Saturday’s showpiece should open league up to the possibilities of a new world away from the national stadiumYou do not even need to step inside Wembley to understand rugby league’s lengthy and rich history with the national stadium. A statue immortalising five of the game’s greatest players – Eric Ashton, Billy Boston, Martin Offiah, Alex Murphy and Gus Risman – has pride of place outside the ground but, in an ever-changing sporting landscape, history alone is not enough to guarantee a long-term future.That never felt more evident for the game than on Saturday, when the Challenge Cup final took in new surroundings across the capital at Tottenham. For some traditionalists, moving the cup final away from Wembley is an act...
A sport dependent on communities has been hit harder than most by the pandemic and the delay of the showpiece tournament adds to the financial implicationsRugby league is no stranger to finding itself in a state of flux. If anything, few sports are defined by their issues and problems more, but this week, more than ever, uncertainty hangs over the game in Britain like never before.The headline, of course, is that there will be no Rugby League World Cup this year, with the tournament pushed back to 2022 after Australia and New Zealand’s withdrawal ultimately left tournament organisers with no choice but to postpone. Related: Rugby League World Cup chief want ‘binding agreements’ for new 2022 dates Related: Rugby League...
Decision to pull out reflects administrators’ shortsighted prioritisation of the NRL but hope could lie in a revolt by playersFor anyone with even a brief knowledge of rugby league’s recent history, the only surprise about the announcement that Australia and New Zealand have backed out of this autumn’s World Cup is that none of this is even a surprise any more.Rugby league is a sport that makes constitutional crisis its modus operandi, and the long-held belief at the Rugby Football League that their counterparts in the southern hemisphere hold the international game in utter contempt became a brazen reality when confirmation came that the Kangaroos and Kiwis would not be travelling to these shores. Related: Fears rise over Super League...
Liquidation of the famous club, world champions as recently as 2006, has shamed many but the RFL has confirmed a new entity will be formedIt was perhaps the opening few words of the Rugby Football League’s statement regarding the liquidation of Bradford Bulls which struck the most telling chord of all. “While this is terribly disappointing and sad,” they said, “it is not an entirely surprising development given the scale of debt incurred by the previous management of the club and the debilitating level of financial commitment already entered into for 2017.” Related: Bradford Bulls go into liquidation after years of financial struggle Continue reading...