2021 RLWC

[innsaneink]

ARL & NZRL have withdrawn from the 21 Rugby League World Cup scheduled for the UK in Oct and requested IRL to postpone til next year
Safety concerns due to covid

Very disappointing but understandable

 

[Demps]

ARL & NZRL have withdrawn from the 21 Rugby League World Cup scheduled for the UK in Oct and requested IRL to postpone til next year
Safety concerns due to covid

Very disappointing but understandable

Does this mean no NRL player will compete or Aus and Nz won't field teams?

 

[Geo]

I wonder if NRL Clubs will release players to the other Nations competing...

 

[KingRobbie]

ARL & NZRL have withdrawn from the 21 Rugby League World Cup scheduled for the UK in Oct and requested IRL to postpone til next year
Safety concerns due to covid

Very disappointing but understandable

Does this mean no NRL player will compete or Aus and Nz won't field teams?

AUS and NZ won't compete.

I highly doubt it'll go ahead though.

 

[Demps]

I wonder if NRL Clubs will release players to the other Nations competing...

Reading no NRL players will play.

Should make it a fair comp then... lol.
@KingRobbie

 

[innsaneink]

Balls in the IRLs court now.....other nations may follow AUS & NZ

 

[Geo]

I wonder if NRL Clubs will release players to the other Nations competing...

Reading no NRL players will play.

Should make it a fair comp then... lol.
@KingRobbie

Yeah I can't see how it would work..

 

[Demps]

I wonder if NRL Clubs will release players to the other Nations competing...

Reading no NRL players will play.

Should make it a fair comp then... lol.
@KingRobbie

Yeah I can't see how it would work..

Yep

Probably won't go ahead.

 

[TillLindemann]

Terrible news. I hope it still goes ahead, even without Australia, might be a good opportunity for some of the smaller nations.

Australia has always taken a selfish, insular approach to international league. This is NOTHING to do with covid concerns, ARL was only worried that by the time players got back and quarantined for 2 weeks it would dig in to the preseason for the 2022 NRL season. But if that is their attitude we may as well pack up the international game all together.

 

[TillLindemann]

Statement from the organisers:

"RLWC2021 note the disappointing statement made by the ARLC and NZRL which may have wide ranging implications for international Rugby League. RLWC2021 were informed at very short notice and will continue discussions with all stakeholders to agree on the best way forward."

In my view they have treated the world cup with contempt, right at a time when smaller nations like Tonga, Fiji and Demps's Lebanon were starting to make good progress. Jamaica qualified the hard way for their first ever world cup and now probably won't get a chance.

 

[Tigerdave]

Actually forgot it was on this year, unfortunate having to make this decision, but stuff happens.

Depending on what other countries do, they can shift it to next year.

 

[TillLindemann]

And to say 'just postpone it to next year' is such a poor attitude at such a late stage, after all the organising that has already gone into it, not to mention that it would clash with the FIFA world cup if it was pushed back another year.

 

[BirchgroveTigers]

Shocking call IMO.

IRL is integral to the game growing and ATM its struggling in England though doing better in other countries like France, Lebanon Greece etc.

Postponing it until next year will have terrible flow on effects. Will be on the same year as a soccer world cup...will get so much less coverage here (im in london right now). Not only that but all the sponsorship deals were done thinking it would have top billing...every game was going to be on BBC free coverage.

Prioritising NRL over IRL yet again...Seriously should have had a slightly shorter 2022 NRL season if lack of off season was that big a problem...

 

[JC99]

Weak from the NRL clubs.

 

[TillLindemann]

Shocking call IMO.

IRL is integral to the game growing and ATM its struggling in England though doing better in other countries like France, Lebanon Greece etc.

Postponing it until next year will have terrible flow on effects. Will be on the same year as a soccer world cup...will get so much less coverage here (im in london right now). Not only that but all the sponsorship deals were done thinking it would have top billing...every game was going to be on BBC free coverage.

Prioritising NRL over IRL yet again...Seriously should have had a slightly shorter 2022 NRL season if lack of off season was that big a problem...

I agree 100%. The attitude that losing 2 weeks of an NRL preseason (for international players only), is too big a sacrifice for a world cup to go ahead is just disgraceful, and so NRL-centric. It is no wonder that the international game struggles when Australia has such an insular approach.

 

[innsaneink]

Shocking call IMO.

IRL is integral to the game growing and ATM its struggling in England though doing better in other countries like France, Lebanon Greece etc.

Postponing it until next year will have terrible flow on effects. Will be on the same year as a soccer world cup...will get so much less coverage here (im in london right now). Not only that but all the sponsorship deals were done thinking it would have top billing...every game was going to be on BBC free coverage.

Prioritising NRL over IRL yet again...Seriously should have had a slightly shorter 2022 NRL season if lack of off season was that big a problem...

I agree 100%. **The attitude that losing 2 weeks of an NRL preseason (for international players only), is too big a sacrifice for a world cup to go ahead is just disgraceful,** and so NRL-centric. It is no wonder that the international game struggles when Australia has such an insular approach.

Wheres this coming from?

 

[TillLindemann]

Shocking call IMO.

IRL is integral to the game growing and ATM its struggling in England though doing better in other countries like France, Lebanon Greece etc.

Postponing it until next year will have terrible flow on effects. Will be on the same year as a soccer world cup...will get so much less coverage here (im in london right now). Not only that but all the sponsorship deals were done thinking it would have top billing...every game was going to be on BBC free coverage.

Prioritising NRL over IRL yet again...Seriously should have had a slightly shorter 2022 NRL season if lack of off season was that big a problem...

I agree 100%. **The attitude that losing 2 weeks of an NRL preseason (for international players only), is too big a sacrifice for a world cup to go ahead is just disgraceful,** and so NRL-centric. It is no wonder that the international game struggles when Australia has such an insular approach.


Wheres this coming from?

Can't find where I read it now, but I read it before today, that the impact on the preseason was the sticking point for Australia. They will talk about player welfare being the reason, but it's not.

 

[WT2K]

Disappointing news tbh

 

[hobbo1]

Disappointing news tbh

Move it to Brisbane

 

[Yossarian]

I think the RLWC is, as the French say, le rooted...