I am lucky enough to remember 3 test ashes series GB against Australia in 1990. I seem to remember the first game being held at the old Wembley with 50k+ crowd (I was there) and checking now the aggregate crowd was 130k. The international game has regressed under the "leadership".

The Ashes are coming back 2025 so there is hope.

I think the interest will come back when we play the Aussies. But unless we are playing them or it is a game in the World Cup it's a struggle & always will be. I don't blame the leadership really ... I'm a keen rugby league man & so are most on here but it's obvious we don't really want Micky Mouse games.

The rlf leadership are wholy responsible for the break up of the Great Britain representative side 2008 - 2019 and the mickey mouse home nations sides and games that arise from them.

So what do you think should have been done that Superleague Clubs & the NRL would have accepted?

I'm not blaming the leadership, or indeed anyone who shares your view, the problem that I have is that 'we' need to have a plan to sustain the sport, let alone grow it and Internationals have to be part of that solution surely?

The league season is relatively short, a five month shut down that keeps us out of sight out of mind in comparison to other sports, not to mention the lack of revenue raising opportunities. I've not checked but Rugby Union seem to handle their calendar much more effectively maybe it's the establishment and the amount of free to air media representation but yes they've also got way more competitive international fixtures to call upon. That international competitiveness didn't happen overnight or by chance it was developed and supported.

I'm looking forward to Samoa's visit this autumn, do you think that this will be worth watching and more importantly is this a barometer of where we are as a sport? I fear that if this mini series fails to capture the imagination then we may have to accept that whilst we don't want "Mickey Mouse games", we are a Mickey Mouse sport.

I love Rugby League (of course) but we are a minority sport in this country. We only really play in a very small area of the Country & even in that area Tip Tap & Union gets a pick of the best sportsmen. We cannot be compared with them. I think Samoa will be worth watching but most in the Country won't care & many fans who support their clubs with a passion will not care too much either. Anyone who has the job of growing Rugby League in this country has a very tough/almost impossible job. I ask anyone who criticises ... what would your plan be? If you know how to pack a stadium to watch Eng v France RL match please step forward.

Perhaps the biggest help that can be given to internationals would be to get the tours back where international sides are playing so many clubs as well as Test Matches so interest can be generated at a local level. Whether there is a will for tours to be reintroduced is another matter but it feels that international teams are parachuted in then spirited out once the match is over.

Credit goes to the RFL or whoever else arranged this game in the middle of a European football championship, if there was ever a minute chance of outsiders wanting to watch and engage with our product, it's hardly the time or the fixture to try and appeal.

Anyway, why CAN'T we have Great Britain back? The kits were always smart, the team generally more competitive against the Kiwis and Aussies. I honestly never got why they stopped it. What were the reasons?

Summer Rugby 1996 is given as the main reason for lack of these tours. You can see why as the opposition are playing in their League too.

Whilst it has put an end to part season signings from Down Under, wouldn't aligning the league schedules be a benefit?

'We' could have a proper organised international break or an Autumn Series post GF. Despite loop fixtures and the additional Magic Weekend match the season is too short. For fifty percent of our premier competition, 2024 ends in September and February 2025 will seem like a long way off...we have space for something there just doesn't seem to be the collective appetite for it. I'd even throw in the WCC at season end as it's the pinnacle of that season rather than a curtain raiser to the next and the fixture disruption that brings.

Yes Rico,, the timing of the WCC is ridiculous. Both teams involved could have completely different squads to the ones that did all the graft to qualify for the WCC.
As far as summer rugby is concerned ,there is usually very little difference between any of our seasons so a rescheduled programme could easily be achieved ,unless of course, tv companies are pulling the strings.

Or the RFL won't bend to the NRL's schedule.

Quote: "The rlf leadership are wholy responsible for the break up of the Great Britain representative side 2008 - 2019 and the mickey mouse home nations sides and games that arise from them.'" https://www.theguardian.com/sport/artic ... t5uxga8rNA

Quote: "The rlf leadership are wholy responsible for the break up of the Great Britain representative side 2008 - 2019 and the mickey mouse home nations sides and games that arise from them.'" https://www.theguardian.com/sport/artic ... t5uxga8rNA

The biggest problem with the international game is one team dominates and that team being Australia, with the NRL being a much bigger thing the international game is a waste till countries that are interested come up to the standard to compete.