. -And if not enough teams Hemphisphere based. Like the FIFA world club challenge is a flop , an expanded world club challenge for rugby league would be boring and a flop. -Stay continent centric only as much as possible, don't go to global, like the FIFA flop. The regular rugby league fan in sydney and Brisbane can not relate to rugby league fans who live in Bradford or Leeds. Just as in soccer , we can't relate to the regular fan in Manchester and Liverpool. -So a waste of time. -Super rugby works as it's hemhisphere based SH not NH. -But even then that get's tested by time-zone, geography, and relevance. -So it's best to be continent-centric only as much as possible. -The FIFA world club challenge is boring, except for the grand final, and and expand WCC in rugby league will be boring and a flop too. -I just can't see enough fans connecting to it, unlike the european champions league in soccer, which is continent-centric only. -Club sport is all about winning domestic and winning the continent, not winning a world title. -Basically just a 1 off World club challenge friendly style as is now is good enough, to feed the curiosity value between ESL/NRL, and a bit of friendly promotion in pre-season of rugby league.