International RL - Where to from here? : Thu Apr 28, 2016 12:04 am  

The RFL has progressed it's international expansion plans with the inclusion of Toronto in League 1. I believe they, and Toulouse will succeed over time. 1. The marketing will start to improve, the product will improve, sponsorship will improve and the crowds will grow and come back Canada / Toronto : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faVB5C6mRSk France / Toulouse : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtjpMz0Y4zk 2. Distance is no longer an issue. Argentina, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa now have a successful Super 18 RU Club competition involving long distance travel. Long term investment plans underpin the expansion. National level games are played with greater regularity. 61,000 turned up in Chicago for a US v NZ RU game !! http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/br ... story.html 3. The RLWC attracted 458,000 people and TV ratings were through the roof. Tournament broadcast into 114 territories with a worldwide audience reach of 134m viewers http://www.rlwc2013.com/rugby-league-wo ... t-of-rugby . 2.2 M watched the England v Fiji game alone on the BBC representing 15% of it's audience that night over all channels!! 4. The NRL are looking at a Fiji and PNG side i believe. They must have one eye on RU's example and need to respond to soccer and AFL's incursions into their heartlands. Where to from here for the RFL. USA ? South Africa ? Others - what positive and objective thoughts, ideas, opportunities and aspirations do you see or have on how to make international expansion work well?

The RFL has progressed it's international expansion plans with the inclusion of Toronto in League 1. I believe they, and Toulouse will succeed over time. 1. The marketing will start to improve, the product will improve, sponsorship will improve and the crowds will grow and come back Canada / Toronto : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faVB5C6mRSk France / Toulouse : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtjpMz0Y4zk 2. Distance is no longer an issue. Argentina, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa now have a successful Super 18 RU Club competition involving long distance travel. Long term investment plans underpin the expansion. National level games are played with greater regularity. 61,000 turned up in Chicago for a US v NZ RU game !! http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/br ... story.html 3. The RLWC attracted 458,000 people and TV ratings were through the roof. Tournament broadcast into 114 territories with a worldwide audience reach of 134m viewers http://www.rlwc2013.com/rugby-league-wo ... t-of-rugby . 2.2 M watched the England v Fiji game alone on the BBC representing 15% of it's audience that night over all channels!! 4. The NRL are looking at a Fiji and PNG side i believe. They must have one eye on RU's example and need to respond to soccer and AFL's incursions into their heartlands. Where to from here for the RFL. USA ? South Africa ? Others - what positive and objective thoughts, ideas, opportunities and aspirations do you see or have on how to make international expansion work well?

Re: International RL - Where to from here? : Thu Apr 28, 2016 1:18 am  

We have sod all money in the sport and sod all profile outside Australia.
I firmly believe we have to target a small number of specific areas for long term investment.
Over here I think we should target Wales and France. They both have existing clubs around which structures and resources can be used to build on.
Get them to a point where they can at least provide a challenge to England.

I don't know as much about the state or potential for the sport in the Pacific Islands region but you'd probably think maybe Fiji since it's a bit more developed than say PNG, but then PNG obviously has such an RL culture.

But either way I think whilst we can continue the good work being done by bodies like the RLEF at grassroots level in "new" countries, we have to target significant resources in areas to create challengers to the big 3, and especially France and Wales as they would then provide a significant media boost to the sport.

Re: International RL - Where to from here? : Thu Apr 28, 2016 7:38 am  

I know its a dream but one day we may see teams from every were who come over to the uk to play rugby league now that would be ace but like i said its a dream

Re: International RL - Where to from here? : Thu Apr 28, 2016 9:07 am  

Well I think the key is to have more games. Not loads more you understand, maybe just a international break of 3 games or something. With those and the 4-5 games we play at the end of seasons I think 8 games is respectable. The BBC reporter talking about the NZ series mentioned that Union had played 16 games up to our series and football had played 10 while we had played just the 1 France friendly. The three games could just be a series or just friendlies between the home nations. Would help develop those teams a little at least and make them more competitive.

The announcement a couple of months back that USA, Canada and Jamaica had agreed to set up a kind of North American tri-nations is positive in my opinion. It might not be the best quality but it is giving those teams some regular game time which can only be positive and will give the Canadian players that will play for Toronto some experience at international level.

The team that I am following the most at the moment is Serbia who are developing quickly. They have a really good chance of qualifying for the world cup; they have the ability to finish at least second in their qualifying group (they have Wales and Italy, having beaten the latter comfortably before). If they finish second they will probably play Russia in the play-off game and they beat them in European Championship B. It is important for us to develop new nations to get more exposure for the game and perhaps more sponsorship and investment as a result but also to open up new talent pools.

The teams that are perhaps most likely to break through have to be Fiji and Samoa but this will only happen when their players stop defecting to Australia. Developing domestic games in these places could do that by increasing to appeal and talent of those nations. Perhaps a domestic league based in the islands would be a good idea. Teams in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Solomans and Cook Islands for example. Wouldn't need a lot of teams, maybe even only 6-8 or so but it would at least help those countries to see regular rugby league and improve appetite for the game.

Re: International RL - Where to from here? : Thu Apr 28, 2016 9:33 am  

Agree with that last paragraph. They're obviously not at NRL standard but could improve by playing each other in a league. Which is kind of what the RFL are doing with Toulouse and the Welsh teams in League 1.

The problem is then getting the national teams strong enough to provide a challenge to the big 3. They don't have to beat them, just not get hammered.
Which is partly why I think we have to pick and choose who to aim our development monies at.
I'd say extend the 4 Nations to 5. Then when it's the Northern Hemisphere both Wales & France would be included, and down under both Samoa & Fiji would be included.
Then when you include the World Cup, those 4 Nations would know they've got at least 2 major tournaments in the 4 year cycle.

Re: International RL - Where to from here? : Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:01 am  

“We are proposing to create the first transcontinental sports team – the first North American side in a European league. It will open up markets that were unthinkable recently,” Perez told League Express. “For the last four years we have been playing international matches in Toronto and we are now averaging almost 7,000 for every Test,” said Perez “We also have our own TV programme ‘The Rugby League Show’ which has 90,000 viewers every week and reaches 170,000 for our Test matches,” he added. “We have sponsorship deals with Fosters (brewery) and other major companies, and we have a business plan that will enable us to offer free travel to Canada for our opponents and free accommodation when they get to Toronto. http://www.totalrl.com/toronto-rugby-le ... e-england/ The US can also put some good numbers together for a domestic competition with Canada. I'm sure someone will be working on it. A third side from France looks possible as many may know. Not sure where that is up to. These sides have to win, as sitting in League 1 or the Championship for two long would kill off interest and the viability of the Clubs. If the quality is there, maybe eventually 16 sides in the top tier could occur., with the Super 8's. For any chance of a revival in the heartlands, overseas clubs need to strengthen. Some of the crowd numbers in Tier 3 are abysmal and wouldn't equal a game of footy in the suburb Club parks of NSW and Queensland where 1,500 to 3,000 regularly stand around the ground ... bigger low tier games can attract up to 10,000. The game needs to draw on scenarios involving enthusiasm - Canada and US looks interesting. Longer term the heartlands Tier 2-3 will benefit if the format becomes exciting in the top tier. That's my thoughts for now.

“We are proposing to create the first transcontinental sports team – the first North American side in a European league. It will open up markets that were unthinkable recently,” Perez told League Express. “For the last four years we have been playing international matches in Toronto and we are now averaging almost 7,000 for every Test,” said Perez “We also have our own TV programme ‘The Rugby League Show’ which has 90,000 viewers every week and reaches 170,000 for our Test matches,” he added. “We have sponsorship deals with Fosters (brewery) and other major companies, and we have a business plan that will enable us to offer free travel to Canada for our opponents and free accommodation when they get to Toronto. http://www.totalrl.com/toronto-rugby-le ... e-england/ The US can also put some good numbers together for a domestic competition with Canada. I'm sure someone will be working on it. A third side from France looks possible as many may know. Not sure where that is up to. These sides have to win, as sitting in League 1 or the Championship for two long would kill off interest and the viability of the Clubs. If the quality is there, maybe eventually 16 sides in the top tier could occur., with the Super 8's. For any chance of a revival in the heartlands, overseas clubs need to strengthen. Some of the crowd numbers in Tier 3 are abysmal and wouldn't equal a game of footy in the suburb Club parks of NSW and Queensland where 1,500 to 3,000 regularly stand around the ground ... bigger low tier games can attract up to 10,000. The game needs to draw on scenarios involving enthusiasm - Canada and US looks interesting. Longer term the heartlands Tier 2-3 will benefit if the format becomes exciting in the top tier. That's my thoughts for now.