To be joint hosted by Australia and New Zealand:

[urlhttp://www.rlif.com/rugby-league-international-news/article/1452/australia-and-new-zealand-unite[/url

I hope NZ get the final, and are seen as the more senior host though, Australia only had the world cup in 2008.

Couldn't see anywhere else getting it to be honest. I'm with you in wanting New Zealand for the senior host role. I don't see why NZRL didn't bid for it on their own though

I predict that Sky will hardly acknowledge the existence of the 2017 RLWC.

It was rolling along the bottom of Sky Sports News at about 8am this morning

I would have liked NZ to have tried to do it on their own, and France on their own next time. Both countries could easily support a WC on their own and draw the crowds. It makes the game look and act small time by constantly including England and Australia in the hosting of every world cup.

They are clearly thinking of the big crowds they can get for the Australia & England games in Oz. I reckon they will go with the same groups as last time, with the Aus/England ground based in Oz, the NZ group obviously in NZ, a Pacific Islands group in NZ and then France, PNG etc in Oz.

I agree France would be a good host next time, but I do feel the French side have to improve to win them the rights to host the Tournament we need them to up their game and become the 2nd best team in Europe, and good enough to make the Semi's. I'd also still host at least one England game in England (probably England-Aus at Wembley) to keep building the national teams profile here.

Well, how, er ...... [iinteresting[/i - that is.

No, really. Thank you so much for sharing that. I'm sure there is probably a point to it, even if it escapes me.

Truly, you are a visionary.

2017 is quite a way away, though. Could you perhaps predict the winner of the 3.40 at Punchestown for me?

I received a notification on my phone from the sky sports app whilst on my way to the station just after 7 this morning.

Considering in October 2012 the ARLC released a strategic plan for the game in Australia that had in it
" the 2017 World Cup in Australia and NZ will be the most successful ever" this decision was clearly made a very long time ago!

In more of a long term view, the region from Barcelona to Toulouse across to Monaco (Catalan/Occitanian regions) would be an interesting option; plenty of stadiums of various sizes, and maybe try to further ingrain RL into the catalan regions either side of the border.

and RL would completely pee off the Spanish and French establishment and burn a lot of bridges permanently.

Why would holding a World Cup around there make them care any less? I'm not saying form a team representing there (again) or even particularly acknowledging any communities in particular, just that those regions are just the nearby regions to where there is already a rugby base in France... they have free border movement so Spain wouldn't be totally off limits to a France based tournament to travel to, and easier to get to than say, Paris or Lille or whatever.

Hell, Catalan have already been to Barca.

There is no point holding a Rugby League World Cup primarily in NZ when there is only one NRL club in NZ, and when the population of NZ is only 4 million, most of whom follow rugby union.

About 11 million people live in the rugby league dominant states of Australia and there is also an NRL team in Melbourne (pop. 4 million). All the big commercial sponsors are in Australia. Eden Park in Auckland has a max capacity of 36,000, while Sydney Football (Allianz) Stadium has a capacity of 45,500, Suncorp in Brisbane 52, 000 and ANZ in Sydney 85,000. So it makes no sense to hold most games in NZ.

There is no point in holding a World Cup primarily in France when there is only one French club in Super League. Even if there are two French SL clubs it is not enough. You need at least four French cities, including Paris, with SL clubs, before you can even think of holding a WC primarily in France.

Holding a game in Monaco is a good shout, the glamour and the intrigue of holding a game there would get people from England to make the trip across i'm sure. Might even get the attention of a Billionaire who wants to buy a sports team for his spare time while we are there too!

Must have been like the Delhi to Mumbai express at the 9's then with 9,000 fans on the roof both days



NZ will get a semi-final....it makes sense for Brisbane to get the final unless Sydney agrees to fill the big house.

Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch will get Kiwi pool games, with Dunedin and Auckland getting a quarter final each. Other pool games will be in Hamilton, Rotarua and maybe north shore stadium.....as most of the RL fans are up that end of the north Island

There really wouldn't be the level of interest needed to have all 31 games here.....but if they (the RLIF) do this right, a group of NZ, Samoa, Tonga and maybe a European team would see packed stadiums here.....

There will be a bidding process to hold games again.

In the last World Cup in Aus, Queensland got more than their share because they bid money to hold games, and other states didn't. I Know NSW pollies weren't happy when games were allocated and it's probable that they will bid for more games next time around, and also Melbourne now has more fans and better venues for the code, and they fancy themselves as the sporting capitol of the world and usually bid for any event going.

The administration of the game has also moved to the RL commission since the last Australian based WC, and they have a lot of cash and a wider view of their role in the game that means they can actually commit big dollars to publicise the tournament.

The 2008 WC was done on the smell of an oily rag, with very, very little money spent on publicity and virtually nothing on things like qualifying games and assistance for competing sides to do pre tournament training etc. The new commission will put in a lot more effort and money to do it much better this time around. There will be more teams and they will be better prepared, and because of the new grounds at the Gold coast, Newcastle and Melbourne the minor games will get better crowds at better venues.

Could be the inaugural year of the West Coast pirates in perth as well, couple of RLWC games at nib would sell out if the Pirates are launched in the same year.

Wouldn't mind seeing the final at the ANZ, 83,000 in a football stadium would be great.

Not a fan of the ovals but whatever brings in the cash.

Could be should be would be......but ain't gonna happen!

Don't know about that......agree with that.

Tick, tick, tick. Just a matter of time. I predict in 5 years perth will have a team and London won't.

I doubt London will have a team in Sl in 5 months......whilst you've been predicting a WA team for a decade........eventually you will be right but with very little level of actual accuracy

They'll be sides in New Zealand, Brisbane and Vic/Sa before Perth. It's a good dream for them to have, keeps them pouring money into Souths pocket.

When they click on that they're a cash cow, like central coast, they'll stop turning up for games.

You want to put your money where your mouth is on that prediction Sheldon? back on topic: Perth is likely to host games in the 2017 rugby league World Cup when the Kangaroos defend their title on home soil. A joint bid by Australia and New Zealand has beaten a South African proposal to host the tournament. The rugby league World Cup was last held in Australia in 2008. NRL chief executive David Smith said it would be an exciting time for the game. "Together with New Zealand we will stage a World Cup that will capture the imagination of fans and leave a lasting legacy for the sport," Smith said. "It's such an exciting time for the international game and members and fans across Australia and New Zealand now have a special opportunity to be part of it." Chairman of the bid committee and Rugby League International Federation chief Nigel Wood said it had not been an easy decision. "Both bids were compelling but the joint Australia/New Zealand bid was selected as the one with the greatest chance of success in providing more compelling games in world class environments in front of big, passionate crowds," Wood said. au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/ ... world-cup/

You want to put your money where your mouth is on that prediction Sheldon? back on topic: Perth is likely to host games in the 2017 rugby league World Cup when the Kangaroos defend their title on home soil. A joint bid by Australia and New Zealand has beaten a South African proposal to host the tournament. The rugby league World Cup was last held in Australia in 2008. NRL chief executive David Smith said it would be an exciting time for the game. "Together with New Zealand we will stage a World Cup that will capture the imagination of fans and leave a lasting legacy for the sport," Smith said. "It's such an exciting time for the international game and members and fans across Australia and New Zealand now have a special opportunity to be part of it." Chairman of the bid committee and Rugby League International Federation chief Nigel Wood said it had not been an easy decision. "Both bids were compelling but the joint Australia/New Zealand bid was selected as the one with the greatest chance of success in providing more compelling games in world class environments in front of big, passionate crowds," Wood said. au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/ ... world-cup/

If it's done right we won't have to wait till 2017 to see things happening. Before the 2008 WC there were some great qualifying tournaments. Before 2013 they were scaled down because of the lack of money, but there is really an opportunity before 2017 to use some funds to put on qualifying games for everyone but the top 3 sides.
There should be 13 places up for grabs, and teams should have to earn there spot from 4th down to 16th in qualifying tournaments.
That should happen in 2015 and 2016.