How to make the 2013 Rugby League World Cup successful

Rich Cowley, Rugby League Planet - 7/3/2011

It is still a few years away but already the World Cup wheels are starting to turn. 12 teams have already been guaranteed a place in the World Cup while another two places are available via European and Atlantic qualifying legs. In the UK local councils have started expressing their interest in hosting World Cup games. Even the UK government is behind the World Cup and I won't go into the murkiness of their commitment which in time will become clearer. Wales have jumped in as co-hosts and so far everything is looking really positive for 2013.

So what makes a successful World Cup and will the 2013 version be a success? Based on history there are usually four criteria a Rugby League World Cup success will get measured on. These are competitiveness, profits, crowds and viewing figures. The Rugby League World Cup will be hammered by the media it fails to succeed with positive outcomes for all four. History will show that the media will narrow in on any negativity surrounding the Rugby League World Cup. So the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) and the Rugby Football League (RFL) really need to put on their Nostradamus hats and make sure they cover all bases.

Competitiveness and International Rugby League don't always go together but organisers of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup showed how the format can be modified to assist with putting together competitive matches. At the end of the day that's what the fans and TV executives like to see. The 2013 World Cup has seen an increase in nations to 14 which is a step in the right direction to showcase the game in more nations. The RLIF have taken the successful Super Pool format, modified it, tweaked it and come up with two Super Pools in an attempt to keep all games competitive as possible. Because at the end of the day competitiveness will be a big yard stick on the success of the World Cup. So a big pat on the back for the RLIF and RFL for learning from past successes!

The Rugby League World Cup doesn't have the massive international reach like the Football World Cup. The Rugby League World Cup rightly or wrongly will be compared to the Rugby World Cup and we need to be up for the challenge. This is never going to change so Rugby League really can't run and hide and needs to turn too it's strengths. Rugby League as a product has to be one of the most entertaining in the world and to make things even better it's made for TV. On top of this rugby league has some of the most loyal fans of any code. Rugby League Fans will support rugby league in any way they can if rallied. This is what the RLIF and RFL must do.

The organisers of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup need to engage the fans! It's as simple as that. If they can awaken the people who already follow rugby league at club level to see the international game as the ultimate for the sport then they have won half the battle. If they can achieve this then profits, crowds and viewing figures won't be a problem. The main problem is that they have never managed to achieve this or haven't really tried. It is left up to the international game to fend for itself. Now this is not a problem for Union or Football but International Rugby League is a fragile beast and needs a hand. The World Cup organisers need to rally the troops to support the tournament. The world cup needs to be successful at all levels but cannot do it without it's core fan base.

Every Rugby League club in Wales and the England must be assigned a International team to support. This means amateur, school, semi professional and professional rugby league teams need to be assigned a team to support. This is how you get rugby league people supporting the World Cup. It is much easier to convert the converted and if all rugby league clubs get caught up in the excitement then you will see packed stadiums, good TV ratings as people love to feel the atmosphere at home. All this will lead to more sponsors, TV dollars, crowds and the magic word......profit!

Focus on the fans and all will fall into place!

Do you have some ideas on how to make the 2013 Rugby League World Cup successful? Post your ideas below!