Internationals 2011 Four Nations

[LordGnome_old]

https://www.rugbyleagueplanet.com/RLP/Trinations/2011fournations.htm#

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Host Nation - England and Wales[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Number of Teams - 4[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2011 Four-Nations Snapshot - The 2011 Four-Nations is the 3rd instalment of the highly successful rugby league competition. With the ongoing improvement of 2nd tier nations, the successful Tri-Nations series has been expanded. The Four-Nations will take place in England and Wales in October / November 2011. The dates for the Four Nations are yet to be released. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Each team will play each other once in the pool rounds with the top two nations contesting the final. The Four Nations will run over four weeks. The format will be much like the early World Cup competitions.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The 2010 European Cup winners Wales have secured their place as the fourth team in the 2011 Four Nations. This will be the first time Wales have played in the Tri / Four Nations tournament and caps off a big few years for Welsh rugby league. This is a huge positive for international rugby league as 6 nations would have taken part in the Four Nations when the 2011 tournament kicks off. The RLIF's plan to develop the international game is starting to pay off.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Wales rugby league has been through a rebirth which has seen The Crusaders enter the Super League and the local rugby league competitions drive a big increase in junior participation.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The 2011 Four Nations is shaping up to be the most successful Tri/Four Nations tournament staged to date and will continue with the Rugby League International Federation's (RLIF) plans to strengthen the international game at the top level.[/FONT]

 

[HD_old]

Wales shouldn't be playing. It's bad enough having to play games there! I'd rather see the winner of the European cup have to fight for their place against the winner of the Pacific cup, or w/e they're calling it.

I realise they're switching it over each year based on which continent the series is located(I think?), but I don't rate France, definately not Wales, playing in the comp.

All this does is devalue the Four Nations by having a crap team playing who aren't even worth watching. Half the games are void. It'd be like St Helens playing Jacksonville. It's okay once for novelty value but I don't really want to see it again.

Also I ****ing hate Wales.

 

[Swanley_old]

I can't wait, usually go and see the Kiwis play. I hopet they are playing Londaon again.

If not it will be a family weekend trip away.

 

[LordGnome_old]

Wales shouldn't be playing. It's bad enough having to play games there! I'd rather see the winner of the European cup have to fight for their place against the winner of the Pacific cup, or w/e they're calling it.

I realise they're switching it over each year based on which continent the series is located(I think?), but I don't rate France, definately not Wales, playing in the comp.

All this does is devalue the Four Nations by having a crap team playing who aren't even worth watching. Half the games are void. It'd be like St Helens playing Jacksonville. It's okay once for novelty value but I don't really want to see it again.

Also I ****ing hate Wales.

Wales won their place fair and square I beleive, by winning the qualifying tournament (i.e., they were better than France.)

 

[Northern_Union]

Wales should be congratulated for beating France to make the 4N. I have a soft spot for Wales though it should be noted.

 

[HD_old]

France aren't that good either though. And half the Welsh team aren't Welsh.

It's an absolute travesty if you ask me and the League community will have red faces come the first Wales game. You can understand the Island nations in the Pacific getting a go, because there's genuine talent and an argueble future for some of those countries, so you abide the pastings they receive. It makes no sense with Wales though, because there's no future for League in Wales.

I just think it's convenient and it wouldn't surprise me if Wales and France conveniently win and lose against each other, conveniently taking turns in the Four Nations.

France are the superior outfit in every way.

 

[Spence_old]

France aren't that good either though. And half the Welsh team aren't Welsh.

It's an absolute travesty if you ask me and the League community will have red faces come the first Wales game. You can understand the Island nations in the Pacific getting a go, because there's genuine talent and an argueble future for some of those countries, so you abide the pastings they receive. It makes no sense with Wales though, because there's no future for League in Wales.

I just think it's convenient and it wouldn't surprise me if Wales and France conveniently win and lose against each other, conveniently taking turns in the Four Nations.

France are the superior outfit in every way.

What makes you say that? You'd have a much better idea than me, living in the UK, but from all the reports I've read league is expanding very quickly in schools?

 

[HD_old]

It is, but it's easy to expand quickly when starting from nothing. League is the fastest growing sport in half the world if you read reports. And the reports are usually true, as these things are worked out on a percentage increase.

League in Wales right now is a myth. And I can't see that changing any time soon. I'm pesimistic about the future of League fullstop in the UK if I'm honest. If there aren't huge changes I see the sport going nowhere but backwards.

20-30 years down the line Wales will still be crap, OR they'll be competetive but on the back of plastic-Welsh men making up the numbers. I'm absolutely confident that time will prove me right on that.

Then you look at PNG and a handful of other Pacific Island nations, without question if the NRL threw them the amount of bones the SL and RFL has thrown Wales, they'd be close to beating England, if not outright doing it. Or France, or for arguments sake the South of France, where League has a healthy following and clearly producing the sort of talent that would see them up there with an additional team or two in the SL and some help. Me, I'd reject Wales, shut them out and concentrate on the heartlands and Catalonia.

Expansion in London is another joke. The way to make League relevant and played outside of traditional League territories(and this applies to Wales) is to increase SL's popularity. The easy way to do this is improve the SL product. And engage in promotional campaigns that border on agressive propaganda. You can't just waltz in to areas and build infrastructure. Well, you can, but what's the point of building the foundation without the proper materials and tools to build a house on it?

If Wales was next door to Australia I have no doubt League could work, but unfortunately it isn't.

League isn't even strong enough in the North of England to think about outwards expansion imo.

 

[Northern_Union]

The 50 million pounds received from Sport England would suggest that rugby leagues expansion and position in England are both in good health. To put the 50 million pounds into perspective the RFU only recieved around 3 million pounds more than the RFL.
As of 2010 80 new teams had started playing league in the south and the schools program had resulted in over 1000 kids playing league in London.
Over 130 schools now play league in Wales and almost all of them are in the south with the north almost untouched by league. The Crusaders used to play in the south and it was on the back of the Crusaders that the schools program blossomed. The Crusaders are now in Wrexham in the north and have only now started working on the schools.
As for the plastic Walshmen that could also be leveled at the likes of Tonga, Samoa and to a lesser degree Fiji. Have a look at the Kiwis recently, Brent Webb, Tony Carroll, the Cayless brothers, the Foran brothers, Jeremy Smith, Nathan Fien, Richard Swain all plastic Kiwis according to your rule.
I think your points while valid enough have to be tempered with this quote.

Also I ****ing hate Wales.