I often think this when you get all the people warning of doom to the game if the RLWC doesn't go ahead, slagging off the RFL for lack of marketing about the RLWC and whatever....how many games do these people actually go to.

I am pretty ambivalent about the RLWC but as its generally cheap and easy to get tickets I take advantage of it and also drag other people to games who wouldn't usually watch it, as it sounds good to go to a "World Cup". In 2000 I think I went to 9 games (they had some great 3 for 2 deals if I remember correctly), in 2013 I went to 3, in 2017 I went to 2. Went to all the finals.

How many World Cup games does the typical rugby league fan go to? I wonder whether a lot of long standing RL fans just watch the games on the TV and then slag off the RFL on internet forums for not marketing it well enough to 'new audiences'.

I know it won’t happen because our sport is small fry nationally but this is where the government should step in and state that if the country is not deemed safe enough for the rugby league World Cup then all events involving Australian and New Zealand sportspersons and sports teams in this country can only continue with the absence of their mentioned countries.

If the RLWC goes ahead without Aus and NZ, it will be remembered like the Moscow Olympics, where all the top nations boycotted the games. The winners will be constantly reminded that they only won because the Aussies and Kiwis weren't here. Don't know what the answer is. but slipping it 12 months will clash with the Football World Cup and we all know who will get maximum television coverage if that happens.Either way it's a no win situation.

I thought that but there is only a one-week overlap.

You could bring the seasons (and therefore the WC) forward by a couple of weeks and try and capitalize on some national excitement.

Would seem like the most sensible solution right now.

Well maybe, certainly the RFL would have lower expectations of a successful tournament, than that of the RFU. My point being the RFL will be miffed if the Union internationals went ahead, when Australia and New Zealand have pulled out of our world cup.

Current infection rates (7 day average) New Zealand 7, Australia 115, England 41,779.
It would indeed be strange if the Rugby Union trips were to go ahead. But I do not think anyone should be called a coward for not wishing to stay in England for a month.

Nor me, hardly a response to bring about reconciliation between the RFL and the NRL etc.

The "coward" comment doesn't do any good for anyone. It was a cheap shot and not warranted. However, 4 minutes notice is a house move too that shows no respect at all.

Scary to see those figures and then to see both those country's massively disproportionate response to it. Not sure on New Zealand, but I can see from social media that parts of Australia are akin to North Korea right now.

As another poster has already said, you have to worry for them over the next few years if this is their continuing reaction to any small number of infections.

Basically, a lifetime of living under their bed awaits, so it seems.

and that would be potty

There is 1% of me, thinking that yesterday's announcement was just a ruse for some much needed RL publicity. The NRL will then back down (i'm sorry, Australia and New Zealand's governing RL bodies will then back down), and the RLWC will go ahead, as planned.

Is it possible to be cynically positive?

I don’t think it’s true, but what a great move that would be. RL is currently a hot topic nationally for the first time in what, 30 years?

Could do with His Royal Harry & Meghan getting Oprah to do a programme about it.

It won't help much. They'd only talk about themselves and how tough life has been.

How's that possible?
Surely they don't want ANY publicity.


Actually. GENIUS IDEA !
Get those two to be the new face of Super League.
We'd make the Premier League seem like the Monday Night Darts League

What odds can you currently get on Australia as the 2021 RLWC winners?
Have they risen in the past few days?

Being stripped of the title of patron of the Rugby Football League, is just about the only thing that Harry hasn't cried about.

Martin Gleason and Sean Long liked this.

What about now the cases are falling?

Will now be from the 15th October to 19th November 2022.

That means it finishes before the football world cup starts. It also starts after the Commonwealth Games finish.

Hopefully 2022 can be a good year for the sport.

Sounds like the SL GF will (probably) be moved to the end of Sept then

Which may present an issue with it being at Old Trafford. The GF is usually in domestic football's international break.

We really need to have a decent international calendar next year.
There is usually a week at the start of the season when only some SL clubs play in the CC. That weekend could be used for an international.
I think the current format of magic weekend should be scrapped and replaced with a 9"s weekend and the last slot on each day is an international test match (France v Wales on Sat and England V exiles on Sunday). With this format clubs could still commit players to the 9"s competition and at the same time release players to the international games.
The 9"s competition would be a great showcase for players like Mamo, Ashton that have blistering speed to showcase the game, if played at the etihad then some 9's games can be played at the campus stadium next door.
I suspect one of the proposals to come out will be a midweek 9"s competition to try and emulate the 100 cricket format
There is virtually a blank weekend for the Challenge Cup final. We could slot in an international on the Sunday after the final but obviously wouldn't include players from the clubs involved in the final.
The SL clubs need to support the international game as a win for England in a credible world Cup might take sponsorship to the next level from mushy peas to Fray Bentos pies or pot noodles.

Albeit the football calendar will be different next year due to the Qatar World Cup being played over the winter, so a PL mid-season break.

Which probably means that no-one in RL has accounted for any of that when considering the availability of RLWC or GF venues.....

I know it's a bit of a Catch 22, but today's announcement is coupled up with :

"Tournament bosses are still in talks with host towns, cities and venues and hope to release a full match schedule by the end of this year."

So it's like here's the dates, we'll let you know where games will actually take place sometime later.....

If attendances continue their current trend, we can hold the Grand final at a limited capacity Odsal for free.