Men's Rugby League IRL World Cup 2021

[Totallympics 65]

Men's Rugby League IRL World Cup 2021

 

Various Cities (ENG) - 15 October 2022 - 19 November 2022

 

 

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Edited October 15, 2022 by Sindo

[Dragon 1,846]

The Teams

Group A

 6th appearance - world ranked #3

Best result 3 x finalist (or 3 x winners as part of  )

Finalists in 2017 but, due to covid, have only played 2 games in 4 years. Were impressive in beating Fiji in a warmup games last week.

Should reach quarter-finals but may struggle to get further.

 

 6th appearance - world ranked #7

 

Best result 3 x quarter finalist

 

The dark horses for the competition. For the first time they have got virtually all the best players of Samoan heritage together in their team, including six players from Australian champion Penrith.

If they beat England today they should the semi-final and could even give Australia or New Zealand a very hard game.

The one problem is not having a lot of time to train together before the World Cuo

 

  16th appearance - world ranked #9

 

Best result 2 x finalist

 

Team based around the Dragons Catalans and Toulouse teams who play in the England dominated European Super League.

Like England, Covid has ruined their schedule in recent years. This year they have lost by 20 points to England and by 30 to Tonga last week.

Will be a major shock if they beat England or Samoa

 

 1st appearance - world ranked #11

 

A mix of lower league players from the Greek community in Australia and players from the Greek League.

Will lose every match by a lot of points.

Edited October 17, 2022 by Dragon
typo

[Grassmarket 3,441]

Good to have a thread, looking forward to this.  Not just the three team competition it has been in the past.  Like baseball, the small island nations are really the backbone of the professional game now.

[Dragon 1,846]

Group B

 16th appearance - world ranked #4 

 

Best result - 11 x winners

 

Haven't played since 2019 when they were beaten by Tonga in the Oceania Cup. Previously only England, Great Britain and New Zealand had ever beaten them.

Maybe not quite at the level they were 10 years ago but still strong favourites to win the Cup

 

 6th appearance - world ranked #6

 

Best results - 3  x semi-finals

 

Rugby League was not played in Fiji until the 90s but lots of Rugby Union players turned professional in Australia before that.

In the last three World Cups they have improved a lot and upset New Zealand to reach the semi-finals last time.

However they were  disappointing versus England last week.

Should qualify from the group though

 

 5th appearance - world ranked #15

Best result 1 x quarter-final (or 3 x winners as part of  )

Reliant on players of Scottish heritage in England and Australia.

Should not be good enough to trouble Australia or Fiji. Last week they lost 28-4 to England's "B" team

 

  3rd appearance - world ranked #17

 

Based on players of Italian heritage in Australia and, to a lesser extant, England and France

Will lose badly against Australia or Fiji, may give Scotland a hard game

Edited October 15, 2022 by Dragon
world ranking change

[Dragon 1,846]

Group C

 16th appearance - world ranked #1

Best result - 1 x champion

 

Usually in the shadow of Rugby Union the New Zealand finally became world champions in 2008

Their team is entirely made up of players from the Australian NRL.

Haven't played since 2019.

Should be in the semi-finals and maybe more

 

 3rd appearance - world ranked #13

Best result - 1 x quarter final 

 

Apparently there's a large Lebanese community in New South Wales which accounts for why Lebanon has a reasonably good team.

Most of the players play in the two top levels in Australia.

Lebanon beat Wales quite convincingly in a warm up match last week

 

 1st appearance - world ranked #21

 

A team taken from players of Jamaican heritage in the 2nd and 3rd levels in England.

Last week they lost to the small English county of Cumbria

 

 (all-Ireland) 5th appearance - world ranked #12

 

A mixture of players from the top level in England and Australia with lower league players from the same countries.

Will contest with Lebanon for a place in the quarters

[Grassmarket 3,441]

1 minute ago, Dragon said:

Group C

 16th appearance - world ranked #1

Best result - 1 x champion

 

Usually in the shadow of Rugby Union the New Zealand finally became world champions in 2008

Their team is entirely made up of players from the Australian NRL.

Haven't played since 2019.

Should be in the semi-finals and maybe more

 

 3rd appearance - world ranked #13

Best result - 1 x quarter final 

 

Apparently there's a large Lebanese community in New South Wales which accounts for why Lebanon has a reasonably good team.

Most of the players play in the two top levels in Australia.

Lebanon beat Wales quite convincingly in a warm up match last week

 

 1st appearance - world ranked #21

 

A team taken from players of Jamaican heritage in the 2nd and 3rd levels in England.

Last week they lost to the small English county of Cumbria

 

 (all-Ireland) 5th appearance - world ranked #12

 

A mixture of players from the top level in England and Australia with lower league players from the same countries.

Will contest with Lebanon for a place in the quarters

Thanks for these mate.

[Dragon 1,846]

Group D

 

 6th appearance - world ranked #2

 

Best result - 1 x semi-final

 

The revelation of the last tournament when they beat New Zealand and got close to reaching the final.

Again, all their players come from the Australian NRL and will be challenging Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, England

 

 8th appearance - world ranked #5

Best result - 1 x 4th place

 

The most popular sport in PNG by far but they've fallen behind other Pacific nations in the last 10 years although they did beat Fiji in June.

Should qualify from the group.

 

  3rd appearance - world ranking #20

Best result - 1 x 9th place

 

Team based on players with Cook Islands heritage from around the lower levels in Oceania.

Beat the USA and South Africa before Covid struck.

 

 6th appearance - world ranking #16

 

Best result - 2 x semi-final (or 3 x winners as part of  )

 

25-30 years ago Wales were behind only Australia, New Zealand and England and gave good performances in semi-finals in 95 and 99.

Then Rugby Union turned professional and the conveyor belt of star amateur rugby union players signing for professional rugby league teams stopped completely and actually reversed.

Their one rugby league superstar, Regan Grace, signed to play Rugby Union in France earlier this year.

May challenge the Cook Islands but will lose to Tonga and PNG.

 

Edited October 15, 2022 by Dragon
world ranking change

[De_Gambassi 1,225]

Some Italian or greeck forumers might be surprised to learn they have a team here 😁

[De_Gambassi 1,225]

2 hours ago, Dragon said:

 

 

  16th appearance - world ranked #8

 

Best result 2 x finalist

 

Team based around the Dragons Catalans and Toulouse teams who play in the England dominated European Super League.

Like England, Covid has ruined their schedule in recent years. This year they have lost by 20 points and by 30 to Tonga last week.

Will be a major shock if they beat England or Samoa

First time, the team is made only of professional players. It won't be enough to see the QFs but I'm hoping for some decent performances. And we need something to built for 2025.

Edited October 15, 2022 by De_Gambassi

[Dragon 1,846]

By the way, don't trust the World Rankings

 

 are 8th in the world but lost in the qualifying tournament to both lower ranked  and  by 80 points...