With Rugby Sevens already accepted as a ‘core’ sport, it’s worth investigating whether rugby league – which is already a ‘recognised’ sport – be included in the Commonwealth Games as an ‘optional’ sport?
Criteria set out by the Commonwealth Games Federation must be followed when selecting additional sports, so let’s take a look at them one by one.
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Participation levels within the Commonwealth
Australia: 466,182 players
England: 248,645
New Zealand: 24,000
Papua New Guinea: 15,000
Tonga: 2,000
Samoa: 320
South Africa: 20-plus domestic club sides
Wales: 14 domestic club sides
Fiji: 12 domestic club sides, although nation currently suspended from Commonwealth
Scotland: nine domestic club sides
Cook Islands: seven domestic club sides
(Figures are approximations only.)
Of the 15 full members of the Rugby League International Federation, 11 are Commonwealth nations. A number of other nations, including Canada, Jamaica and Malta, have the potential to become full members of the RLIF in the short to medium term.
Ten of the 13 teams at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup are Commonwealth nations, while international tournaments sanctioned by the International Federation have been hosted by Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales (all Four Nations), Scotland (European Cup), Papua New Guinea (Pacific Cup) and Canada (Colonial Cup).
Excellence
This relates to sports and events that have high profile Commonwealth athletes capable of excellence, with world-class performances and a supportive relationship with the International Federation.
Excellence is measured by number of medallists and participants from Commonwealth nations at World Championships.
All thirteen World Cups held since the founding of the tournament in 1954 have been won by Commonwealth nations. In the last World Cup in 2008, eight of the 10 teams were Commonwealth nations, including all of the top five based on final rankings.
All twenty of the top rugby league players at any one time are likely to come from Commonwealth nations – another key criteria for Commonwealth Games inclusion.
All thirteen of the players selected in the Rugby League World Magazine‘s World XIII for 2012 hail from the Commonwealth.
The same can be said of all 22 winners of the same magazine’s annual Golden Boot award, which was founded in 1984.
Best endeavours
A ‘best endeavours’ agreement would also be required by the RLIF, ensuring it does not hold World Championships or other major fixtures within two weeks of the Commonwealth Games.
Forthcoming (and future) rugby league World Cups and Four Nations tournaments are likely to take place in October/November, while Commonwealth Games traditionally take place in northern summer.
Australian and UK grand finals are also unlikely to clash with Commonwealth Games.
Equity
A factor that will be taken into account is that the programme provides a balanced participation profile for males and females;
The fourth Wwomen’s Rugby League World Cup was held in England in 2013. Five of the seven participating teams were Commonwealth nations, including the winners Australia.
Although recent figures are not available at the time of writing, at the beginning of the 2006 season there were between 30 and 40 female-only rugby league clubs in England, not including clubs that have teams of both sexes.
Marketability (including television, sponsorship and spectator appeal)
The Australian Rugby League Commission has a TV deal worth A$1.025 billion over five years, sponsorship from Telstra, Holden, VB, XXXX and Harvey Norman.
In 2010, Fox Sports coverage of National Rugby League games held 73 out of the top 100 programs of any type aired by Foxtel.
UK Rugby Football League has a TV deal worth A$155 million, sponsorship from Gillette, Tetley’s and Kingstone Press, and 2,191,700 spectators in 2011.
Sport hosting/participation costs
Cost should be identical to Rugby Sevens (already a core sport), so unlikely to prevent inclusion.
Taking all of those factors into account, is there a case for the Commonwealth Games Federation Sports Committee to approve rugby league as an optional sport?
Daniel
Guest
Sorry to bring up an older story, but the recent Commonwealth Games-affiliated RL Nines tournament seems to have been received well, with some upsets to spice things up. Canada beat England (!), and Papua New Guinea beat Australia in the final. Promising stuff.
davo
Guest
Australian sport over the last 50 years has been alot more credible than british sport, we had a bad olympics, but we have won the last 7 medal counts at the Com games, which is pretty good, overall at the olympics Australia have been alot more succesful than the brits, even in Rugby, Cricket, Rugby League we have positive win records against you, i mean you guys have to include Scots and Welshmen in your olympic team.
Reality
Guest
whilst supporters of either code viva la difference your average sporting buerocrat won't. 13 or 15 man rugby football is not compatible within a tournament. IMO 9's or 7's league appears way too similar to sevens for it to be seriouly considered by the kind of commonwealth pen pusher (likwlky to have a background in athletics or swimming) who make these decisions. Bit like billiards and snooker as an analogy!
Bigjohn
Guest
I do not think that it is a lack of interest by the general population, how many Chinese managed to get into the Olympic Stadium in Beijing ? It has more to do with the greed of the people who organize these events, who are more interested in attracting more affluent customers. As the NRL have shown, they could not care less if the stadiums are empty, it is all about television revenue, and nines and sevens are made for tv.
James Fozard
Roar Rookie
My point is that people who want to play Rugby Union should play Rugby Union. People who want to play Rugby League should play Rugby League. And people who want to play Touch Footy should play Touch Footy. I'm not saying that nations should switch to playing Rugby League at the Commonwealth Games, after playing Rugby Union at the Olympics. As a Rugby League fan I believe that our sport can co-exist with Rugby Union, even on the same stage - such as the Commonwealth Games. If the national sports bodies can organise a Rugby Sevens competition, they can organise a Rugby League Sevens/Nines competition. To argue otherwise defies logic. I do agree however that the priority placed on the Olympics may be harming the chances of Rugby League attaining 'optional' status at the CG. If that's true the administrators need to get their heads out of the sand!
James Fozard
Roar Rookie
If anyone would like to help lobby for the inclusion of Rugby League in the Commonwealth Games please refer to the list of contacts below. The names given are for members of the Commonwealth Games Federation Sports Committee. CGF Sports Committee Africa Miriam Moyo c/o Zambia National Olympic Committee PO Box 20728 Kitwe Zambia Tel: + 260 2 227 438 Fax: + 260 1 225 422 Email: mczmoyo@yahoo.co.uk Americas Philip Guishard Bermuda Asia Chris Chan c/o Singapore National Olympic Council 230 Stadium Boulevard Singapore 397799 Tel: +(65) 6345 9273 Fax: +(65) 6345 9274 Email: chrischan@snoc.org.sg Caribbean Chet Greene c/o Antigua & Barbuda Olympic Committee PO Box 3115 Redcliffe Street St John's Antigua West Indies Tel: +1 (268) 462 3476 Fax: +1 (268) 462 4811 Email: epchet_noc@hotmail.com Europe Don Parker c/o Commonwealth Games England PO Box 36288 London SE19 2YY England Tel: +44 (0)208 676 3543 Email: d.parker@weareengland.org Oceania Don Stockins 21/71 Ruislip Street Wembley Western Australia 6014 Australia Tel: +61 8 9388 8967 Fax: +61 8 9388 8936 Email: donald.stockins@bigpond.com Member Richard Russell
Colin McCann
Guest
Sure, but at that point a) you'd be effectively including touch but with contact, or b) including rugby sevens. With Sevens already in the Olympics most countries would wanna have the same sport in the Commonwealth games, rather than having to re-tool with a different set-up for an RL-style sevens, especially given the priority placed on the Olympics by most national sports bodies.
James Fozard
Roar Rookie
Yes emerging nations find it much easier to compete in a sevens or nines format, which is why we need to be in the Commonwealth Games as well as staging our own World Cup. Also, being in the Commonwealth Games opens up more funding opportunities, so it is a better idea than simply holding our own sevens/nines comp (although if that was the only option I would support that too).
James Fozard
Roar Rookie
Appreciate that certain countries would not qualify for the Commonwealth Games, but that is also the case for the Rugby Sevens and all the other sports. I am confident that as well as England, Australia and NZ a further eight nations could be represented - as listed in my post at the top of this thread. Would a Rugby League Sevens event not be feasible?
James Fozard
Roar Rookie
- You're right that some sportsmen and women will give the Commonwealth Games a miss, but if they are competing in sports which have a year round international calendar - who can blame them? In the case of Rugby league the sport has an under developed international scene, so young players in the NRL and Super League may have more to gain from an appearance at the CG than a Usain Bolt or a Mo Farah. - There are approximately 250,000 rugby league players in the UK. - With regard to interest in the Commonwealth Games in the UK, during the initial four week window for the Glasgow 2014 Games there were 2.3 million requests for up to 1 million tickets. - I can assure you that Australia is still a sporting powerhouse. The record of Australian sporting teams over many decades speaks for itself.
Birdy
Guest
Mmmm. Seeing as 'England' couldn't care less about the Commonwealth Games in its entirety; I'm not convinced the 'excitement' of a possible win in a sport few play here, in a competion even fewer are interested in is likely to stir the blood. From what I can see the Commonwealth Games (which is given a miss by most world class British sportsmen and women)has simply become a chance for delusional Aussies to convince themselves they're still a sports powerhouse after being embarrassed at the Olympics.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
To a degree I agree with your sentiments Colin.however IMO the exposure to both RLWCs and the commonwealth Game,is a more attractive proposition than just exposure to one competition. Eg Jamaica who missed out on the RLWC,would be an even more attractive proposition in a CG 9s comp,with the athleticism of their sportsmen. There is still a stack of countries in the CG family,who do not at present have rl comps.The opportunities long term are there for all to see. And as a side issue,it was a smart move by the ARLC, to bring Touch Football in this country under the NRL umbrella.
Colin McCann
Guest
Rugby Sevens' inclusions at the Olympics was in some sense a compromise - pay credit to the global growth of Union, but in a more feasible format. It simply couldn't be the case that a high contact sport like Rugby of any code in it's full format could be played over the short time period of competitions like these. Sevens' condensed format means they can fit the whole tournament in two or three days, amongst all the other sports going on, and yet still have a full pool competition. To fit in a pool stage of Rugby or League would take 3 or so weeks. Jacques Rogge, who played Rugby for Belgium, said explicitly this. But all of this obscures the fact the Commonwealth Games would restrict the competition. The Commonwealth Games by definition would not include Lebanon, France, Italy, or the USA, so to exclude these so-called "powerhouses" would leave essentially only England, Australia, and NZ. Which is just like the RLWC anyway. Realistically if there's a variant of RL that would make the competition it would be touch. That's the only one I can see teams being able to field mens and womens sides.
code 13
Roar Guru
Rugby League 9s is definitely the way to go. There's not just the existing markets (UK, Australasia, Pacific Islands) that will benefit, the game will increase in profile in Canada, the Caribbean, Africa and the sub-continent.
Alvin Purple
Guest
Have you read the statement from the Federation of Touch regarding their application to become the recognised body for Touch or are you just defending it without looking at the source I have provided above. If they have no issue with FIT then let them become the recognised body. Far from a RL fan playing a blame game maybe just another stating some facts with material to back it up.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Very much agreed with James. A tournament once every four years is not going to break the camels back when it comes to the players, and I bet if you asked them they would be excited at the prospect of winning Commonwealth Gold for their country. It would also give more international credibility to the game which is also on the players best interest.
TREX
Guest
The IRB have never state touch rugby belongs to them. is this another one of those blaming games RL fans plays? Touch rugby is its own sport with their own ruling body. Some countries have touch rugby or tag is part of rugby union not the IRB.
TREX
Guest
The IRB have never state touch rugby belongs to them. is this another one of those blaming games RL fans plays? Touch rugby is its own sport with their own ruling body. Some countries have touch rugby or tag is part of rugby union not the IRB.
James Fozard
Roar Rookie
Hope you're right. Now I think about it, when the Commonwealth Games is held in the UK it may well take place during the NRL (and Super League) season. But as I suggested previously, a RL tournament at the Commonwealth Games could be limited to young players who have not been capped at full 13-a-side level. This would be the way to keep the top clubs on board.
James Fozard
Roar Rookie
Crosscoder - I'm pleased to hear about these developments. I remember after the 1995 World Cup there was a row between the ARL and the RFL over the profits from the tournament. I don't remember much talk about the money going to new nations. The acceptance of RL as a recognised sport is a necessary first step, but as I said elsewhere in this thread I believe that RL already has a stronger pedigree within the Commonwealth than some existing 'optional' sports. Basketball is a sport that I admire hugely, but the top eight teams in the FIBA Rankings for Men are not Commonwealth nations. I'm not having a dig at Basketball, just pointing out that if they deserve inclusion then so do we.