Third Published Article (Opinion Piece)
World Club Series – should it stay or should it go?
The World Club Challenge is an annual competition between the champions of Super League and NRL respectively and was just a one-off game up until two years ago when the game got expanded to a series, which included two more games over a weekend that has seen the likes of Brisbane Broncos and St. George-Illawarra Dragons head to these shores.
If you are a rugby league fan, like me, you would probably jump at the opportunity to be able to go and watch the best of the NRL, playing just around the corner from where you live. In the past two years the World Club Series has been successful here in the UK and has attracted over 50,000 fans each year to go watch the games.
This series seemed like a fantastic idea at the beginning but as there have been six games played and the Super League teams have been beaten in all six matches, which strikes a debate on whether or not the series should continue. The concept grew to create a wider interest, which it has, but with most NRL clubs seeing it as pre-season trial game, they are not keen as they have to fund it themselves.
Recently, New Zealand Warriors became the latest NRL club to decline the offer to be a part of the 2017 Dacia World Club Series. Apart from NRL champions, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, who will take on Super League Grand Final winners Wigan Warriors, there has been very little interest from the rest of the NRL top eight. This puts a doubt onto the future of this series if the international clubs don’t want to participate.
Just like the Super League, NRL have friendly’s before the season starts to prepare for the regular season but the NRL also have the NRL Nines competition which is a big event over in Auckland, New Zealand.
Most clubs down under, already have a set schedule for pre-season that they do not intend on changing which is why a lot of clubs have turned down the chance of a trip to the UK. They simply do not get enough out of it.
There is worry that it is starting to become a bit embarrassing for the Super League. The RFL should discontinue the World Club Series and bring back the one-off World Club Challenge as the concept is taking some credibility away from the main event.
Being a Leeds fan myself, I have watched Leeds win and lose in many World Club Challenge matches over the years and they have all being really exciting to watch up until this season when North Queensland Cowboys travelled to Headingley.
Back in 2013 when Melbourne Storm played Rhinos in what then was called the PROBIZ World Club Challenge when it was just a one off game and Leeds lost by 14-18. The stadium was absolutely packed with over 20,000 fans inside and even though Rhinos lost it as such a great atmosphere. There was fans from all different clubs and it really felt like a good final to watch and be a part of which is what the World Club Challenge should be as is it meant to be the best of Super League against the best of NRL – not our best three against whichever NRL teams can be bothered.
One way in which the one-off game will continue to be exciting and actually have a purpose in the game is if the final is played one year in the UK and one year in Australia, which should be funded by two governing bodies as a reward for winning the Super League and NRL competitions respectively. This would give fans in both hemispheres the chance to see the game live.
The big question that comes from this is – will Super League ever be able to compete and keep up to scratch with the NRL? – Something has to be done in order to restore the integrity of the Super League competition. Other than AFL, rugby league is the biggest sport in Australia and therefore it gets a lot more funding, whilst the salary cap and standard of the NRL is much better, the best English players tend to take their careers to the southern hemisphere, including England internationals James Graham, Josh Hodgson, Elliot Whitehead, Gareth Widdop, Mike Cooper, the Burgess brothers and more recently, Dan Sarginson.
Overall, the best option would be to re-introduce the World Club Challenge as a one-off test match for the title. It’s all about trial and error – we tried the new concept for a few years, it hasn’t really taken off so now it should be changed back. The focus should be on turning that game into a meaningful battle between the two strongest leagues in the sport.
The official article posted by Rugby AM: http://www.rugbyam.co.uk/articles/news/super-league/world-club-series-should-it-stay-or-should-it-go/
