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Opinion
Given the hot topic of expansion over the last couple weeks, I would love for rugby league to become an established and popular sporting code in the Pacific.
Obviously global expansion is important, but the NRL has an opportunity here to capitalise on the growth of the game in the Pacific islands.
Rather than fight out a tug-of-war with AFL to become the dominant Aussie code, the NRL should look to become the dominant Oceania code or at least be a very strong, popular code down here akin to handball or hockey in Europe.
After the second Brisbane team, the NRL should start to look at a second and maybe even third team in New Zealand, as well as a united Pacific islands team in the NRL – West Indies cricket style. This way, the individual nations can remain separate entities at an international level.
Developing pathways and reserve-grade teams like the Papua New Guinea Hunters or Fiji Silktails create a direct path into becoming a professional athlete. Look at how positively it has influenced PNG having a reserve grade side in the Q Cup, so imagine that across more cities and towns in New Zealand or even in nations like Tonga and Samoa.
Imagine a rugby league calendar where the year starts off with the annual All Stars clash between Indigenous Australia and Māori New Zealand, with the men’s and women’s games being major events people want to attend.
This would be followed by a domestic season of NRL and NRLW and respective reserve grade and maybe even under-20s teams stretching from Parramatta in Sydney to Nuku’alofa in Tonga to Dunedin in New Zealand.
Obviously, State of Origin continues to be the showpiece event it is, with a best-of-three series for men and women.
This continual investment in domestic competitions across our region will only strengthen the international game long-term and allow the international game to move forward with more and more competitive nations, with the structure we’ve established as a precedent on how to run rugby league across the world.
I know this is probably senseless optimism from a hopeless rugby league romantic but I like to envisage a future 20 years from now where millions of people across the Pacific wait in anticipation for the next rugby league season to start.
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