The Rugby Football League has announced a sweeping review of the English game after the men’s and women’s Rugby League World Cup exits — declaring that “the time for excuses is over.” The plan to map out the future was announced within minutes of the men’s elimination being confirmed on Sunday morning, when Tonga defeated Samoa 20-18.
England’s World Cup campaign (Credits: BBC Sport)
England’s Rugby League World Cup Pain: What Went Wrong
England’s men won two of their three group games and finished with a points difference of +86, but it was not enough. There were mitigating circumstances: a brutal travel schedule, a group format that effectively meant elimination from the moment they lost their opening match to Tonga, and injuries that robbed the side of key players. But the RFL has acknowledged that a group-stage exit is simply not good enough for both the men and the women.
New RFL chief executive Ian Nolan was blunt. “There are plenty of mitigating reasons why we failed to reach the knockout stages, many of which were out of our control, such as travel itineraries and format of the competition, but we can’t use these as excuses,” Nolan said. He added that the review would look at media rights too — “balancing reach and revenue, and attracting new audiences” — after criticism of the tournament going behind a paywall on Premier Sports.
Sculthorpe, Cunningham and Morley Lead the RFL Rescue Plan
The review panel will include former Great Britain men’s captain Paul Sculthorpe, retiring England women’s skipper Jodie Cunningham, and international great Adrian Morley, with more names to be confirmed in the coming days. It builds on work started earlier in the year under a scheme called One Game, One England, aimed at building a system that develops players from grassroots and academy level who can ultimately compete on the international stage.
The push chimes with the recent words of men’s head coach Brian McDermott, who has repeatedly called for stronger structures in the English domestic game — and even suggested Super League should accept NRL investment. As Nolan put it: on the pitch, England must confront why they have “consistently struggled to make our mark on the world stage for more than half a century.”
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.