Kiwis pip Aussies to top rugby league world rankings

It RL has an NRL side in NZ and there are teams in other parts of NZ ,albeit amateur.Calling it "barely niche" is a bit harsh.In any case having a competitive rl national team regardless of the population size, and remembering players are sourced also from other NRL clubs, apart from the Warriors is a plus, hardly a negative. Although as regards the rankings ,think playing the odd test hardly justifies them being no 1. I don't consider rugby union niche in this country ,been here for yonks,has been established in many private schools across the country.Has won RWC and in a 2003 final. The All Blacks have dominated just about everyone, ever since Adam played for the Garden of Eden Geckos.

.......NZ, pop 5.5mill, are worthy number ones, when you consider the code is barley niche across the ditch and yet they are always a threat to the apparent 'greatest' league team in the world and always competitive. Conversely our Union status is also said to be 'niche' yet we are anything but competitive with NZ Union, while defeating the All Blacks is akin to being subjected to a ground hog day of 'Waiting for Godot' truth be told.

Hope to see Kenya in those rankings in the near future. Another government recognises rugby league! http://rlif.com/article/8791/kenyan-rugby-league-gains-government-recognition?fbclid=IwAR0SRJgzLREKBySAqIj-InBSBorG5pdOL0elJ6n92rcfGYp1FpyZPftKdKw

yet you spend a lot of energy on the matter. That sounds like not much of a life..

I like how Clipper is quick to :thumbup: these posts from Mr Alias.

This is why it's so important for regular contests between countries with heritage and local players.The only way countries will improve their strengths, is to become "battle hardened". It's a long drawn out process, and for many of these countries who only took up the code in the last few years and a real test of their patience. Of course the IRL is not burdened with large sums of money, thereby restricting what they can do. However there is now in place a schedule for international games, rather than the miss mash, hit and miss ,rugby league was famous for before. Fans want uncertainty with these contests and if it means lower tier countries move up the rankings ,all the better.

Oh Clipper & you accuse others of liking posts to back each other up. Remind me how you are different?

Don't waste your energy CC. Even while on a computer, this one cannot be bothered to google any of his own questions. Just broad assumptions based on zero research so let him do his own research.

Given, as you say, “Australia’s lack of commitment to international fixtures”, why is everyone here getting their knickers in a knot about whether they are ranked No.1? Why not just rest easy in your assurance that Australia is the greatest rugby league team in the entire history of the universe, so why should they bother playing any other country or indeed planet, when they are just the greatest full stop amen?

How can you have a legitimate system when teams play different amount of games? Australia are a better side than NZ but play less

RL Rankings are just like polling results meaningless.And the vast majority of those rl countries did not take up the code till 2000 onwards.In anycase the IRL is made up of full members, affiliates and observers, so ranking means SFA in the majority of cases. The spilt up is clearly spelt ,as are the requirements on the IRL site. The biggest problem for rl, has been the difficulty in getting foreign Govts to understand that rl and ru are different sports.For example it has rugby league in Kenya 4 years to get the code accepted by that country's Govt.Only recently was that achieved. Well B Beath seeing you brought up RU,I suppose we can chuckle a little, when we find out and I quote" 25% of players at the 2019 RWC were born in 3 countries. Rugby's(RU) relaxed rules regarding players nationally, is creating more controversy than ever, with 134 foreign -born players participating in the 2019 World Cup in Japan. According to Rugby Betting site Betway ,the 2019 Rugby world Cup will feature a Scotsman playing for Canada, a Canadian playing for Ireland, an Irishman playing for the USA, an American playing for England, an Englishman playing for Fiji, a Fijian playing for Australia, an Australian playing for Samoa, a Samoan playing for New Zealand and a New Zealander playing for just about everyone." They go on on.Only 3 of the 20 squads contained no foreign born players.Three countries Tonga,Samoa and Japan have more foreign born players than home grown, Scotland, the USSA and Australia not far behind." This from a major code with presence in 170 countries. Worth noting the French major ru comp has 30% foreign players, and the Japanese comp has a swag of foreign born players.But we ignore those facts. Yep, the British Govt is spending nearly 30m quid on a RLWC in 2021, with stadiums bidding to hold it, and sponsors involved, and TV signed up,all for an apparent mirage. Where has France given upon their domestic comp?They only got official Govt recognition in the 90s, permission to get into public schools in the mid 2000s.Toulouse is trying to get into the ESL. Cameroon has 6 clubs and a growing women's comp, so you may well get the opportunity down the line.

Barry - you've forgotten to mention Wales, who on their day could beat France, NZ or England. All had great tours where 60 -70k wasn't uncommon. It's great Tonga is doing so well, but does make me shake my head when people see how France continues to slide and say 'but Tonga is doing really well' as if a nation of 100k is going to replace one of 65 million.

Comment seems pretty evenly divided between the “They didn’t beat us, scoring more points than us doesn’t count” mob and the “Sydney club comp forever” mob. Neither of which gives a rat’s about international rugby league. Pity, really.

Absolutely. Return league to its roots. 12, maybe 10, teams, all based in Sydney. Sydney does not include Newcastle, Woollongong or Penrith. Maybe not even the Shire. Play at suburban grounds, preferably with concrete outers. Allocated recruitment zones restricted to the suburbs around the team’s home ground. Because everything else is complete rubbish not worth even noticing. Good enough for you?

Congratulations to England on their undefeated 2019 campaign!

To be fair, that Kangaroos side that lost to Tonga - there's no way that side deserves to be number 1. And New Zealand beat Tonga. New Zealand also played more matches.

I did wonder about that. Maybe GB is classified as a 'tier 1' country, and therefore beating GB is equivalent to beating England alone, or NZ or Australia?

Any rankings system around teams that play 2 or 3 games a year is pointless and ridiculous. And, according to the article, Tonga and PNG narrowed the gap on England after beating Great Britain.. except Great Britain are not ranked at all... How does a win against a team that is not considered part of the compeition get recognised?

This highlights the issue with RLIF rankings, but it's an issue that can't easily be rectified. Australia defeated New Zealand comfortably in the Oceania Cup, and swept through the Nines without dropping a single match, including two comfortable defeats of New Zealand. While the Nines do not factor into ranking consideration, that's three victories against New Zealand in the space of about 4 weeks. They have only lost two matches in the past 13 months, against Tonga by four points, and to New Zealand back in October last year by two points. And yet they lose the top ranking? Hmm.... It highlights the problem of Australia's lack of commitment to international fixtures; while they will be touring the UK next year their schedule for 2019 has been pretty poor in comparison to other teams. Make no mistake, while the Kiwis have the number one spot to their name, Australia is still very much at the top of the rugby league world.