7 nations qualify automatically. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -world-cup

7 nations qualify automatically. www.sportinglife.com/rugby-leagu ... -world-cup

Seems fair enough.

Giving a bogus nation like Scotland --- where there is no professional or even semi-professional domestic competition --- an automatic qualification, is a joke.

The only nations that should have automatic qualification are those with full time professional or semi-professional teams: Australia, New Zealand, England, France, Papua-New Guinea (which has a team in the Queensland Cup), and Fiji (which will have a team in the NSW Cup in 2016).

There is a small pool of money to run qualification tournaments this time, and I'd much rather that money was spent on getting sides like Russia, Serbia, Canada, Italy, USA, Jamacia etc up to speed and to tournaments then spent on putting on games for France and Scotland etc who will qualify anyway.

I't's a good decision because it allows us to spend what little money there is on minnow countries.

It's a joke that they've let clubs that actually progressed well in the last tournament have automatic qualification?

What is a joke is when people invent their own criteria for qualification which has absolutely nothing to do with how good that nation actually is at playing the game!

All teams should have to qualify, with the only exception being the host nation.

As mentioned, granting 'Scotland' automatic qualification is laughable.

7 teams automatically qualifying is a joke, imo the only nations that should qualify automatically are the hosts and the defending champions.

And given we only play the four nations and NRL/SL players rarely turn out for nations until the RLWC how would they qualify? You want eng/AUs/NZ to be hammering the likes of Ireland, Cook isl or Canada?

Why? The ony other sport who has a qualification process for every nation is football. Even they think it's pointless with some of the hammerings.

I'd love International RL to be competitive enough so that all nations should have to qualify. But it's not. A qualification system is totally unecessary for the top nations.
The 7 nations mentioned seem reasonable to me.

there is logic to this, the problem is that Scotland etc are barely playing games at all so qualification would be a great chance to actually get some games on.

IMO a couple of ways of making International RL competitive is to have a proper qualification system and a proper international calendar, not just for full internationals but also at age group level i.e. U21's/U19's/U17's. I must admit the chances of this happening anytime soon are slim to none while the NRL holds the power.

I would also bring in a rule where by once a person as represented a nation at full international level he cannot change his country of allegiance in the future.

this doesnt really do anything for RL in Scotland. 3 years of non-competitive games, then the entire team replaced by SL & NRL heritage players.

At least with a a qualification comp to win they might get the heritage players to show a bit of interest in their country of choice more than once every 4 years.

I would like to agree on this, but it doesnt really work in practice (to the benefit of the smaller nations anway).

The likes of Fiji and Samoa are stronger because they can call on the experienced players who have represented Aus/NZ in the past, as well as the younger players who can then go to develop to the bigger nations in future.

The Samoa team that lit up the World Cup in 2013 would have been a shadow if they couldnt call on the players who have played for NZ previously. Would Jarod Hayne have played for Fiji in 2008 if it meant he could never play for Aus? Probably not.

All that would happen is that the developing nations have a smaller pool to choose from, and the quality of the competition is decimated.

Probably only thing I would do if the game had the money to pay for travel etc is have the top three Eng,Aus and NZ qualify automatically then have two qualifying leagues


These qualifying pools to be played across 2016&2017 and consist of a league with the top 5 from each league going through plus the two best 6th place teams.
Northern Hemi League
Italy
France
Wales
Scotland
Ireland
Canada
Lebanon
USA

Southern Hemi
PNG
Samoa
Tonga
Cook Islands
Fiji
Vanauta
Jamaica
South Africa

Other nations could apply to join the qualifying leagues if they meet set criteria

Would give second tier nations two years worth of meaningful fixtures, NRL/SL players could join the teams for the out of seasons games with local league players playing during in season games. Would give nations a sense of accomplishment at getting tot he RLWC as well and build more interest in those competing nations.

The problem there is not only cost, but also players who weren't full time getting time off work.

True but it would be a 7 game fixture list over two years so spread out should be manageable if coutries want to participate in the RLWC.

for once I totally agree with you jean

we should just do the four nations cup forget the world cup its an embarrassment having England Australia New Zealand France PNG and 11 fake Aussie teams

hope John Kear can make welsh rugby league proud again after shambles of world cup good luck John

The last World Cup was great, and I enjoyed the games tremendously, including the "joke" Scots that won 2 and drew 1 to make the QFs.

I'm sure the fact that none of them played for Ayrshire Storm or Carluke Tigers spoiled it for some, and that's fair enough, but not for me, I just liked the rugby.

I've no problem with debate on WC qualification, but must say that reaching the WC QFs (in style, in the Scots' case) seems like a reasonable qualifying route to me. The OP seems to be saying that Scotland shouldn't automatically qualify, not because they met the criteria on the rugby field, but because they don't have a pro league. I disagree, I think the credit given for their actual international performances was hard earned, and to me is by far a more equitable yardstick.

No issue with this decision for me, and i'd keep the format of the world cup pretty much the same as 2013 (one strong ground, 1 group with New Zealand, 2 groups of minnows) but the game badly needs the likes of France, PNG, Fiji & Samoa to step up and at least give the big 3 a game. Australia mauling Fiji after a fantastic England-NZ semi was probably the World Cup low point for me.