HappilyManly
Journey Man
DT today
NRL US BID TAKES A HIT
THE NRL’s American dream lives on, but the 2025 World Cup remains in doubt.
The NRL is forging ahead with plans to take a premiership match to the US in two years, having gone close to staging “round zero” next year.
NRL boss Todd Greenberg said taking a game to the US was high on the agenda for the 2020 season.
“We got really close to it in this draw,” Greenberg said. “In simple terms, we couldn’t make the numbers stack up.
“I wasn’t prepared to fund it and put the game’s money at risk. If we are going to do it, we’re going to have to have a very strong business plan to make sure the game is protected, financially.
“We’ve seen what’s happened with private promoters who have taken games to the United States.
“I wasn’t prepared to put the game at risk commercially for it. We want to do it but we want to do it under the right terms.”
The Denver Test failed to convince the doubters. (Russell Lansford/Getty Images)
Greenberg has ruled out using a promoter to stage the event. The mid-year Denver Test between New Zealand and England was a disaster.
It was promoted by Moore Sports International, which had been instrumental in winning a bid to host the 2025 World Cup in the US and Canada.
Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) chief executive Nigel Wood said there was no guarantee the tournament would go ahead in North America.
“It’s been slightly misreported,” Wood said. “The 2025 World Cup was provisionally awarded. It is still subject to due diligence. Clearly, the promoter that had got the backing by the RLIF has had a significant wobble.
“That is a matter for us to discuss. There are already people who have approached us to say they are interested in standing in that person’s stead.
“I don’t think we will make a decision about what we will do for 12 months.
“There is still a lot of interest in America. Rugby league in North America is alive and well but clearly there is a problem with the arrangements we have at the moment. There is some straight talking that is going to be needed.”
NRL US BID TAKES A HIT
THE NRL’s American dream lives on, but the 2025 World Cup remains in doubt.
The NRL is forging ahead with plans to take a premiership match to the US in two years, having gone close to staging “round zero” next year.
NRL boss Todd Greenberg said taking a game to the US was high on the agenda for the 2020 season.
“We got really close to it in this draw,” Greenberg said. “In simple terms, we couldn’t make the numbers stack up.
“I wasn’t prepared to fund it and put the game’s money at risk. If we are going to do it, we’re going to have to have a very strong business plan to make sure the game is protected, financially.
“We’ve seen what’s happened with private promoters who have taken games to the United States.
“I wasn’t prepared to put the game at risk commercially for it. We want to do it but we want to do it under the right terms.”
The Denver Test failed to convince the doubters. (Russell Lansford/Getty Images)
Greenberg has ruled out using a promoter to stage the event. The mid-year Denver Test between New Zealand and England was a disaster.
It was promoted by Moore Sports International, which had been instrumental in winning a bid to host the 2025 World Cup in the US and Canada.
Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) chief executive Nigel Wood said there was no guarantee the tournament would go ahead in North America.
“It’s been slightly misreported,” Wood said. “The 2025 World Cup was provisionally awarded. It is still subject to due diligence. Clearly, the promoter that had got the backing by the RLIF has had a significant wobble.
“That is a matter for us to discuss. There are already people who have approached us to say they are interested in standing in that person’s stead.
“I don’t think we will make a decision about what we will do for 12 months.
“There is still a lot of interest in America. Rugby league in North America is alive and well but clearly there is a problem with the arrangements we have at the moment. There is some straight talking that is going to be needed.”
