RUGBY LEAGUE EXPANDING THE GAME

[leeroy*NRL*]

ENGLAND RUGBY LEAGUE ARE STARTING TO WAKE UP (why NRL in Australia are afraid to spread there wings)

and realize that expansion is the way to grow the game outside heartland areas.

with the Expansion into Catalans 10 years ago..
expansion was pulled back, with Wales and London being kicked out.
and sent back to the Lower grade competitions.
while adding Toulouse

Now with the rise of Toronto Wolfpack>

France and Ireland are circling with entry into the championship.
Dublin bid is likely to face competition from New York, French club Villeneuve and Belgrade for a 2020 spot.

with teams as far from Ireland to Northern France to southern Belgium all the way across the Atlantic to New York.

expect alot of traction over the next 5-10 years in France and Ireland.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/7166223/ ... n-ireland/

[King-Eliagh]

The nsw Aboriginal rugby league knockout is upon us >>

Will Inglis lead supreme for macksville?
Could Fifita be the difference for his mob?
Will Cody walker help Lismore go a few steps further this year?

Who will take out the big prize?

[King-Eliagh]

I think my previous post fits this thread most, don’t you leeroy?

[NRL&NFLweLaughATafl]

Wow great find Leeroy. If Ireland play league as well as they play Union. They will be a real force with a professional team.

Toronto Wolfpack have definitely set the ball rolling with expansion in other places too.

[leeroy*NRL*]

very true, what Toronto is doing is setting a standard for expansion>>
with very little of history to rugby in the country of both codes
to develop what they have in 2 years is very good step.

Ireland & Scotland would by my targets for 2nd div teams

[leeroy*NRL*]

Well its been a few days since the 2nd tier championship game>> Amazing crowd in attendance.

London Broncos advance to Super League.

THE Toronto Wolfpack have been denied an historic Super League berth with a 4-2 loss to the London Broncos in the Million Pound Game in Canada.
A near-capacity crowd of 9,266 packed into the suburban Lamport Stadium for the fourth-versus-fifth play-off which affords the winner a promotion to England’s Super League from the second-tier Championship.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... tch-report

[Terry]

Good news for London. Not so much for Toronto but a great crowd. Apparently it was pouring rain as well. I did read that their owner David Argyle has confirmed his determination to eventually get Toronto into Superleague.

Also a New York Rugby League consortium is apparently getting frustrated with their wait to get the go ahead in the Pommy leagues. The story says RU is circling them but they are sticking with the RL aspirations.

https://www.totalrl.com/new-york-consor ... d-at-wait/

[leeroy*NRL*]

Interesting Times >> City news reporting on the game

[rugby365]

Good news for London. Not so much for Toronto but a great crowd. Apparently it was pouring rain as well. I did read that their owner David Argyle has confirmed his determination to eventually get Toronto into Superleague.

Also a New York Rugby League consortium is apparently getting frustrated with their wait to get the go ahead in the Pommy leagues. The story says RU is circling them but they are sticking with the RL aspirations.

https://www.totalrl.com/new-york-consor ... d-at-wait/

I wonder who are the guys looking to join up to make a RU franchise considering RUNY are already in MLR for next season.
Maybe a Brooklyn based MLR team?

Good to see them sticking to their guns though

[leeroy*NRL*]

World Cup Draw has been announced >>(i do wish they played some games in SOUTH FRANCE)

Old Trafford to host the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup finals with the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool staging the wheelchair final
The Emirates Stadium will host a men’s semi-final – the first sport other than football to be played at the stadium
St James’ Park to host men’s opening ceremony. Anfield will play host to the women’s equivalent
Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) has today announced the chosen host towns, cities and venues for the tournaments taking place in England in two years’ time.

Set to be the most inclusive rugby league event ever, RLWC2021 will see the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments played concurrently for the first time. Another UK first will see the women’s and men’s finals take place as a double-header at Old Trafford, and further west, Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena Liverpool will host the wheelchair final.

The Emirates Stadium will host a men’s semi-final, making rugby league the only sport other than football to have been played at the home of Arsenal FC. The men’s opening ceremony will take place in Newcastle at St. James’ Park, following four successful seasons as the host of Magic Weekend. Fellow North-East venue, Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium will also host a men’s game and the UK’s City of Culture in 2021, Coventry will feature.

Tournament organisers have met the Government target of hosting at least 80% of the tournament in the Northern Powerhouse; Doncaster, Huddersfield, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York are **** the Northern towns and cities making up the final list. Leeds will host several fixtures, including a men’s semi-final and two women’s fixtures across Elland Road and Emerald Headingley Stadium.

York will host multiple games in the women’s World Cup including both semi-finals. With new venues and an increased profile, RLWC2021 will also be the biggest ever tournament for wheelchair rugby league, with London’s Copper Box Arena hosting England’s group at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Elsewhere there will be a heavy presence of core rugby league venues featuring, including St Helens, Warrington, Leigh and Workington, where a new purpose-built stadium will host three men’s games.

[leeroy*NRL*]

25 Million Pound has also be invested by the English Government for the WC 2021

The UK is renowned for putting on some of the biggest and best sporting events in the world and the Rugby League World Cup 2021 will be no exception. This tournament will provide a stage for the world's best players in the men's, women's and wheelchair game to shine in cities and towns across the country. It is an exceptional opportunity to grow the sport. We are investing £25 million to help put on a fantastic event, reach new fans and improve facilities, so the tournament leaves a real legacy.”

[leeroy*NRL*]

WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE this WEEK LIVE FROM WIGAN

WIGAN WARRIORS V SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Live from 6am
9 GEM AND FOX>

Will be a great game and its a great tradition...

(i do wish the NRL really promoted this more..

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/02/14/wig ... e-preview/

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/47214618

[leeroy*NRL*]

Kangaroos will tour Great Britain and France at the end of that year. 2020

The following year the World Cup will be held in the northern hemisphere. 2021

Massive 2 years for the ENGLISH GAME

[leeroy*NRL*]

The RFL has confirmed that the Championship and League 1 clubs have backed the applications of two clubs from New York and Ottawa to join League 1 for the 2020 season, following a meeting of the clubs today at Salford

The consortium aiming to take professional rugby league to New York City in 2020 have revealed partnerships with Mastercard, Hilton Hotels and Virgin Atlantic – who will double up as official flight partners – if they are given the green light to enter League 1 next year.

http://www.totalrl.com/rfl-issues-state ... -new-york/

[AFLcrap1]

Excellent news
Some good sponsors on board