James GordonAustralia and New Zealand Rugby League have pulled out of the Rugby League World Cup after being deemed uncompetitive. The Rugby League World Cup is an annual international rugby league football tournament for national teams. This World Cup was scheduled to take place in Australia and New Zealand later this year. However, it has been decided that both countries will pull out of the tournament. This decision was made by the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF).
Citing a “sources close to the decision” the BBC reported that Australia and New Zealand have pulled out of the 2019 Rugby League World Cup, citing scheduling concerns. The tournament, which will have 12 countries, kicks off in the first week of October. Australia and New Zealand cited financial and logistical concerns. They said they had reached an agreement with the other 11 competing nations to play in a joint qualifying tournament in Australia and New Zealand at the start of October. That tournament will determine which of the five countries with the best records qualify for the World Cup.
The Rugby League World Cup was to be held in Australia and New Zealand. With a Group 1 spot guaranteed, Australia had been training in Australia, while the Kiwis had been training in New Zealand. However, on March 3, 2015, New Zealand withdrew from the tournament, citing security concerns over the threat posed by the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the ongoing conflict in Iraq. The decision was seen as a major blow to the sport, as it was the first time a country had pulled out of the tournament.. Read more about rugby league world cup winners and let us know what you think.
In Brisbane, Australia defeated England to win the 2017 Rugby League World Cup for men.
Because of “player welfare and safety issues” linked to Covid-19, Australia and New Zealand have withdrawn from the Rugby League World Cup.
This fall, the men’s, women’s, and wheelchair competitions will be held in England.
Greg Peters, the CEO of the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL), said it was “just too dangerous” to participate.
Simon Johnson, chairman of the Rugby Football League (RFL), termed it a “selfish, parochial, and cowardly move.”
“The organisers of the Rugby League World Cup have gone to great lengths to reassure the Australians and New Zealanders,” Johnson said on Radio 4’s Today programme.
“We are very dissatisfied with this decision and will not accept it.”
The NZRL’s Peters said the decision to pull out was taken because the players’ and staff’s safety and well-being “could not be guaranteed to our satisfaction.”
“How the epidemic is handled in the UK vs Australasia is starkly different, and recent events have shown how fast things may shift.”
“The tournament organizers have gone to great lengths to make this happen, so it’s not an easy choice, but the Covid-19 situation in the UK shows no signs of changing, and sending teams and personnel there is just too dangerous.”
“Not participating in this year’s World Cup is not a decision the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has made lightly,” stated chairman Peter V’landys, “but we must put the best interests of our players and officials first.” Our first goal is to keep them safe.
“The dangers to the safety, health, and well-being of the players and officials traveling from Australia to compete in the tournament this year are insurmountable in the present climate.”
“We’ve asked the IRL and Rugby League World Cup to consider deferring the tournament until 2022 so that all players may compete.”
Following a surge in Covid-19 instances, almost half of Australia’s population has been ordered to remain at home, with stay-at-home orders in effect in South Australia, Victoria, and portions of New South Wales.
In contrast, despite increasing coronavirus infections in England, the bulk of coronavirus prohibitions have been removed.
The tournament’s organizers only confirmed its continuation earlier this month, despite the fact that Australia, the holders and 11-time champions, had not signed the participation agreement.
Covid-19 restrictions and quarantine laws for players and personnel returning to Australia and New Zealand are one of the concerns previously highlighted.
Because Australia’s borders are blocked at the moment, anybody returning must spend 14 days in government-run quarantine.
According to reports, Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) teams want the event postponed until next yearexternal-link since the rules stipulate that players may only return to their clubs two weeks before the 2022 NRL season begins.
The World Cup is expected to attract 400-500 players, staff, and team officials from NRL teams from a variety of nations, according to rugby league authorities.
The decision to withdraw was criticized by International Rugby League chair Troy Grant, who stated that he has been in regular contact with Australia’s Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) and has received assurances that a number of international players and coaches are satisfied with the safety measures put in place.
“While I understand the ARLC’s desire to protect player safety and welfare,” he said in a statement, “I find it difficult to find the words to properly express my displeasure with that decision.”
The RFL’s president is dissatisfied with the decision.
RFL chairman Johnson questioned why Australia and New Zealand teams are still traveling to participate in other sports in reaction to the decision.
He also thinks that delaying the event until 2022 would create more difficulties since it will conflict with other big sports events that year.
“I believe the British public would be curious as to why they have decided on an October tournament now, when they have athletes competing in the Olympics in Tokyo, when their rugby union team is planning to visit Wales in October, and when the New Zealand cricket team has already arrived to compete,” he said.
“There is something that the Rugby League officials feel is insurmountable that is not an issue in other sports.”
“The Rugby League World Cup organizers, as well as the British government, have made significant financial pledges to do all possible to ensure the participants’ safety while they are here, as well as when they return and travel between. Those promises have simply not been accepted by the rugby league authorities in Australia and New Zealand.
“Of course, it’s conceivable to postpone, but we’ll be competing with the Commonwealth Games and the Fifa World Cup in Qatar by the time rugby league begins next year.”
“October and November 2021 are ideal since all limitations have been removed in the UK, and I think that with fans returning to sports events, there will be a full house.”
“Now that we’ve sold tickets, how do we explain to our supporters why the Australian rugby league side will not be playing in Wales in October?”
“RLWC2021 notice the regrettable statement issued by the ARLC and NZRL, which may have wide-ranging consequences for international rugby league,” the tournament organizers said in a statement.
“RLWC2021 was notified on short notice and will continue to consult with all stakeholders to determine the best course of action. In due time, a new announcement will be issued.”
‘Organisers have a major choice to make,’ says the analysis.
Dave Woods is a rugby league reporter.
The Rugby League World Cup organizers, who were given four minutes’ notice of Australia’s statement this morning, now have a difficult choice to make: continue with the competition this year without Australia and New Zealand, or postpone until 2022.
The tournament’s reputation would be severely harmed if it were held without the participation of two of the world’s most powerful nations.
However, delaying it until next year will result in significant expenditures and potentially intangible organizational issues. The final option is to cancel the order entirely.
The international game will be filled with venom aimed towards Australian clubs. The strong suspicion is that this decision is predicated on the domestic self-interests of those teams.
The organizers of the RLWC2021 will highlight the fact that this country has already successfully hosted important international sporting events this year, including the Euros, the Open, and Wimbledon. And that Australia is sending athletes to compete in other sports, including the Olympics, in other countries.
So, are the Australian teams more worried with their own backyard problems, such as how a World Cup will affect their local 2022 season, than the benefit of the game as a whole?
Would those Australian clubs continue erect obstacles to the World Cup if it was postponed until next year, considering their overall lack of support for international rugby league?
But to counter that, the game down under can point to a continued disruption to rugby league in England with Super League fixtures still being called off on a weekly basis because of Covid issues.
What assurance can there be that everything will be back to normal before the RLWC2021 kick-off on October 23rd?
And, given that Australia is still a long way from meeting its vaccine rollout goals, there is reasonable concern about possible variations being brought into the nation as a result of an event like the Rugby League World Cup.
Whatever the merits of the ARLC and NZRL’s statement today, and whatever happens next with the staging of RLWC2021, a major and unparalleled chance to promote rugby league to a large international audience will now be lost.
The Rugby League World Cup has been cancelled. The Rugby League World Cup has been cancelled.. Read more about when is the next rugby world cup and let us know what you think.
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James Gordon
