Theres been a bidding process over the last 12 months.

The best bids got selected.

I fail to see how the whole of South Yorkshire has been ignored.
We have two semi pro clubs who this would have provided a boost to, we have excellent stadia and are not too far from the heartlands to help boost the crowd.

Their bids weren't good enough?

Somewhere has got to miss out.

The bids can't have been good enough.

We don't know that though do we?

yes we do, as other bids were selected. it is inevitable that with any bid process, someone doesn't get selected - indeed, that's the whole point!

please lets not start another round of conspiracy theories!

Do we know whether Doncaster or Sheffield actually submitted bids to be host cities, either separately or as a joint regional offering?

I'm not sure whether they'd have been able to bid as a 'region' as such as everything seems to have been based on the local councils bidding on behalf of each venue?

So the first question those expressing their dismay at neither being involved might want to ask is whether their local council even went to the bother of putting a bid in.

The RFL wanted venues that could guarantee they would be full and for Bramall Lane to do that they would of needed a Semi-final or a key game such as England vs Australia, both of which the RFL wern't prepared to give to Sheffield.

No idea why Doncaster didn't get one. They have hosted 2 CC semi's and got a bigger attendance for an England vs France game on a friday night than the England vs Wales game at Leigh a few weeks ago.

Yes, the club and council worked closely together with the bid for Doncaster.

I am very urprised Doncaster didn't get agame, unless the RFL have got sSouth Yorkshire ear marked for a semi final?

Nope no games will take place in SY.

Funnily enough, a trawl on the interwebbythingy hasn't produced me one single complaint about venues from any of the participating nations. Odd that. Maybe they are channelling them all through headhunter?

There's little scope for crticising the RFL if at all. To me, it's all good. Why would, eg, PNG complain about playing France "at home" in front of a full house in a World Cup, rather than in front of 2,000 or so in a near-deserted northern ground? If I were a PNG player, I know which I'd choose.

The RFL have concentrated their current efforts in getting bidders to in turn concentrate their minds on a business plan as to how exactly they propose to fill their stadia as best they can, and they have a couple of years now to progress those plans and deliver. All good thinking.

The alternative of playing some fixtures in near-empty grounds is just plain daft. One thing the World Cup [idoes[/i need to do is make money. Another thing is to aim to showcase the game in a positive and progressive light. They have done this.

International RL has had a troubled past and things are far from rosy today. In many ways its a major achievement to be having a World Cup at all. I think the point about the venues somehow making the comp lose "integrity" is entirely bogus but even if there is a point there then I'd much rather that, than fledgling wider international competition die on its arrse through lack of imagination and ambition.

I hope South Yorkshire RL fans treat this competition in the same way the RFL has treat them and do not attend any of the games. Keep your money to support your own teams and do not put money into RFL coffers.

Great attitude.....
I hope your the only person who does this. You could go to the games in your South Yorkshire shirts and show how many fans there are in that region and how passionate they are for rugby league

I'll be going to as many games as I can get to, and look forward to going to a few places I've never been to before to watch RL. If our bid wasn't good enough for us to get a game then that was our fault, not the RFL's.

If .

That's the spirit. It's a shame for South Yorkshire to miss out but there are plenty of games that are 90 mins away or less and a few that are accessible through public transport.

Has anyone seen the bids from Sheffield and Donny? Seems to me they just came up against some very good competition.

Can I cordially invite the board to see the sights of the westcountry and take in some international rugby league?

Bristol is a great city, home of Banksy, Grommitt, Johnny Morris, and Portishead. It's half an hour from Bath and Cardiff. It's about an hour 20 from the North Devon surf beaches, or the South Devon kiss me quick beaches, or the rolling Exmoor countryside or the great Cathedral city of Exeter.

It also has a great sporting culture and a really positive attitude use to the RLWC. It was the front page headline in the Bristol Evening Post, covered live on the BBC tv lunchtime news, and with extensive articles on the BBC and ITV evening and nighttime tv bulletins.

I'm sympathetic to South Yorks, but then again, although I can watch live RL every week in Devon (saw Exeter Uni batter Loughborough 2s today), I've never had an international RL game within 100 miles before this. So, hey, get on the motorway and get to as many games as you can. We do.

Agreed. I'll be going to all England games, definately Leigh, Bristol, Wigan, Warrington, Huddersfield, Spotland, Warrington and probably Wrexham. Depending on work and clashes. Also will book off semi final dates and final for certain.

Can't wait.

I will spend some of the money i save on not supporting this tournament on extra raffle tickets at the Dons rather than line the coffers of big Nigels pie fund at the RFL.

Is this a paddy because Doncaster didn't get picked?

No, no, he doesn't want to fund the RFL conspiracy to kick Doncaster out of the professional leagues.