It's only alarming if you believe our media's constant fear mongering, though I can appreciate that coming from countries like Australia & New Zealand, where vaccination programmes are far behind ours, might be worried of coming here.

I'm fairly certain we'll still be seeing Australia play rugby in the UK in November. Just won't be rugby league.

This decision is just about protecting the NRL, not players.

There isn't much point without them. I don't see how it can go ahwad without looking farcical!

Perhaps allow some superleague based invitational teams in? Australian all stars and Pacific all stars? Rest of UK, England, France. Just have an entirely different tournament and event as a one off?

It's coming home.

All made up ...eh??? .
I am watching the stats for deaths, number in hospitals and those on ventilators ... or do you think they are made up?
Our rates of infection are way above almost all countries.
I don't blame anyone for not wishing to travel to and stay here.

Not surprised as Australia only has 11.5% fully vaccinated, and NZ 12.8%.

I know our cases have gone up but at least we are seeing protection from vaccines.

I wonder if the All Lives Matter campaign will start demanding we go back in to lockdown.

This stinks of "I'm all right, Jack" from the NRL teams

Pressure will have been put upon the 2 relevant governing bodies by the NRL

Have Australia and New Zealand sent teams to covid rife Japan to compete in the Olympics?

Like I said, if you're from outside the UK & from a country that has screwed up it's vaccination programme, then I'd be reluctant too. But your claim that our situation is alarming for us here, is a complete nonsense & something just being driven by a irresponsible media.

One person's "alarming" is another fellow's "hunky dory". We have all had different experiences and take on board information thrown at us in different ways.
But whatever ... other countries seem to be very wary of us.

Beat me to it

It stinks more of poor consultation and stakeholder buy-in prior to making, a seemingly blinkered, announcement last week that it was all going ahead, with a certain amount of brinkmanship being played, to declare that without a clear commitment from all the counties involved.

Very poor administration all round - who knows what'll happen now?

If you take a lesson from the 1980 & 1984 Olympics when USA & USSR (plus others) boycotted each countries respective games, the fans turned out to cheer their home nation to inevitable victory, with much of the field depleted, and athletes proudly wore their medals.

Undoubtedly, in RL though, people won't wave the same banner, but just won't attend the games, bemoaning that xyz only won because the competition stayed away.

From what I can see Japan has 4,915 New Cases compared to England's 38,804 (21st July figures).

Don’t blame them to be honest. Kind of think it’s inevitable that this would happen.

Utterly pointless in trying to have a ‘World Cup’ without them, as no doubt this decision will also impact the likes of Tonga and Samoa.

Short term I guess the only solution would be for a one off series between England, France and an Exiles team perhaps? Then hopefully look ahead to rescheduling the World Cup next year, which admittedly could still prove problematic given the NRL’s stance.