Depends who's used them

Add to that no merchandise at Halifax yesterday at all, people kept going into the shop to ask where it was and they just said it was superleague clubs only who we're selling it. A huge missed opportunity

Reply from "Rugby League Online" to my emails,

[iHi Shaun,

Apologies for the delay, but there is an error with our website at the moment.
There is currently no stock showing and we have trouble receiving emails at the moment, also.

Our web team are working towards solving this problem, but unfortunately we have no idea when everything will be back up and running!

This is a nightmare for us, especially right in the middle of the world cup.

All i can say is keep checking the website.

Apologies for the inconvenience,

Faye

Rugbyleagueonline

Quoting Rugby League Online <DoNotReply@rugbyleagueonline.co.uk>

they want to try turning the computer off and on again. Never fails.

I was surprised to see that the England shirt was £50 from the official merchandise stalls at Huddersfield and Hull, but £45 at the official merch stall at St Helens.

I noticed this almost instantly too. Talk about trying to fleece one of your own!

There is a pretty serious issue here isn't there?

The England RL store not working during the RL world cup.

I have booked tickets once to go to a superleague game at the Stoop and got an England RU merch catalogue in the post yesterday. Whilst the game I actually care about cant sell tournament merchandise, during the tournament.

Been to a few games, and all I have spotted is an ice-cream van type of stall selling a few tee-shirts outside the grounds. Not exactly conducive to browsing or trying things on, you basically have to guess your size and ask the man to give it you.

Would have liked to see a wider range of stuff available, and in a better environment.

With ISC having a virtual monopoly over SL, it would have been brilliant to get the England kit out mid season, just after Exiles, and have the club shops have to take it, display it and push it as part of the build up.

I do wonder how much of a part the clubs play in this.

I didn't go on the night but apparently, Leeds practically handed over the entire floorspace of the club store to RLWC on Friday night, on top of the usual vans outside the south stand (and I've seen similar at Cardiff and Huddersfield).

I didn't see any official merch at Fax. Which was a shame because I'd forgotten my scarf and it was bloody chilly.

The merchandising for the WC has been horribly bad. This isnt something new that has been tried and failed, this has been pure and unarguable incompetence.

The absolute bare minimum we should demand from merchandising at the WC is that each and every jersey was available to buy on line, from a central RLWC shop at least 3 months before the WC started

I have had money ready and waiting to buy some of the smaller nations jerseys, especially the US jersey but they have made it so hard and inconvenient to do so that that money has found other uses. It really is unacceptable.

These aren’t small sums we are talking about either, at £50 a pop 1000 extra shirt sales is £50k, that’s two development officers, that could probably repay the air-fares of the players who have had to pay out of their own pocket.

To see such an exciting and successful world cup failing to capitalise on it because of such a failing on such a basic level, on such an obvious thing is unforgivable.

Every game I've been to, they have had some kind of small merchandise stand and it's had a few t-shirts, hoodies and balls, but I've never seen a replica shirt for any of the competing teams as of yet. Poor show.

Catalan gave over 1/2 their shop over to RLWC merchandise on Monday.
They had some great stuff in the other half too.

Leeds today have taken their entire stock out of the shop and the whole shop is being used to Sell RLWC2013 merchandise over the weekend.

AMybe the jersey releases were due to the nations still confirming sponsors? They could have released a pre tournament one without sponsors but same design I guess?

I would have thought the RLWC would be in control of merchandise and sales, in which case they should have had the online store much better prepared and also merch caravans at every ground that was hosting games during the SL season or at the leat sections in club shops with those nations merch and given the clubs a % cut of takings.

Still it is 10 times better than previous RLWC's so hopefully the next one will be ten times better again.