International Rugby League

For the well-being of the greatest game of all, Rugby League, it is extremely important that the competition between International Rugby League playing nations be maintained and nurtured.

The growth of International Rugby League is required to:
* Increase awareness of the game to countries that do not play the game and those that only have a small number of players and teams
* Provide elite players with more to strive for and avert players switching to Rugby Union - have a look at the recent Kangaroos to Wallabies - Sailor, Rogers and Tuqiri, along with Jason Robinson and Henry Paul to the ERU - not to mention many French stars
* Help increase the quality of club Rugby League with exposure of the elite players to other elite players from other countries and having International players from countries not as strong playing in the domestic competitions such as the NRL and Super League to help promote the game
* Give fans the opportunity to see the best players in the one team play against the best players from other countries they might not normally see

This years Tri-Nations has given us fans the opportunity to have a glimpse of what the future of Rugby League can be and to show that the game has moved forwards since the hard times of the mid-1990s. We dont want clubs and administrations undermining International Rugby League and robbing the fans of high quality matches involving the best players. One day Russia, France, USA and other countries not noted for its strength on the International stage can have an equal chance of winning the big tournaments and Rugby League World Cup. Even if it means cutting down the club seasons (for example the NRL season from 26 rounds to 22) to accommodate more matches between both the strong nations and those less fancied. How can we expect nations such as PNG, France and the US to compete at the next World Cup when they play more matches during the World Cup tournament than they do for the majority of the 4-5 years in between. The advancement of the game cannot prosper without International Rugby League, without International Rugby League, the game will remain stagnant and will continue to lose ground on Rugby Union and other sports.