World Cup cancelled? : Mon Jun 28, 2021 4:32 pm  

I have heard from various sources that this years World Cup will be cancelled because both the Aussies and Kiwis cannot find suitable visas due to the pandemic

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Mon Jun 28, 2021 7:13 pm  

What visas are these? I'm sure it is just the Kiwis and Aussies do not wish to quarantine for two weeks upon return.

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Mon Jun 28, 2021 8:39 pm  

Shock horror, any surprise?

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:02 pm  

Shabino wrote:

Shock horror, any surprise?

It would be an absolute tragedy for international Rugby League so yes it's a surprise that even the NRL clubs are this myopic.

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Mon Jun 28, 2021 11:44 pm  

Its more to do with the NRL players association demanding a certain period of rest, the gap between the end of the world cup and the start of NRL preseason is normally enough, but if you add in a quarantine period they won't get the rest they want.
Previous experience suggests the Aussies in particular don't give a love about the international game, other than as a rubber stamp to say they are the best, and that doesn't help either.

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Tue Jun 29, 2021 8:19 am  

Yeh, the Aussies (and probably NZ) are not interested in the world cup or the international game really.
It's a no win situation for the Aussies. They're expected to win every time - so, why take the risk.
It's all about NRL and SOO for them - that's the pinnacle.
The likes of Samoa and Tonga make it interesting to watch as they're always really up for it.
But for us, it's just confirmation that we can't compete with the southern hemisphere.
Sadly, we are not a truly global game, so it's a bit of a dead rubber.
I think covid will be used as an excuse to cancel/postpone.....

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:46 am  

Simmo71 wrote:

I think covid will be used as an excuse to cancel/postpone.....

The financial impact of cancelling doesn't bear thinking about. The NRL clubs and players have to be made to understand the profits from RLWC largely fund the international body's development work for the next four years.

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Tue Jun 29, 2021 12:15 pm  

It would be a serious blow to lose this World Cup. The whole game needs to recover from COVID and step on again, and this competition for me is the beginning of that.

Might be by then that this country is safer than Aus or NZ to be fair...

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Tue Jun 29, 2021 5:04 pm  

If they are to postpone it or wouldn't be the end of the world. Hopefully get full stadiums next year with less high profile tournaments around

Re: World Cup cancelled? : Tue Jun 29, 2021 7:02 pm  

I can't see the World Cup going ahead in 2021

Would the whole game not benefit by putting the competition back 12 months and actually having stadiums that have capacities close to being full?