Yes you're right how do those Australians manage it in such low temperatures of 16-25c AVERAGE through the year.

Its those type of area's in USA where it is actually growing popular that the RFL & NRL should be looking at staging it, I'm sorry but Elland Road doesn't cut it for me for such a "prestigious" (as Eddie and Stevo call it) trophy.

Why not take it to America? Where the game is growing, show people professional high level rugby league. The best two club teams in world RL (allegedly)? In an area where RL is popular and growing? No brainer to me.

The thing that the RFL hasn't ever lacked is guts to try something new, might not work everytime but at least it tries. IMHO this would be definately worth a shot for the WCC 2013. Places such as Dubai, as exciting as it may sound, just doesn't ring right for me.

RU is high profile in Hong Kong mainly on the back of the HK sevens that paved the way for the world sevens series. There are local RU clubs in HK with lots of ex pats from Aus/NZ/UK involved. You have strong RU support in parts of Japan with marquee players getting big contracts so any RU event involving Aus v NZ in this part of Asia is big business.

thats the exact same here in uae,, trevor leota former wasps player created hes own union club out here and there is alot more mainly because of the events of dubai sevens and the odd off game over here, i would bearly say the schools out here drill union in to them so its more of a untapped youth to get interested also, as far as national team here it would never happen arabs are like a christiano ronaldo kind of character mainly.

Rugby in the Arabian Gulf is Union and was established there back in the 60s and 70s during the development of the region. It was predominantly the expats who played with occasionally a local (who had played rugby at boarding school) joining in. It was the affluent nature of life in the Gulf that allowed teams from the different countries to fly to away matches and it was from the Arabian Gulf competition that sub competitions like the Dubai 7s and Bahrain 15s (actually a more popular competition back in the 80s) came about.

The Irish Gaelic Athletics Association has established their football and hurling in the gulf quite successfully, holding a Dubai based tournament along the lines of the rugby version. Staging a one off league match would be an attraction and correctly marketed, could get a decent crowd from expats and visitors alike.