[Football] Rugby League World Cup

[crodonilson]

After the appalling scenes and heartbreak with the football on Sunday some welcome good news for sports fans as the Rugby League World Cup is set to be given the go ahead this afternoon, taking place here in Octoer and November in what promises to be an epic tournament and the second biggest global event this year after the Olympics.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/57820038

England have got a tough group, and the opening game against Samoa is a banana skin if ever there was one. Just the 49 years of hurt and anguish to eradicate for the RL boys.

Men's draw
Group A: England, Samoa, France, Greece

Group B: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy

Group C: New Zealand, Lebanon, Jamaica, Ireland

Group D: Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Wales, Cook Islands

 

[Eeyore]

I reckon the winner will be Australia, New Zealand or England.

Will I get good odds on that ?

 

[Brovion]

After the appalling scenes and heartbreak with the football on Sunday some welcome good news for sports fans as the Rugby League World Cup is set to be given the go ahead this afternoon, taking place here in Octoer and November in what promises to be an epic tournament and the second biggest global event this year after the Olympics.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/57820038

England have got a tough group, and the opening game against Samoa is a banana skin if ever there was one. Just the 49 years of hurt and anguish to eradicate for the RL boys.

Men's draw
Group A: England, Samoa, France, Greece

Group B: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Italy

Group C: New Zealand, Lebanon, Jamaica, Ireland

Group D: Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Wales, Cook Islands

A pedant writes ...

Actually England have never won the RL World Cup. Great Britain though have won it three times.

Rugby League is only really played in the north of England. North, south and west of that it's all Union. Why they dilute the tiny pool of RL talent in these islands over three or four teams is beyond me - other than it makes it easier for Australia to win. (And I guess it makes the game look more popular than it is)

Anyway Crodo, is Dave at The Ship doing anything special? (Really must pop down for a pint sometime).

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

A pedant writes ...

Actually England have never won the RL World Cup. Great Britain though have won it three times.

Rugby League is only really played in the north of England. North, south and west of that it's all Union. Why they dilute the tiny pool of RL talent in these islands over three or four teams is beyond me - other than it makes it easier for Australia to win. (And I guess it makes the game look more popular than it is)

Anyway Crodo, is Dave at The Ship doing anything special? (Really must pop down for a pint sometime).

Who cares? As you say only played in a small area, hardly a national sport.

 

[Brovion]

Who cares? As you say only played in a small area, hardly a national sport.

True, however I quite like it. I can watch a RL game between two sides I don't care about (and thus don't care about the result), whereas except in exceptional circumstances I can't do that with football. (Any more).

 

[Klaas]

Lebanon??

 

[Brovion]

Lebanon??

I think last time they were in the WC their players were all or nearly all Aussies with some kind of Lebanese family link.

 

[Klaas]

I think last time they were in the WC their players were all or nearly all Aussies with some kind of Lebanese family link.

ah ok, seemed a bit random. So kind of like an Aussie B team?

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

I reckon the winner will be Australia, New Zealand or England.

Will I get good odds on that ?

There's everything to play for!

I mean, we won't win, obviously. But apart from that, everything to play for!

 

[Brovion]

ah ok, seemed a bit random. So kind of like an Aussie B team?

Actually it's more of a Sydney B team as that's where most of the players came from! (Certainly initially). But yeah, I'm not sure how many Lebanese-born players the national side now contains, but I think its fair to say that it's mainly made up of players who couldn't get into the main Aussie side. I await correction from one of our Australian-based posters.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I await correction from one of our Australian-based posters.

Oh god, be prepared for a lecture then if Tyronne sees this......

Love a bit of Rugby League, I used to go and watch St Helens a bit in the mid 80s, as I lived in Wigan and hated the place

 

[dsr-burnley]

They've improved the competition by relaxing the rules on Pacific islanders. (And other nationalities too, but it applies mostly to islanders.) If you are from Fiji for example, but have played for Australia in the past, but aren't selected for Australia this time, you can go back and play for Fiji. And conversely anyone from Fiji who might want to play for Australia in future, can play for Fiji now without barring him from future Australian teams.