Rugby League World Cup every two years

Not sure it will happen, but Rugby League needs the certainty of a World Cup happening every two years.

As seen above, there are millions of bright ideas for an international calendar but they certainly aren't going to happen and what's more, just invite more of the make it up as you go along mentality.

The benefit of agreeing biennial World Cups alternating between Northern and Southern hemispheres is that everybody knows it is going to happen. Super League and NRL and everybody else can plan for it.

Compare with what we have and there is no plan in place and nobody really knows what's happening when. Australia were supposed to be touring here this year until they decided they didn't fancy it and NZ stepped in. I honestly can't see Australia doing a prolonged three test tour to Britain again let alone one that includes tests against France.

If you take an elite international potential player. They might expect to be at the top for say 4 or 5 years (not everybody lasts as long as say a Jamie Peacock). That player could (with a set in stone biennial Word Cup) look forward to playing against Australia here and down under in a career. With State of Origin going from strength to strength, what better incentive and challenge for our players to aspire to test themselves on a known calendar against what will more and more come to be seen as the cream of SOO players. Over the years, that would become an attraction of our game and help it grow.

If you are a highly talented young rugby player playing RU in say the south west, a strong international RL game might tempt you to try our game. A slow process. But now, even if such a player doesn't fit the mould of the sort of 'specialists' they need in RU at international level, they will probably stick with that game.

The structure in domestic RL, now with a (not easy) pathway to Super League, might just tempt a wealthy RU club owner to put some serious money into establishing an RL side to play in the summer (Bath?). But the second element of a strong RL international calendar is also needed so there is seen to be the attraction of another possible code for the 1,000s of youngsters brought up away from the RL heartlands in RU and who will have little chance of being in the 15 who get in the international RU team (just based on numbers/probabilities) but who could be good RL players (too many to mention from the past, but including Boston, Lewis Jones, Keith Fielding, Jiffy, Mike Coulman, Offiah etc).

A world cup here every four years is not "too much".

Look how RU built up its game to where it is today. Through internationals. Their 6 nations happens every year. Same time. Every body knows. Clubs, players, potential players, spectators. People plan a year in advance to attend matches (which are events) in that competition. And RU has its annual 'autumn internationals' as well. But its been there long term. Don't forget, in club RU they never had any leagues or tables until the 1970s; every RU club game was a friendly until then! But their international game still pulled capacity crowds and TV money then as it still does every year.

Biennial World Cups is a win-win idea that also boosts whatever qualifying competitions take place in the intervening years such as Pacific Cup, European Cup etc for developing nations. Put this structure in place and countries like Serbia will be challenging every other nation in Europe to be second only to England within ten years. And our professional players have the additional incentive of the challenge, recognition and overseas travel that a structured and regular international game gives.