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Is international Rugby League ready for a World Cup?

  • Thread starter snoopy snoopy dog dog
  • Start date
at this rate, League has the potential to overtake Union within the next 10 years..[/b]
Do you really think so? As I see it, Union at club level in Ireland, England and France is flourishing while the Welsh are also getting their act together with improved facilities and support for their regions. Other nations like Argentina and Italy are growing quickly too. I can't speak about the sport in the SANZAR nations because I'm not too well informed about it but financially they don't seem able to compete with European clubs which is leading to a player drain, almost akin to the movement of players from NRL to Super League. That however has nothing to do with decreased popularity of Union but players cashing in on a short playing career.

League does have the potential to overtake Union but it's quite a distance down the track. It needs to expand from it's current hotbeds in the Tri Nations countries before it can match Union. France entering a new four nations is an encouraging first step while a potential Super League expansion into Wales could also be a major boost for the sport's profile. If the powers that be in League can show more vision for the expansion of the sport than Union (ir not be consumed with self interest), the gap could shrink in the next 10 years but there won't be a shift in the current pecking order (in the eyes of the general sporting public) in that time.
 

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