The problem with Internationsals is who is going to play, England v France doesn't really generate much excitement when it has been tried and England v Wales, Scotland or Ireland even less at present and there is no way Aus & NZ will travel on a regular basis as the interest does not seem to be there from them. Getting meningful international fixtures is incredibly difficult. In RU the home nationals are very competitive and France as well are a top team, TV is not interested in one sided, poorly supported RL "internationals" where one side racks up a high score against the others.

The RLWC has generated a level of interest but capitalising on that is difficult and it is hard to see how this can be taken forward before that interest fades away as there is nothing obvious in place already.

I was talking to a PE teacher recently. He said 95% of applicants specialise in football. They're crying out for a PE teacher who specialises in rugby, hockey, athletics, gymnastics...

Most PE departments have been cut to the bone in the last decade so the chances of having anyone specialising in either code has been reduced massively. Less staff means less nights for training etc. etc. and that’s before you get to the general malaise in the teaching profession anyway. You’ve also got community coaches trying to dictate to kids they don’t want them playing for schools. We certainly don’t help ourselves as a game.

Be that as it may, I'll wager there are many times more schools in England playing Union than league. Every bloody private school for a start, and many State ones.

I’m a parent Governor at my youngest lads school and the Head is a fanatical Wigan Warriors fan. You can imagine the banter I have with her at Governor meetings.

They prioritise RL over football largely due to her and the contacts she has with the club. Also helps her that Liam Marshall’s wife to be is a teacher there.

My lads although loving RL do prefer football if pushed and they moan that RL is given more importance there.

It does seem to be more dependent on the Head Teacher rather than any sort of local curriculum.

It was happening well before that.

to be fair, Wigan have done quite a lot in regards to schools over the last 12-18 months (not sure how much that has changed or not). One of my mates was telling me that the primary school his sons are at used to have a dedicated sports coaching company (small local one) come in to do PE and holiday sports camps. The primary school due to costs, have now dropped some of that, and are using Wigan Warriors Community Foundation, and thus there is a RL focus being delivered in those sessions. From an RL and a fitness perspective its great for the kids, however thats probably only happening in RL towns like Wigan, St Helens, Warrington etc. Once you get out of the heartlands, will there be any desire to get into the schools. This is where the RFL and possibly clubs should come up with a plan and perhaps target different regions of the country. We should have hours of video to sell the game to kids, and if we could back that up with a joined up approach to going into schools to start off with basic skills, then surely we could start to entice the next generation into thinking about RL as a minimum. I know you would need community clubs etc, to really help the game take off, as its no good just doing schools alone, but there has got to be an ambition from somewhere in the RFL to grow the game we all love

Exactly, pieman.

International match next year against France in April,thats a start

yep, just posted the link on warriors fans. Tickets look reasonably priced for early bird, so hopefully get a good crowd on

i would like to see either us tour Oz / Nz or one of the 2 over here in the Autumn with the top 2 sides in NRL / SL playing as warm up matches. Not quite the tours of the 80s / early 90s that i've watched, but some incentive to finish in top 2 and not too long a tour for the touring side

It is but why not stage the game in France to maybe give them a bit more of an advantage, particularly as the next World Cup is being held there.

It is a start but it’ll become pointless if the sport can’t get together and arrange a proper calendar out with tours here and down under.

3 comments about the France game,1 upbeat 2 slightly negative.
I for one will be going as will Pieman I suspect,hopefully Henngirl and MadDogg will as well.
More fans go,looks good and more money to England RL.
Surely that is a good thing as the game needs the money as we all know and every little bit helps.

I’d much prefer games against France to the make belief All Stars fixture. It’s not a fixture that will overly test us but it gets the players together and the main benefit is the development opportunity it gives the French.

I see the long term international calendar plan has been put back until the new year now. Let’s hope that’s because a good plan takes time and not because they’re struggling to get the NRL to commit to more than the odd one off international here and there. I suspect it’ll be more towards the latter.

There'll be no NRL players available for this game v France so it will be an opportunity for Waney so try some new faces in his line up. It will be interesting to see if he goes for players who at the season's end are never available or new faces with the talent to improve.

Would probably pick the team below for the 2023 squad. Newman, Dodd, Oledski and KPP should be phased in straight away with eyes on the likes of Gannon, Havard, Lewis, Nicholson etc for 2025. Hope there are some fixtures against Southern hemisphere opposition at the end of next year. I personally think a Six Nations comp with Tonga, Samoa and Fiji would be a fantastic route for the game to go down. A streamlined World Cup maybe has a place but I wonder whether a 16 team comp is rugby league trying to be something it's not.

Welsby
Makinson
Newman
Farnworth
Young
Williams
Dodd
Burgess
Leeming
Oledski
KPP
Bateman
Radley

Thompson
Walmsley
Ackers
Batchelor

No NRL based players will be available so it will be Super League only selection. Also no English players based at Catalans
will be selected.

Welsby,
Makinson, Newman, Wardle, Burgess,
Williams (c) Dodd,
Oledski, Ackers, Walmsley,
Farrell, Batchelor,
Cameron Smith.

Hill, Lees, Gannon, Harry Smith.

I think you might see Liam Byrne in that team next season and definitely KPP. I am not sure what benefit there is to selecting players who will be in their mid-thirties by the time the next World Cup comes around.

Add Knowles to that list as well.

Yes i'll be there. They've got the fixture details out nice and early, so we dont have any reason to complain we didnt know about it (got to be honest one of my biggest gripes in the past about lack of marketing etc with the RFL)

I think its NickyKiss who also comments in a similar way to how i see things. We need to see the long term international calendar, and it be meaningful.

I think the majority of fans appreciate that a mid-season test(s) are only likely to be v France or Scotland / Wales / Ireland etc, as there is no way that the NRL would sanction an international side coming over or any of their players for that matter

So we make the best of it we can and get the valuable time together as an England team, start building some combinations (admittedly we are missing 5 or 6 players who play NRL) but use it as something to build on and get the French team some experience too. if the IMG takeover goes well, why not build in a short international calendar into the season where we play 2 or 3 tests. RU can fit in the 6 nations and Autumn internationals whilst they play their season, so could be something that we look at, but squad numbers would also need to be considered and subsequent salary cap implications if running with bigger squads?

So as a starter its a positive we've got a game in early and running off the success of the world cup. And, as i posted earlier i'd like to see a tour of some form at the end of the season

I think France is ideal following a World Cup year for a mid season test.

It helps them and is hopefully part of the rebuilding process for England. The year after and following years building towards the 25 WC I would like to see us play one of the Pacific Island nations.

In regards venue I’ve never been to Warrington’s “new” stadium prior to the Tonga v Samoa semi but I thought it was a cracking rugby stadium.

It is a great stadium.
WE need more internationals thats for sure,at least this one is soon after the World cup and will help with rebuilding towards the next.
If we could play at least 1 test series a year would be fantastic.

And Morgan Smithies.

I wouldn't include Makinson, Walmsey Farrell, or Hill. We need to be building towards the 2025 World Cup in France.

I agree.

Will be interesting to see what happens with Farnworth over the next few years.

I’ve a feeling Union will come calling but he also has a desire to play fullback, which could have significant implications for the England set up.