The 2017 Rugby League World Cup produced some remarkable moments that will live long in the minds of many fans.
Who could forget the hymns of the Fijians, the passionate war cries of Tonga and Samoa? Also, some of the play was pure class. The Papuans showcased their skill and passion for the game while the Tongans reminded us all of why rugby league is so great.
The final was worthy of the tournament. I was at the game, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The game was an epic battle between two champions. In the end, some poor passes, some dropped ball and one miss tackle was all that separated the two teams.
Although the result went Australia’s way, as most pundits and fans predicted the question that every fan, player and administrator should be asking is: where to from here?
In 2018, there will be an international weekend. There will be no NRL or Super League on this weekend. Origin will be played on a Sunday night. At the end of the year, the Kiwis travel to England for a three-match series.
This scheduling is heading in the right directions, but do you see the problem? Are there any matches at the end of the season for Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Lebanon, Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea? Australia will play one Test. The sporadic nature of international rugby league is not good enough.
Hopefully, the NRL takes the lead and organises more games for the so-called minnows.
Otherwise, we will be arguing for the same thing in four years’ time.
(NRLPhotos/Fional Goodall)
Ideally, future World Cups will build on the success of this tournament. Television audiences were solid throughout the tournament, with Channel Seven regularly winning the timeslot. The BBC will broadcast the next tournament in Britain. This free-to-air coverage all bodes well for the international game.
This coverage will open up the game to the broader public in Britain who do not have pay television and therefore have limited access to the sport of rugby league. Unfortunately for the game in Britain, it gets starved of publicity which hinders its development in the country.
The next tournament will consist of 16 teams. I’m not sure how the teams will be selected. It would be nice if at least two American nations were included, considering that North America will host the 2025 World Cup. Including a team from the African continent with the rest comprised from the Asia-Pacific and Europe would give the tournament a real international feel.
All in all, the process behind this World Cup has confirmed that rugby league is a growing sport internationally. Albeit slowly and despite opposition from individuals and organisations who wish to stop its progress and who also wish to see the game’s demise.
One day it would be nice if the Rugby League World Cup was as big as rugby union’s. It might not happen in our lifetime, but with the National Rugby League’s help, the game should be aiming for it to happen – sooner rather than later.
Overall, every step needs to be taken by the administrators to make the most of the positive of this World Cup. What is clear from this World Cup tournament is that the appetite for international rugby league is well and truly alive.
Jacko
Guest
And who pays for these tests in USA and Europe? Do you think the players will be fine with $30 a day? Doing a 1 off WC is one thing but longterm with no money is an issue
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
The 'Bush' is struggling full stop from govt inaction in a number of areas! The number of new RL initiatives being launched over the next year or two by the increase in funding to the CRL from the Aust RL Commission should see a reversal in fortunes. Lets remember this new pay cycle of the NRL is the biggest jump in funding the sport has ever had & its the women who are now leading the revival of bush footy, which is actually very clever of the rugby league. Small towns which just didn't have the population anymore to put out mens teams & the physical requirements (lets not kid ourselves soccer & AFL are marketed as easier physical pastimes) are now entering womens teams to great effect. Added, league tag & touch are rolled out to catch a changing market but whatever the critics say, they are essentially non contact versions of RL providing the essential skills (minus tackling) of our sport & statistics show a percentage will progress to the tackle form of the game.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Well the Emerging Nations Cup will be held in 2018 so should be interesting to see the squads those participating nations will bring?
Fred
Guest
And rugby league can't be doing too bad in Newcastle, if the Knights can get regular big crowds despite being back to back wooden spooners.
Fred
Guest
I don't know that I'd call NSW's second biggest city 'the bush'. Go to somewhere like Dubbo or Parkes, AFL and A League have ZERO support.
Kangajets
Guest
Johnno Bush footy is all but dead . Afl and soccer are growing massively in the juniors in Newcastle, a supposed rugby league heartland.
Johhno
Guest
I no longer think the NRL should pay the wages of men's senior pacific nations teams, why? 1) local stuff: NRL have enough financial problems, eg bush footy in Australia needs funds/womens rugby league/Jillaroos/mens and women's u-20's 2) Can of worms: Funding men's senior pacific sides, then what? Wouldn't it be fair to fund the senior women's canada side or PNG women's side? or the men's and women's u-20's sides in the pacific? Sorry the NRL don't have that sort of coin and can't "cherry pick". You can't fund men's senior pacific island sides but ignore senior women's pacific sides or u-20's sides or the Jillaroos or bush footy.. I'd rather the money was spent on a 30-player full time Jillaroos squad all centrally contracted to the NRL.. The Jillaroos and bush footy are a bigger priority than funding the Tongan men's senior side. What next we also have to fun the Phillipines mens senior side who are improving, or do we fund the kiwi men's u-20's side(as we already subsidise the kiwi senior men's side) and what about funding the NZ senior womens side to by the NRL Can of worms open, the NRL should olnly fund Australian national teams, too many cans of worms open otherwise and stuff like bias and unfair if some overseas sides get funded in the pacific and other sides don't eg men's funding but no funding for women. PNG our main pacific partner the PNG womens side have as much right to funding as the Men's senior side from Tonga, or the PNG men's side for that matter. To many cans of worms opens if NRL start funding overseas specific sides. Bush footy in Australia and the Jillaroos should be the priority.. The NRL already has a pacific strategy in place, developing players who might make the NRL anyway, so it shouldn't have to fund national teams from the pacific, to many cans of worms opened.
Terry Tavita
Guest
you're not seeing the big picture..the tongan team should draw good crowds in england and the island rugby union teams always draw good crowds in the US with their close-knit communities there..
Jacko
Guest
The biggest problem for teams from the PI is their supporter base in the PI is not financially strong and TBH their main supporter base is in NZ
Justin Kearney
Roar Rookie
Shouldn't be but is.
Scott
Guest
Maybe we have the plate and trophy finals on QF night as curtain raiser. The minnows who miss QF get to play in a Plate final for best placed minnows? we see after round 1 some minnows were already unable to make QF so this gives an incentive to strive for something other than the privileged of wearing the country colours.
Boz
Guest
I'd love to see them Add 2 more teams and have a 19 round comp, with a month off in the middle for Origin, Pacific Tests etc. Surely having an extra match to televise every round, coupled with the increase value of international football would place Rugby League in no worse position than it is now.
Adam
Roar Guru
Good luck mate. Don't envy you. Trying to run either rugby code in Tasmania is an absolute battle.
Justin Kearney
Roar Rookie
Yep. They killed the game here and are now telling us we have to fix it. Its laughable.
woodart
Guest
nrl does a poor job of making league an australian wide game, cant see it doing anything for international league. cant see league going anywhere until the international league federation takes charge of the game. clubs in any sport dont have the international game as a priority. look at how the english and french rugby clubs are trying to stuff international rugby by not leaving free weekends for international games.
paul
Guest
Smith's idea is sound but the Clubs would lose 3 rounds worth of revenue, as would sponsors. Can't see it happening, sadly.
Adam
Roar Guru
How about having some of presence in Tasmania as well. I believe that the local competition has gone the way of the dinosaur again.
paul
Guest
Surely the heads of the Rugby League Boards from the various nations can get together and nut out a short and long term blueprint to move the game forward internationally? The only thing we should do as a nation is support tier 2 teams by releasing players and making sure games are televised at reasonable times on free to air TV.
QConners
Roar Pro
The general conception that's been established from this World Cup, is that we need to see more international footy and more often. There needs to be a consistent 4-year cycle of international footy with competitions in place for every nation. Cameron Smith poses a great idea that we should probably reduce the NRL season. Even if it were to 23 rounds so that we have a few extra weeks available to create consistent international competitions.
Rob9
Guest
The National Rugby League has no responsibility nor should it be concerning itself with growing the game in far away lands with next to no or limited interest in the game. It’s domain is Australia and New Zealand and there’s still much work to be done here. How about cultivating its presence in places like Perth and Adelaide, continuing to establish itself in Melbourne, not to mention shoring itself up in the regional heartland areas across NSW and QLD where ovals with 4 sticks at either end and soccer goal posts continue to pop up and a fill with young people on the weekends.