Earlier I came across an interview with Shane Richardson, CEO of 2014 NRL premiers Souths Sydney.
In this interview, I noted four very important points related to rugby league’s international potential.
First was that Richardson was concerned that rugby league was damaging its potential through an over-focus on the NRL and State of Origin, a situation he said that lead to “a Sydney-centric view which denigrates international rugby league.”
Second was a comment on the ridiculousness of fans in North America being forced to rely upon illegal sites to download and stream live matches. He lamented the state of the media and league organising bodies in light of the possibilities afforded by the internet and social media.
Third was the real absence of providing opportunities for the game’s players to shine and be celebrated on a much wider scale. Richardson raised the point that players like Sam Burgess and Sonny-Bill Williams would not need to feel the need to move on if rugby league had somewhere to move on to. He also noted that there was no way league should feel as if it didn’t have something to offer the world.
Finally, he noted the passion and dedication of the lower-tiered nations like the Czech Republic who were absolutely committed to their involvement in the game.
The thoughts raised by Richardson are the same thoughts held by many people, including yours truly. I am a firm believer in the value and potential of international rugby league. And as I have mentioned on numerous occasions and against numerous detractors, there is not a single valid argument against it.
One thing needs to be very clear from the start: rugby league is played across the world by teams representing nations from around the globe. If some still persist with the notion that league is not an international game, then they have their facts wrong.
Here are some facts for detractors to understand.
In May, Samoa defeated Fiji in the Pacific Cup to qualify for its first Four Nations tournament to be played in late October and November.
Between May and October, Greece, Malta and the Czech Republic competed in the European Championship C which featured the first ever rugby league Test match to be played on Greek soil. At the same time, Serbia, Italy, Russia and Ukraine all competed in the European Championship B competition.
In August, the Colonial Cup was held. Canada defeated the USA in front of a crowd of over 7,000 in Toronto. This was the Wolverines first victory over the Tomahawks in a finals match.
This event has now been staged for five consecutive years with crowds in Toronto regularly topping 7,000. Not bad for a ‘nothing’ nation playing a ‘nothing’ sport.
If you can, watch them play online. The commentary is amateurishly superb – players are ‘unleashed’ onto their opposition and instead of the try-line, players are tackled a few metres short of ‘glory’.
The fact of the international calendar continues with the upcoming Four Nations tournament featuring the Big Three. There is also the European Championship where either France, Wales, Scotland or Ireland will qualify for the 2016 Four Nations tournament.
Let’s not forget about Lebanon, who are about to face Fiji in the second Hayne-Mannah Cup as part of their own qualification campaign for the 2017 World Cup.
It is clear that it is becoming harder and harder to deny the existence of a vibrant international league presence. This presence confirms Richardson’s point about the passion and the commitment that is shown by these lower-tiered nations. If league really didn’t have anything to offer as a spectacle, the year would have been a quiet one.
When considering Richardson’s views on the potential for players and their abilities to be celebrated on a grander stage, understand that for all of the hype over State of Origin Australian rugby league players still receive more money playing a single Test match than they do playing a State of Origin game. It is certainly true that Origin is a massive money maker – just not for the players.
Richardson’s comments about the media are spot on. The Rugby League International Federation ought to waste no time in setting up its capacity to promote the game via the internet and social media.
A small but dedicated media team, tasked with exploring and taking full advantage of the internet, could do wonders. This is part of the media revolution that can and will likely occur once the Australian media lose their monopolistic control over the game.
The domestic scene is one of league’s strengths. But you don’t increase that strength by denying the potential of the international scene. And while a club’s focus is necessarily a narrow one, the game’s focus should not be.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Exactly Sleiman. There seems to be a view held by a non inconsequential number,that unless rugby league is front page,have packed stadiums everywhere,millions of devotees, that it somehow should cease to try and grow the game anywhere but Oz and the PIs..
Domitian
Guest
"China as well since they don’t yet have a football code they like, yet." Lol, yeah, apart from Football obviously. If you think Rugby League or even Rugby Union will ever get to the size of Football in China then you are clearly delusional and it just makes articles like this seem delusional when people make comments like this. For me, I would suggest trying to get teams in Adelaide and Perth and another team in Melbourne. Try and get genuine TV interest in all those areas and then we might be able to start acknowledging the universal appeal of Rugby League.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Who said that rugby league had to be the 'big mainstream sport' in any country in order for it to exist and be viable?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
And I will throw in other countries where ice hockey a collision sport is popular Czech Republic,Latvia,Finland,Sweden,Slovakia,Germany. In Asia kick boxing is popular Thailand,Iran,Kahzkstan,to name a couple. Boxing, Phillipines. Soccer of course is no 1,but mainstream does not include just no 1.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
You babble on about rational arguments,and shoot yourself in the foot,with one example ignoring a non Anglo country playing ice hockey in Russia .,A bleeding collision sport yet ignored the point .Maybe its time also for getting ones brain into gear. Another country Madagascar non Anglo ru is a mainstream sport. How long has rl been in PNG ,only since WW2,other codes have also had the opportunity to establish their sports in that country. These contact sports have only been pushing expansion into many of these countries of late ,and in some instances barely touched the surface and by that I mean China,India,Pakistan etc.Neither you or I know what the final result would be.Neither you or I know the feelings or attitudes of billions on this planet. Your last para sums it up,talk about ego driven.BTW I get moderated incessantly
Glenn Innes
Guest
SLIEMAN - WELL HERE WE GO MATE, name me one non Anglo Saxon country were Rugby or any of it's hybrids is a big mainstream sport.Lebanon etc you are joking... sadly I fear you are not. Maybe you can answer this question for me?American Football is clearly the biggest spectator sport in the USA, indeed this years superbowl pulled a TV audience of 110 million, on a per capita basis would be like the NRL Grand Final drawing eight million viewers.The NFL is the richest sporting League in the world in the richest and most culturally dominant nation on the planet, Yet for all of that American Football has been completely unable to make a global imprint, sure it has a bit of a cult following via electronic media around the world, there are some amatuer Leagues in various countries including Australia but it not seriously played or followed anywhere outside the USA and Canada, So were do we go with this debate on sporting anthropology, why has a game that should have spread around the globe like Hollywood film or American pop music remained quarantined in North America?What could possibly have held such a financial and cultural monster of a sport back. Basketball on the other hand, despite always being the poor cousin of either Baseball and then American Football (once it took over from baseball as the biggest spectator sport during the seventies) has made serious inroads.There are many credible professional Basketball leagues across the world, it is the worlds second biggest game.So why has basketball succeeded internationally when American football has failed?mmm let me think, maybe because it is not a collision sport? PNG if the above poster is actually capable of lateral thinking, rather than just shooting his mouth off before engaging his brain was a colony of an anglo saxon settler society, we introduced the sport there.If the Spanish had settled Australia and colonized PNG would Rugby League be played there? So I repeat Slieman, name me one non Anglo Saxon country other than those colonized by Australia or New Zealand in the South pacific were a body collision sport is a big mainstream sport.Of course you can't name any,but let us not let the facts get in the road of opinion.I look forward to your reply but I will not be holding my breath. Rational argument is not one this sites strong points, indeed the moderators seem to fear it.They just have their teachers pets who can write any old rubbish and it gets published.
Reality
Guest
I suspect it'll be Argentina
Rugby League Fan
Guest
Great article, and lets not forget about a possible giant in league in South Africa - they presented a credible bid for 2017, narrowly losing to Australia - and have all the infrastructure to be become a leading league country - all they need is international will and support....
dww108
Guest
I'm an American from Philadelphia. It is true that rugby of either code has an uphill climb in North America. However, our American football, I believe you folks call it "grid iron", is under heavy attack due to concussions and the general violence of it. Right now American football is the most popular sport here by a mile. In fact, football is more popular than every other sport combined in terms of fan interest and TV ratings. 100 million people watch it every weekend. But youth participation is way down from when I played 20 years ago and lawsuits are beginning to mount seeking money damages for former players with head injuries. Point being, in a generation or so, American football's popularity might be significantly diminished. I hope not because I love it so much, but I'm a realist. Rugby could then fill the void left by American football's decline.
fiver
Guest
You're forgetting one thing though - touch football. This is Rugby League's secret weapon in my opinion. Like soccer it's a simple game that can be played anywhere on any surface. You can play a pretty good game of touch with 3 per side. It's a simple and fun alternative to association football.
Pickett
Guest
I am sure you will find RL equivalent clips on you tube with similar type countries playing before similar type crowd numbers. Union is bigger than league internationally, but it is no way as big as the IRB propoganda machine would like us all to believe. The RWC has always tick- tacked between Aus/NZ and UK/France - the only exception being South Africa in 1995 (and Japan in 2019). And after 2019 where will it go? UK/France - what a surprise. My guess is it will continue to migrate between Aus/NZ and UK/Fra with the occasional new country like SA every 20 years or so.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The funniest part PNG is hardly an Anglo Saxon country,and rugby league is the national code. Jamaica,Ghana,Nigeria & Sierra Leone and now Thailand where youth is taking up the code,please Glenn stop it. Amusing when the fastest growing segment of rugby league in this country is female rugby league. Ice Hockey a body collision sport is extremely popular in Russia,a non Anglo Saxon country.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
a) How do you explain rugby, a body collision sport, being popular enough to be played in many non Anglo Saxon countries? And since when does a sport have to make inroads into soccer's dominance to be popular? b) The national language of Lebanon, Italy, Greece, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic is not English. Also, when the English teams were competitive against Australia way back in the day, I assume that the game didn't need to crack Liverpool or Bolton then. c) Yes, North America has its own version of a body collision sport. That is why over 7,000 regularly turn up in Toronto to watch Canada play the USA. I'm sorry Glenn Innes but I totally disagree with you.
Glenn Innes
Guest
. So here are the reasons I believe history will prove you wrong. A) Heavy body collision team sports are only really popular in Anglo Saxon settler cultures like Australia.New Zealand and the United States, most of the world does not seem to like this kind of sport so the game has a bad profile for growth in most of the world, Data suggests in what is a very mature global sport market if any sport is going to make inroads into soccer's dominance it will be basketball. b) So that leaves you with the English speaking world, well the game has been around in England since 1895 and has not even been able to crack Liverpool, or Bolton, it has had endless attempts to establish itself in London all of them failures, so hard to see any growth there. C) North America, problem is they already have their own version of Rugby League so that niche is already filled plus Americans are so insular by nature that interesting them in anything foreign is very difficult.That leaves New Zealand and the South Pacific were I think League will do very well in the years ahead and will eventually overtake Rugby Union to become the number one game.Outside of that I see little prospect for growth for the reasons above,
ranga
Guest
Is good to see RL growing and the gnashing of teeth that always follow from certain types. Byw Roar, has this site been down 2 days in a row around 3pm till later in the night? I ask because quite a few posts I put in haven't shown up from just before that time and the site seemed down for hours for 2 days? cheers.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I don't understand what there is to not buy. Those events exist. The matches that made them up were played. They have been played regularly for several years now. What more do you need before you start buying it?
Tricky Ricky
Guest
I attended the Philippines V Niue match that was played at Wentworthville on the Saturday of the October long weekend with Nuie running out winners in an entertaining game 36-22.
Johnno
Guest
Glenn Innes Check out my best team ever reply to yours about the 40-point hammering. I gave a an aussy team tell me what you think in the other story comments.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Why did interstate football become dominant? I mean it certainly was not dominant in the seventies they pissed it off to Leichardt Oval were it drew a few thousand people. The reason it became so popular was it filled a void, something that showcased the game at a level club football could never match but was consistently competitive, something Anglo Australian tests no longer were. Also origin was not an overnight sensation south of border, check out some of crowds in Sydney in the early days. it took Queensland to consistently thump them for Sydney people to get interested. The same applies to the international game, if Australia start getting beaten more often than they win for a couple of years it will boom in Australia...,but is that very likely to happen? As for this article I just don't buy it for a second(outside of the south pacific) I mean gaelic football could probably claim all of the above (there is certainly a league here in Brisbane ) in a world of cheap air travel, mass tourism,and large population transfers I am sure there are little bits of all types of sport played around the globe. The cold hard truth is the international game has shrunk over the last fifty years. the game has collapsed in France, is much diminished in England and has made no serious gains anywhere else to balance the ledger.So I am a detractor, ie realist.rather than a day dreamer,
pjm
Roar Rookie
Good joke mate. You can't have pro's going up against amateurs and call it credible.