In light of the reports that a hybrid game of rugby league and rugby union might be in the works again – this time between the Australian Kangaroos and the New Zealand All Blacks – I’d like to remind those behind the push for that game that they don’t have a mortgage on bad ideas.
Anyone can have silly thoughts. Regular readers will surely support the notion that that I’m no exception – who could forget when I picked Souths to win the competition this year?
Well, I’m not done yet, because my next crazy thought involves totally changing the way the Rugby League World Cup is run.
Let me start by saying that this year’s edition has been very good. There’s been some great football, and also plenty of tension and stories.
It’s hard to go past Tonga upsetting New Zealand as the pinnacle moment thus far, what with the narrative of Jason Taumalolo’s defection, the teams coming face-to-face (literally) during the Haka, and then some fantastic play in the actual game.
Yet as thrilling as the football has been, I’d still be surprised if Australia doesn’t win the tournament easily, which will put a slight dampener on proceedings.
The other issue is the constant criticism that it’s not a ‘proper’ World Cup, because the players aren’t really from the countries they’re playing for. My first reaction to hearing such opinions is usually: who cares? As long as the footy is good, does it matter?
However, I do have something of a remedy for both of those supposed issues, and it involves rebranding the Rugby League World Cup to the ‘Rugby League Heritage Games’, and ditching the Kangaroos, to be replaced with an Indigenous team, made up of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Straight Islanders.
The NRL All Star game has struggled for a place in the rugby league calendar, yet those who have represented the Indigenous All Stars have stated how important it is to them, and the pride they have in pulling on that jersey. It would be wise to listen to those comments, and place even greater importance on that representative team. Like, for example, having that team compete in a tournament, not a meaningless exhibition match.
The Indigenous team would therefore represent the ‘heritage’ of Australia in the new format. Other players who would traditionally play for the Kangaroos would, in turn, play for a country with which they have heritage. It’s not too unlike what happens now, when players who don’t make the Kangaroos turn out for other nations.
The difference would be, this new tournament would be upfront about what’s happening, and own it, with top NRL players being dispersed across the various teams. If necessary, each team would have a cap on how many NRL players they could select.
The Heritage Games would prevent comparisons to the rugby union and football World Cups, not just because of the name change, but also by virtue of the tournament purposely being different in nature and construct. Its aim would still be to continue to grow the game, but there would be greater parity, along with complete transparency on the eligibility rules and the reasons for them.
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The obvious downside is that the Kangaroos should be the pinnacle for an Australian rugby league player, and we’d be robbing them of opportunities to earn that accolade. However, this tournament is only every four years. Tests against England and New Zealand should remain each year, along with the return of consistent Great Britain tours.
The new tournament would be less of a World Cup, and more of an All Stars competition – but with a lot more meaning than your standard exhibition matches. It would be high quality, along with being differentiated from other sport’s representative tournaments.
Bad idea?
On the contrary, I’m actually starting to talk myself into it.
elvis
Guest
Mute is NEVER the correct word. It is used by people who mishear moot or don't understand the word.
Peter
Guest
Sorry, Piggy Muldoon beat you to it by about forty years. Also compłetely irrelevant unnecessary insult, but whatever creams your jocks.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The only time I tell the truth is when I am lying.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Well said Jaime O'Donnell. It's almost as if wag didn't read past the first couple of words in my comment. - Competing nations must have domestic leagues - Player selection is based on international eligibility criteria are shared by all other sports - The only real point of difference is that league allows much shorter times between nation switching - Like other sports, eligible players don't have to be competing in their nation's domestic league to be selected - If you are good enough, you are likely to be competing in a professional league - There are only two professional leagues in the world - So bloody hell, OF COURSE THE BULK OF THE BEST PLAYERS WILL BE PLAYING IN THE RFL & NRL!!! (shake head, rolls eyes, brain melts...)
nerval
Guest
My pleasure, clipper. I hate to see you miss out on all the fun. Hopefully one day a reputable publisher will be able to compile your collected musings on the Roar's rugby league tab and make them available to the world at large. It would prove to be a great study in sporting nincompoopery and a cure for insomniacs the world over.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Don't bring research or logic into the discussion mushi. It goes against the grain!
mushi
Guest
The old rule of: if you need to tell me your honest then you're probably not.
mushi
Guest
I thought only US law though to be fair
mushi
Guest
Nice burn PJ… jsut a couple of minor points. First - Nothing you’ve posted suggests an abundance of visitors to the roar are going to be raising their hands in response to Stu if the national team is getting under 10k from an 80m+ population in the Est time zone. Now I haven’t done the research but I’m going to assume the old ven diagram has little crossover with roar commentators and the under 10k people that attended the last German national game… which was Stu’s point. Two – wow 12 thousand people play. So round it to a basis point of the population. Roughly in line the rampant takeover of American football in Australia but doubling the mighty power house of European Handball down under. Three - Stu was responding to a sarcastic quip following discussion of professional teams. You make no reference to professional teams in Germany, from what I can see there is one and in reality it’s semi-pro. So perhaps before sledging people’s brain power present something at least marginally defensible. Because this effort was England sledging early at the last cricket world cup.
Jaime O'Donnell
Guest
Wag did you do any investigation prior to writing your response? Ireland have two players, Casey Dunne and Alan McMahon, who play in the Irish domestic competetion. James Kelley was a domestic player until this season where he was recruited by Coventry and same for their travelling reserve Mikey Russell (who was a juniour A Galic Football player until a few years ago). Wales have at least 5 players who are currently playing in Wales for the South Wales Ironmen with one other who has left that team this off season to play for Gloucestershire. Courtney Davies who plays in the League 1 Championship team South Wales Ironmen Steve Parry who plays in the League 1 Championship team Gloucestershire All Golds, previously with South Wales Scorpians Chester Bulter who plays in the League 1 Championship team South Wales Ironmen (on loan fron Halifax) Andrew Gay who plays in the League 1 Championship team South Wales Ironmen Christiaan Roets who plays in the League 1 Championship team South Wales Ironmen I will concede you Scotland, how ever they have many players who are playing in the English Leagues from Super league down to League 1. However, it is a bit much to tell players that they are unable to ply their trade in another competetion where they will receive more income than if they stayed playing in their "home" country
clipper
Guest
Thanks, nerval, I'm flattered to be mentioned so often, although I don't know if I did 'bat' for Ryan this time, although the gist of the article did have a good helping of reality - don't know if I like being placed in the same grouping as Mrianda Devine though.
clipper
Guest
That's a good point, and one that's easily solved. One cup you could play for American, the next Germany - sorta like they do now!
potatojuice
Roar Rookie
Raise your hands if you’ve watched Germany play rugby? Absolutely brilliant response showing the little brain power you have. Poor Stu hasn't left his comfortable blue collar suburbs of Sydney. Over 110 Rugby Union clubs and 12 000 domestic players in Germany. Munich just recently hosted a very successful Oktobefest Sevens. Their national team attracts crowds just under 10 000 for their World Cup qualifiers. Majority of the players are born and bred Germans and play their domestic Rugby in Germany.
Stu
Guest
Certainly not super global like Rugby where Germany is ranked #25 in the world and the powerhouse that is Uruguay is #19. Raise your hands if you've watched Germany play rugby? As per Ryan's rule - I'm a league fan
wag
Guest
Then how come that NOT ONE of the players in the Wales-Scotland-Ireland squads is shown as playing for a Welsh-Scot-Irish Team in those countries. They could be better named as England 2, England 3, and England 4
Nat
Roar Guru
Dominant in their respective field, vulnerable in the other. Although if the same money was involved we would have players lining up.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
No actually. Every English dictionary be they US English or U.K. English has moot with both meanings. It also does not mean "closed to debate". The primary meaning is "open to debate" and the secondary meaning is "of little value, irrelelvent". The reason the secondary has caught on so much is due to shows like law and order since in law moot is always used for its secondary meaning.
nerval
Guest
This one's even darker.
mushi
Guest
The good people at both Oxford and Cambridge have both definitions included.