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RLIF release 2018-2025 strategic plan

6th November, 2015
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Sammy Tomkins is a fan of the Magic Weekend. Would it work in Australia? (Image: AAP)
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6th November, 2015
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Following the Rugby League International Federation’s Annual Congress and AGM in Paris on the fourth and fifth of November, the much anticipated Strategic Plan was released.

The new plan for 2018-2025 details the overall direction the code at an international is aiming towards. Its ten key features – as well as some personal thoughts regarding them – are as follows.

1. Creation of an eight year calendar of events
The plan refers to respecting of domestic leagues (i.e. the NRL and Super League) and incorporating the World Club Series. Both the NRL and Super League are de facto international bodies and it is a wise decision for the RLIF to find ways of working with them.

Also, two global events every four years as well continental championships are all steps in the right direction.

2. Enhance recognition of members by the National Olympic Committee/national sports agencies
This strategy is an acceptance of the importance of integrating rugby league and its organising bodies within the higher echelons of national sports and funding decision making.

3. Introduce performance-related grants
An approach that puts the onus onto each nation’s governing body to ensure modern standards of professionalism. One would imagine that it also gives the RLIF more leeway in deciding where to spend its finite resources.

4. Target two additional G20 nations for development
This one may prove a little more challenging but the RLIF’s reference to making use of the World Cup Nines indicates the potential value of the smaller version of the game.

5. Provide context to international matches
One of my personal bugbears finally gets a mention – context. International matches must be played within a larger context. Games must mean something and winning them must led to something bigger.

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6. Grow our support base
The RLIF have, until now, been quite poor with their online presence. For far too long, they have sat on their thumbs and done nothing with fan engagement. Social media is a powerful tool in the modern world and the plan’s recognition of that is a welcome sign.

7. Enhance neutrality and global consistency of regulations, officiating and laws
The plan refers to ensuring that the game’s laws are protected by copyright. Here you have more recognition of where the RLIF sees itself in the broader context of the rugby league world.

8. Enhance image of RLIF and the sport
An interesting point raised here is the competitiveness of the top eight nations. The RLIF clearly feel that a legitimate competitiveness among the teams is essential in combating the ‘Big Three’ image that many use to attack the code with.

9. Create long term sponsorship and broadcaster partnerships
Media is king if a sport wants to improve its bottom line. A co-ordinated approach to broadcasting is a must. By offering a competition structure that is stable and well run, the media are more likely to cover it which of course leads to greater sponsorship opportunities.

It will be very interesting to see how this part of the plan plays out.

10. Enhance reserves of top tier nations and RLIF
The RLIF have set an ambitious but I think entirely attainable goal of $10 million dollars in reserve by 2025 as well the goal of working with nations as partners. There are a number of subtle paradigm shifts here and like the previous point, I will be very interested to see how this part of the plan develops.

All in all, the RLIF’s Strategic Plan is quite reasonable in what it aims to achieve in the next eight years. It’s a plan that builds upon recent successes, including the World Cup, the Four Nations, Pacific Cups and European Championships.

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How the organisation works with the NRL and Super League will be an interesting point of conversation but should they harmonise well enough, there is no doubt in my mind that the direction embodied by this Strategic Plan can be reached.

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