Last Saturday’s crowd at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch of 8875 for an international rugby league doubleheader was, sure, disappointing.
But to suggest, as someone did on social media, that it was evidence “international rugby league is a million miles for where it needs to be”, was completely wrong-headed.
A week before, as highlighted in last week’s column, Australia lost to a new opponent for the first time since 1951.
International rugby league has never, ever, been in a better position.
Firstly, let’s consider the Kiwis. It’s unfair to call the 2017 New Zealand side the worst in the country’s history – they were all highly regarded full-time professionals – but they were the most underperforming for sure.
Just having enough competitive national sides for the Kiwis to miss the World Cup semi-finals is an impressive performance for the sport as a whole and an illustration of the point I make above – we’ve never been in a better position.
But from afar, it’s probably difficult to comprehend how uninterested the New Zealand public has been in the Kiwis since 2017 (and before that, when they were red hot, they almost never played at home).
At the end of last year, just 12,763 attended a New Zealand versus Australia game at Mt Smart, which was preceded by a women’s Test and a junior Test between the same countries.
A week later, two allegedly neutral countries – Australia and Tonga – sold the same venue out.
I was at both Anglo-New Zealand Tests over the past two weekends and I’ll tell you there were more Kiwi fans in Christchurch than there were in Auckland the previous Saturday. Great Britain fans outnumbered those identifiable as Kiwi supporters at Eden Park.
Auckland is also far more of a rugby league city than Christchurch; we watch the Warriors on TV and forget what a second-class sport league is in the majority of rugby union-obsessed New Zealand.
The Kiwis have only been asked to stand on their own two feet as a box office attraction at home twice since the World Cup flop and they are slowly rebuilding their brand. The sort of football they played at the weekend will continue the process.
Overall, it was an encouraging evening for the NZRL.
As for the general state of international rugby league, the poor showing online so far by the Lions is but a blip.
The next World Cup attracted £25 million in funding from the UK government, we have an Oceania Cup, the Americas Rugby League Championship, a Middle East Africa Cup, and a European Championship. There is a World Cup of Nines, a mid-season international weekend and professional players suiting up regularly for developing countries.
These things have been mere dreams for most of my life as a rugby league fan and expansionist.
For Christ’s sake, Sonny Bill Williams has just signed for a club in Toronto!
You just can’t please some people, right? It technically is a million miles from where it needs to be – but it’s also a million miles from where it was.
Matt Steele
Guest
Cathar I love looking back at your tantrums on here.. I'm a Brissy Roar member for 8 years and I'm signing up again this year
Rabbitoh Rod
Guest
Hi Sam, have a look at the All black and Wallaby teams and see where their players are born
Walter White
Guest
Toronto and Catalans just confirmed for English Challenge cup Toulouse and Red Star Belgrade declined for this year but still showing interest in joining championship. Valencia (Spain) applied for a place in Challenge cup International club rugby is growing in the Northern Hemisphere
Walter White
Guest
Origin is a great spectacle and is a very important part of the Australian Rugby League scene. Because of that it is unlikely to be going anywhere soon. Outside of that, International Rugby League is more than just Australia. Sure they are a very professional League nation and an important part of the international scene but they are not the be all and end all. International RL needs to be about growth. It needs to be supporting the fledgling nations and developing competitions in which they can compete. From a UK perspective, the current Lions tour has been a disaster but from an international point of view it has been great. There is a big growth opportunity right before us and we need to grab that with both hands. Origin plays its part but only to a point
deucer
Roar Rookie
Thanks mama for replying - many on both sides get caught up in snide remarks. I don't really know if it will affect France that much, as they haven't been competitive for quite awhile, but it certainly doesn't make up for a country of 65 mil being overtaken by an Island with just over 100k. Even more worrying is the decline of Wales, who once were able to, on a good day, beat NZ, England and France - now they're languishing outside the top 10. As for eligibility, I don't know if it would change that much. Sure, only 1 player was born in Tonga, but they do have very strong ties to the country and the country has strong RL ties - unlike others like Lebanon or Italy.
mama
Guest
You are an intelligent RL writer no something I can say often but the rise of Tonga means the further demise of France doesn't it? - does Tonga become a Tier 1 nation now and their rise ambiguously and paradoxically does that mean tighter eligibility qualifications for heritage teams like them?
Sam G
Guest
So I'm a Rah Rah?? Haha I love it
deucer
Roar Rookie
That's not going to happen, especially when all three games get into the top 10 ratings for the year. Yes, strong heritage teams are a plus, but not weak heritage teams like Lebanon who then knocked out France in the WC - a country with a strong RL heritage and one that needs all the help it can get to stop it slipping further.
Rugby League Internationally won't thrive until State of Origin is given the boot. It starves the whole game of oxygen, all the corporate money, all the media time . It's boring as old boots to boot, and lets hope it dies a natural death, soon. "Heritage" International League is the future. You play for the country that either you were born in, or you have strong heritage ties v such as the Tongan Team.
baz
Roar Rookie
Quote of the week “I want to rip the heart out of English rugby [union]" David Argyle
baz
Roar Rookie
"sports accord " Jailing in Saudi Arabia
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
It's a consensus then, we shall forever call it 'Mr Alias' :stoked:
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Well Sam, it isn't the Brisbane Roar which you once purported to follow . Non of your aliases on these league threads are no where to be seen talking about A League & no A League follower uses the union type league bashing rubbish you use, so its a fairly simple deduction.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
NZmate .I actually agree with your comments.The series was poorly planned ,and they got the result they deserved.Please mate don't compare rl with union in NZ.where the latter is like a religion. Hurrell played union for the majority of his playing career ,not his whole life mate.Else his time with the Warriors and Titans was a mirage.SBW played rl before he played union.So what. The point is we can argue the series in NZ,but in Tonga itself rl is doing well ,particularly when the country is having a national holiday for the win, and inviting the team over.
Noosa Duck
Roar Rookie
Long before that , because we used to also follow Rugby as well a league. I remember as a kid in aboiut 1964 going to the sports ground with an uncle and watching Fiji beat Australia in only the second tour they had mede here. Whatsmore 3/4's of the Fiji team played in bare feet because they could not afford footy boots. I was about 8 year old and still remember it
Nzmate
Guest
Your right crosscoder, hurrell was born in tonga, played rugby union his whole life and played first 15 for Auckland grammar. First time he played league was when picked for warriors. Bottom line, the crowds have been poor this whole series. When the top teams in the world are playing double and triple headrs in stadiums that are a third full and the tickets are significantly cheaper than a budget seat for an all blacks game it's not a good look.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Incorrect Max Power.Hurrell was born in Tonga. Many of the players have relos living there, including a Fifita.I’d suggest there are strong ties there. the game wasn’t played there a over decade ago, it is now and is booming there.But I guess close enough is good enough.
matth
Roar Guru
I wonder if his decision to invest in RL was specifically because it’s underdeveloped so there is more room to grab a share. As for the Pacific nations providing a commercial return, they will in their role of providing talent for the premier competitions, Luke the African nations do in football
matth
Roar Guru
The fact is RL is primarily a club drive game. RU at the professional level is a province and country driven game
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Any sport bar rugby league Sam G.