Quote: paulwalker71 "
So we have 'heritage' players, which enables us to have a 12 or 14 or even 16 team World Cup. By doing so we create a viable competition which attracts sponsors, TV coverage and fans. 463K people watched the last world cup in 2013. Would that have happened with a 5 team World Cup? Because that would be the reality if you eliminate teams like Ireland, Scotland, Wales (and by implication Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Italy etc)?'"
I don't really disagree with any of that and the financial side is clearly important but, the downside, is that we are left with a two horse race between Australia and New Zealand. From a purely English [or GB] perspective, losing the 'Home' nations and concentrating on GB it does make a 'Home' victory a tiny bit more likely. To be right, the South Sea Islanders do mostly play in Australia or the UK, but they are, at least, 'genuine' born and bred Islanders, unlike the majority of Scots and Irish and to a lesser extent the Welsh who are, however it is dressed up, English.
Incidentally, isn't it strange that NZ, which has no serious league system of its own can still be one of the 'big two'?