Was in Central London on Saturday and saw the Fan Zone for the NFL in Trafalgar Square. They should definitely do something similar before the semi final double header and also in each of the host towns / cities. This creates a congregation point and help build the anticipation and atmosphere before the match the next day.
Get players visiting local schools well in advance of the match (particularly in London and Limerick) and doing coaching sessions.

As an aside - there was a near full page on the World Cup (focusing on Tomkins) in the Evening Standard on Friday. So it definitely has an impact.

The story of the trophy is brilliant - they should definitely use that as a hook for a general news story. But with the trophy tour they seem to be on to that.

I was there too and had the same thoughts as you. Especially when I saw there were Harlequins cheerleaders handing out RU leaflets - i.e. you don't even need to set up an event yourself, you can tag on to others. I've already emailed the RLWC2013 team about this!



RLWC2013 have a full educational programme planned. Warrington are planning to involve all schools in their activities.



Yes, they are planning to use the trophy story. Also they have been using the Broken Time play to attract interest to the heritage of RL.

Forgive my ignorance/laziness (the answer might even be in this thread) but what's the trophy story?

GDMM - I must say that is a ridiculous statement to make. That's like a failed retailer blaming consumers for not shopping with them leading to their demise. Make the product right and people will buy. I don't believe there is anything inherently problematic about Rugby League supporters when compared with football, cricket or RU fans.

That Wales vs England game was lucky to get 4,000 fans for the quality of the game and the attractiveness of the fixture. A complete farce of a competition with zero interest across the UK RL fan base never mind the sporting public as a whole. Even 5Live didn't bother reporting on it. Seems like the Stobart vans in Wales didn't really work

BTW I still remember early 90's getting 65-70K at Wembley for a GB vs AUS test match. Where did we, and when I say 'we' I mean the RFL, go wrong?

I just looked up the Wembley attendances for internationals in the 90s:

1990 GB Australia ~ 55,000
1992 GB Australia ~ 74,000
1994 GB Australia ~ 57,000
1995 GB Australia ~ 67,000

Impressive attendances, no doubt, but only the 1992 and 95 ones are over 60,000. In the recent history of the international game, they are starting to look like outliers. The last World Cup final in Australia drew just over 50,000, which the 2013 tournament should match if England can manage to make the final. The annual ANZAC tests rarely get more than 50,000 either.
One could argue that the fact we now have England rather than GB deters people from attending, but that doesn't really stand up - of all the GB players in those 90s tests at Wembley listed above, only Jonathan Davies and Allan Bateman weren't English.

I'd suggest keeping England for World Cup purposes, and resurrecting GB in Four Nations years (down there Aus NZ PNG & GB, and up here Aus NZ GB & France), on the off chance there are any Welsh players who might merit a GB 'Lions' shirt.

The trophy visits the English and Welsh governments:

The three children who jointly won the RLWC2013 Design a Mascot competition were shown the designs for the Mascots "Grubber" and "Steed": www.rlwc2013.com/rugby-league-wo ... s-rlwc2013

The three children who jointly won the RLWC2013 Design a Mascot competition were shown the designs for the Mascots "Grubber" and "Steed": www.rlwc2013.com/rugby-league-wo ... s-rlwc2013

Just one year to go now to the Quarter Final match to be held in Warrington
The ticket website above is currently offering a great deal on ticket for the two matches being played at the HJ in Warrington. Buy tickets for one and get the other HALF PRICE!

Sent off my application to be a volunteer last night, looking forwards to hearing back and hopefully getting involved. Really starting to get excited about the competition!

How excited are we by the the world cup being over here this year?? The way I look at it is there is two sides to the competition, one being the battlefor the title, between Australia, NZ and England. The other being a great opporutinity to spread the game and hopefully develop in a few of these 'minor' countries, so that soon enough there wll be more than three potential winners. One things for sure we can't keep moaning about the lack of national press coverage and spreading of the game etc, if the hardcore fans of the game can't get enthusiastic about having the World Cup in our own country.

Also, if were were playing the World Cup final next weekend, who would be in your 17? At the moment mine is as follows, but I'm sure it will change several times over the course of the season:

1. Tomkins.
2. Charnley.
3. Reed.
4. Atkins.
5. Hall
6. Widdop.
7. Myler.
8. Kopczak
9. Roby
10. Westwood
11. Ellis
12. Hock.
13. Sinfield.
14. Burrow
15. O'loughlin.
16. Hill
17. Crabtree

Ended up really struggling for props!

Not fancy playing Graham and Burgess?

No idea how I forgot them! KNew I shouldn't have tried to think on a Sunday morning! Yeah, take Kopczak and Crabtree out for them two.

1. Tomkins
2. Briscoe
3. Reed
4. Atkins
5. Hall
6. Widdop
7. Myler
8. Hill
9. Roby
10. Graham
11. Burgess
12. Ellis
13. Westwood

14. Morley
15. Burrow
16. Hock
17. Crabtree

A couple of those will probably be injured come the end of the year, Burgess and Ellis sadly, so it's less about the 17, because they are all unlikely to be available