[sizeRLWC2013 FLAG Meeting Sat 6th Oct[/size

Whilst all of us are currently pre-occupied with Saturday's massive Grand Final versus Leeds, earlier that day planning for rlThe Rugby League World Cup 2013rl will continue in earnest. For that is when the second RLWC2013 FLAG (Fans Local Advisory Group) meeting will take place. Hence I am trying to spare some of my thoughts for next year's massive event as well as this Saturday evening's! For I am one of rlWarrington's FLAG representativesrl.

You may recall that it was rlannounced earlier this yearrl that Warrington will be the host town for Samoa for the duration of the tournament and the Halliwell Jones stadium will host the Group B match Samoa v New Zealand on Sun 27th Oct as well as a Quarter Final match on Sun 17th Nov (Grp B runner up - NZ, PNG, France, or Samoa v Grp A 3rd place - Aus, Eng, Fiji, Ireland).

So I'd like to open this thread as a place for open discussion on the RLWC2013 event. What people would like to see, how do they think the event can be successful, any (sensible!) feedback at all that they think would help the organisers. This is a big event both for our country as a host nation and for Warrington as a host town. We can all help make it a big success - whether it be through volunteering, offering feedback and advice and most importantly rlbuying tickets for the gamesrl.

As well as joining up with other FLAG reps from other host towns to meet the event organisers, we also have a link to the Warrington steering group that is well on with plans for the event within the town. So feel free to direct your comments towards the event as a whole or to how it will run within Warrington.

Cracking article here: menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... SS+Feed%29

Cracking article here: menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... SS+Feed%29

Hi Guys,
Seb and myself are the Warrington FLAG reps for Warrington.
We are keen to seek your views.
Look out for updates and news regarding the Rugby League World Cup 2013.

Warrington are proud to be hosting 2 games at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

This is an opportunity for visitors to Warrington to be really impressed by what the town has to offer. We extend a warm welcome to all.

West Stand at £10 each for both games is a good start, and all I really care about really.

I have never encountered any problems at RFL blue-chip events and internationals, and don't expect any next season. As long as the rugby on the field is good, I will go home happy.

The Warrington club did themselves proud when they hosted Australia v New Zealand in the Four Nations at the end of last season, so more of the same will do just fine.

Quote: Peckerwood "West Stand at £10 each for both games is a good start, and all I really care about really. I have never encountered any problems at RFL blue-chip events and internationals, and don't expect any next season. As long as the rugby on the field is good, I will go home happy. The Warrington club did themselves proud when they hosted Australia v New Zealand in the Four Nations at the end of last season, so more of the same will do just fine.'" Thanks for the feedback - more is invited and welcomed! Yes, it's well worth noting that there are tickets available at £10 for adults / £5 concessions for almost all the group games and that 55% of all tickets are £20 or less. The Earlybird ticket period opened yesterday, details can be found: www.warringtonwolves.org/the-early-bird-5747 www.rlwc2013.com/rugby-league-wo ... early-bird…catches-the-best www.rlwc2013.com/tickets We all saw how the Olympics caught the nation's imagination and everyone got behind and respected the top class athletes on show pushing themselves for personal pride, medals and their countries. The RLWC2013 should be able to acheive the same! Everyone respects RL players and many of us can recall fantastic world cup matches from the past. Let's make this one the biggest and best yet.

Quote: Peckerwood "West Stand at £10 each for both games is a good start, and all I really care about really. I have never encountered any problems at RFL blue-chip events and internationals, and don't expect any next season. As long as the rugby on the field is good, I will go home happy. The Warrington club did themselves proud when they hosted Australia v New Zealand in the Four Nations at the end of last season, so more of the same will do just fine.'" Thanks for the feedback - more is invited and welcomed! Yes, it's well worth noting that there are tickets available at £10 for adults / £5 concessions for almost all the group games and that 55% of all tickets are £20 or less. The Earlybird ticket period opened yesterday, details can be found: www.warringtonwolves.org/the-early-bird-5747 www.rlwc2013.com/rugby-league-wo ... early-bird…catches-the-best www.rlwc2013.com/tickets We all saw how the Olympics caught the nation's imagination and everyone got behind and respected the top class athletes on show pushing themselves for personal pride, medals and their countries. The RLWC2013 should be able to acheive the same! Everyone respects RL players and many of us can recall fantastic world cup matches from the past. Let's make this one the biggest and best yet.

Just spitballing

Hire out a Double decker for a while, do a full cover advert on the bus.

On the bus kit it out with stuff about RL, Samoa, rules of game, ways to get involved with the game, Q&A for people unsure of the game, squadbuilder etc etc.

Basically a RL tourist and info bus rolled in to one.

Drive it to schools, keep it in hot spots at the weekend, supermarkets, shopping centres, gyms outside any summer events?

I checked out the website last year, but I haven't heard a thing on Local or National Radio......Talk sport is advertising TICKETS for the Union grand final (whatever its called)and I now know its in May and I couldn't care less about the sport. The same radio station is also advertising Lions tour packages for next summer......!!!

even the most enthusiastic League fan will struggle to tell you dates or venues of the World Cup 2013.

I hope the RFL are Targeting Sell outs for every game and are aggressively advertising the event. Sadly I doubt that, and we will get average to OK crowds and SKY tv and the rest of the media will ask why WE the rugby League public are not interested in the International game.

make it look and sound interesting and it becomes interesting. make it look and sound Popular and it becomes Popular.

Strange thing is though, I haven't seen or heard any advertising for the RU, yet I've seen and heard plenty for RLWC2013! If you'd been on the website before Monday you'd have seen the opportunity to register your interest in buying tickets and received email updates. Monday saw the start of the Early Bird period and so there has been plenty of awareness raising recently via Facebook, Twitter, email, radio and TV. RLWC2013 is going out via email to Olympics email lists too. The World Cup itself was at the Grand Final on Saturday and started a Trophy Tour at a big launch event on Tuesday.

Put a search in google for rugby league world cup. Do another and add tickets. Or just look at the usual websites, including Warrington Wolves and you'll see plenty.

That said, I am a bit biased due to my role with RLWC2013 FLAG, see here

I have had two meetings now with the RLWC2013 organising team and am also involved with the Warrington steering group. I can tell you both have very good plans in place for pushing and marketing the event in lots of different and imaginative ways. And yes, they have set very high targets.



That is precisely the approach being taken.

Promotional material for RLWC2013 has already been heavily used on Virgin trains, at Bank Quay station and on Warrington's buses. The train and bus companies are all members of Warrington's steering group so I'm sure there will be plans for more of the same in the future. I'll try to update you after their next meeting.

SEB - Advertising on the Warrington website is all well and good but it's not going to raise awareness amongst the wider general public. Those on the website know about the RLWC anyway.


Maybe Stobarts will print advertisements on the side of 100 lorries...that should do it.

We've gone very off topic with Tony Smith's contract here but people are missing the point when going on about advertising for the RLWC.

Even amongst the RL community that is well aware of it, the interest is low. Fans are just not interested in international rugby league beyond GB/England, Australia and New Zealand.

However you try to market it the fact is international rugby league is halfhearted, players switch nations freely: how many Samoa/Tonga/Fiji players will also have caps with another nation. Wales, Ireland and Scotland are basically semi professional English players. Lots of the games are one sided.

I remember going to a World Cup semi final between Australia and Wales in 2000, tickets were £15 and the crowd was 8000. There were far more than 8000 hard core rugby league fans within easy driving range of Huddersfield, that watch SL every week, and were more than aware the semi final was on. However they did not value it worth paying £15 to see Brad Fittler, Darren Lockyer, Wendell Sailor, Shane Webcke, Gordon Tallis, etc play in a World Cup semi final.

Problem with the World Cup is that it is a knock-out tournament. Unless its based upon a league table where every team has played the other teams home and away its meaningless.

Agreed, I'll move these posts to the RLWC2013 thread, I want capture all debate and discussion like this.

Correct. (apart from Biscuit who seems to be turning a blindeye! )

The RLWC2013 team fully recognise they need to aim broadly at three groups: the core RL fans; casual RL / sports fans; the wider public. They know they need to do things that capture the imagination of all three and are well on with doing and planning just that. I'm quite excited about the potential if everything they are planning comes off.

To the RFL's credit, they are trying hard with this, even if the casual observer believes otherwise. RFL HQ is in Leeds - I guess it would have been easy to convert a room there into the RLWC2013 office. Instead, they've set up base at Media City in Salford, right next door to the BBC and ITV, with a dedicated team of people with specific RLWC2013 roles. This is giving them great access to the media. They've already seen positive benefits to this and this will grow and grow.

I don't want to reveal too much as it's not all confirmed yet but the plans for use of ambassadors to spread the word look very positive, including past and present RL legends and for a broader appeal, use of Olympics stars. The intention is to create a buzz around the fact the next big international sporting event in the UK after the Olympics is RLWC2013.

The Rugby League World Cup has had its ups and downs - probably never more down than the 2000 fiasco. But the 1995 and 2008 tournaments created lots of great sport and memories. There is no reason why RLWC2013 can't be the best yet. A good starting point would the core RL fans getting behind it.

Darren Lockyer at Leigh in November www.leighsportsvillage.co.uk/new ... ews_id=618 See link if interested in what should be a fantastic evening, gutted I am away.

Darren Lockyer at Leigh in November www.leighsportsvillage.co.uk/new ... ews_id=618 See link if interested in what should be a fantastic evening, gutted I am away.