Ah I was wondering if ireland was involved. When Ireland was involved they didn't use GSTQ as the anthem right?

According to the BBC it will be England v NZ/Aus when it's in this country and then Great Britain when we tour over there which makes sense.

Has Brian Carney come out of retirement or something?

Regards

King James

Once again, you quote "properly", without actually explaining it.

New York has lots of sports fans but I doubt an RL game would breach five figures if played there.

The RFL struggled to get 25k to watch the last time the aussies were here. Why are you so confident that in the space of just a few years, there will be a massive (and it would take a massive shift) shift in RL popularity. Hosting a game at Wembley would once again show the LACK of interest in the game with huge blocks of empty seats.

RL fans in general terms tend not to travel far for games and you are relying on London to suddenly take interest in something which has not take there in over 35 years. No amount of marketing would change that...unless it was something worthwhile.

Momentum needs to be created by having images of full stadia, creating the buzz of excitement, that if you are not there to see it, you are missing out.. This has to start in stadia the RFL are confident of selling out, Not going for the biggest one out there hoping. Its just pie in the sky wishful thinking.

Controversial idea but I'd go for having England v Australia as a warm up game to a Union game at Twickenham or Wembley. Expecting to get a lot of flack for this but hear me out. If you get this to happen you'll get a bigger crowd in allowing them to see the two games one after another and seeing how much more entertaining RL is. Allows a direct comparison; this could help get some more fans surely?

Only an idea and can never see it happening but worth saying; this is a forum after all



PS: I'd HATE a RL game to have to play second fiddle to a game of Yawnion but if it benefitted the game in the long run by attracting new fans it'd be a small price to pay.

What might help and I say might if we finish up in this years word cup final and it would be better if we won it that would help to fill Wembley

Risk is what if the RL match was of lower quality than the RU match, at that time of year it could certainly be possible.

I agree, an example being the England v New Zealand second test down in London in 2015.

However would it be that much of a risk? If that were to happen, the rah-rah fans have a little laugh and carry on as they would have anyway. The League fans know that it's a rare bad game?

However the intensity and passion in RL can still create phenomenal matches and viewing even when the weather sabotages the quality.

As I say it's far from a well thought through and complete plan, just an idea

Yeah

To the time when international RL sold out Wembley fingers crossed.

God forbid...

wembley? do we play internationals there anymore?

Yeah and when domestic RL was on its backside and crippled the game with its short-termist, backward attitudes.

It was also a very different time in terms of both society and media. There wasn't the huge concentration/consolidation of media in London/South East and within an upper-middle class-only spectrum. There were still regional editions of national newspapers, very few tv channels, no internet and little else in terms of social or leisure activities.

It was p!ss easy to sell out Wembley back then and the RFL didn't do anything other than announce when the game was happening.

It's not like that today.

When did Wembley ever get sold out for a Rugby League international?

1963 Ashes Tour in "Them Days" Attendance 13,946! It was played on a Wednesday though - blasted RFL couldn't run a race!!

Probably only the 92 WC final.

Will the Great Britain tour matches against Australia be for The Ashes? Likewise the home series when England play Australia? Or is there no Ashes anymore, if there ever was?

Quote ="DGM"Most of us will be happy to see that the RLIF have announced that GB tours are to return! www.rlif.com/article/8268/lions- ... e-calendar "The next four-year International Rugby League calendar has been confirmed today at a meeting of the Board of the Rugby League International Federation in Sydney. Headlining the calendar is the return of Kangaroos and Lions Tours. The four-year cycle, beginning in 2018, will include a New Zealand tour to Europe and an Emerging Nations championship in 2018, followed by a Lions Tour to the Southern Hemisphere in 2019, and a Kangaroos Tour to Europe in 2020. The Kangaroos Tour will feature at least three Test matches against England and one Test against France. The final year of the next cycle, 2021, will feature the Rugby League Men’s and Women’s World Cups in the UK." So GB will purely be a touring side, presumably every 4 years, reverting to England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland for the other three. No 4 Nations tournaments either.'" Now that is good news! It's a real shame for the sport that Melbourne are s and won't be playing in the World Club Challenge next year (they should be fined for not playing in it, but that won't happen). But the Lions used to have great series against the Kangaroos and Kiwis - proper chuffed with it, and loved that last ever kit they had and would buy a new one in a heartbeat over the TERRIBLE England World Cup kit:

Quote ="DGM"Most of us will be happy to see that the RLIF have announced that GB tours are to return! www.rlif.com/article/8268/lions- ... e-calendar "The next four-year International Rugby League calendar has been confirmed today at a meeting of the Board of the Rugby League International Federation in Sydney. Headlining the calendar is the return of Kangaroos and Lions Tours. The four-year cycle, beginning in 2018, will include a New Zealand tour to Europe and an Emerging Nations championship in 2018, followed by a Lions Tour to the Southern Hemisphere in 2019, and a Kangaroos Tour to Europe in 2020. The Kangaroos Tour will feature at least three Test matches against England and one Test against France. The final year of the next cycle, 2021, will feature the Rugby League Men’s and Women’s World Cups in the UK." So GB will purely be a touring side, presumably every 4 years, reverting to England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland for the other three. No 4 Nations tournaments either.'" Now that is good news! It's a real shame for the sport that Melbourne are s and won't be playing in the World Club Challenge next year (they should be fined for not playing in it, but that won't happen). But the Lions used to have great series against the Kangaroos and Kiwis - proper chuffed with it, and loved that last ever kit they had and would buy a new one in a heartbeat over the TERRIBLE England World Cup kit:

I live in a union of two countries the "United Kingdom Of GREAT BRITAIN and Northern Ireland". It is not the United Kingdom of Scotland Wales England and Northern Ireland. Scotland Wales and England are the three things that are not countries. I live in an island country where there are some nonsense boarders but they mean nothing as i am not leaving any one country and going into another one when i cross them because the country i am in is Great Britain.

My passport says "Nationality: BRITISH" not English.

I don't particularly support any England national team. Don't like the football team (despite being a fan of football), hate the rugby union team, don't pay much attention to England in the Commonwealth Games because i much prefer getting behind Team GB in the Olympics. Andy Murray is classed as a BRITISH tennis player, Joe Calzaghe was classed as a BRITISH boxer, Lewis Hamilton is classed as a BRITISH racing driver - none were/are classed as Scottish Welsh or English in their sporting sense at all.

My favourite international sporting team is the British Isles XIII Lions Rugby League.

Also used to have this kit as a kid n'all

Rugby League fans have a horrible habit of thinking just ten minutes ahead and not about anything long term.

Just because there are no current players who are Scottish Welsh or Irish who would get in a team, that doesn't mean there won't be in ten or even five years time. Who's to say that the team down in Merthyr Tydfil won't produce two players as good as Ellery Hanley and Sam Burgess in the next decade...? Why shouldn't they get an opportunity to play for a Great Britain side?

And even look at Tyson Frizell - did play for Wales in the past as his Dad is Welsh (and Mother is Tongan), not a drop of Aussie blood in the bloke - yet he's now an Australian international. If there'd been a Great Britain all this time, he may well be pulling on a Wales kit in the WC and a Lions kit throughout his career for every test series.

Regan Grace is another. He could easily be the best British winger in years to come and is fully Welsh.

The Term "Great Britain" originates in the late 1400's from the nuptials of and English Princess and a Scottish Prince. It was officially used in the 1707 act of Union which joined the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in the Kingdom of Great Britain. Some 100 years later this name was changed to the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and again changed in the early 20th century to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to reflect Irish independence. Wales was a principality up until about 500 years ago, but thereafter became a nation in its own right.

The use of GB to refer to a sporting collective is actually incorrect...it should be Team GB&NI

Team GB in Rugby League either limits itself to Scots, Welsh and English players or changes its's name to reflect the inclusion of Irish players....the other code now refer to their Lions as BIL (British and Irish Lions) and it doesn't seem to have done them any harm with 20,000 tourists here earlier this year.

Oh...Andy Murray was Scottish until he won Wimbledon

There are so many things wrong with what you have just said, I don't know where to begin.

The Kingdom of Great Britain USED TO BE a sovereign country. It was made up of England, Scotland (and Wales). It was then succeeded by The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (later just United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland).

To say that Great Britain is a country but England isn't is contradictory as both have been succeeded eventually by the UK. The UK is the country. British refers to the UK. You're not UKish.

England, Scotland and Wales are constituent countries of the UK. GB isn't. GB is just a geographical term to refer to the island that makes up England, Scotland and Wales.

The British Isles (which you refer to as your favourite international sporting team) is not the same as Great Britain. The British Isles refers to GB, Ireland and the surrounding islands.

So basically, like I originally said, GB is not a country. It is an island. The UK is a country.

Funny thing is I bet all 3 get behind their own Countries whether that's Scotland. Wales or England in whatever sport and especially when they play England.

Must be me but I just can't get my head around this attitude of - I'll just/support The British/Britain & to back that up The Governement have even given me a Passport with that name on to make it so.

I'm English, British second and I'll support any team whether it's the Commonwealth games, Cricket. RL, Football, Boxing etc, against that of someone or a team from Wales, Scotland or NI Ireland, just like they rabidly do. At the same time I can happily get behind the guys at the Olympics or the RL Lions.

Regarding the Lions tour to the southern hemisphere in 2019, what are the likely fixtures going to be?

How many matches against Australia, New Zealand, and any others?

Who would people’s coach be?

I’d want Brian McDermott

Wayne Bennett