AFL and NRL to take mid-season break should Australia host football World Cup

[Shanked]

AFL and NRL to take mid-season break should Australia host football World Cup

By Guy Hand
October 22, 2009

The AFL and NRL will have to take mid-season breaks of up to eight weeks should Australia host the football World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Football chiefs are in advanced discussions with the AFL, NRL and rugby union about having first use of the nation's best multi-purpose stadia leading up to and during any Australian-hosted World Cup.

The rival codes would have to agree to at least a four-week mid-season shutdown while the tournament is underway in June and July, because of FIFA regulations locking out other major sports in each host city.

And FIFA also demands a four-week lead-in period at each host venue prior to the World Cup.

That means AFL and NRL matches during that period could not be played at stadiums being used for the tournament.

Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley admitted his sport would have to convince the AFL and NRL to rejig their seasons in some way during an Australian World Cup.

But he believed the outlook was positive for cross-code co-operation, especially with the carrot of improved stadia as part of any World Cup hosting.

"We've met with all the sporting codes and they're all in broad agreement about the importance of the FIFA World Cup for Australia and the legacy it would deliver in terms of sporting infrastructure," Buckley said on Thursday.

"There's a precedent in relation to the Sydney Olympics and the Rugby World Cup."

Football would need to get all other codes on-side quickly and publicly, with visible disharmony usually spelling death for World Cup bids.

But the upside for the AFL, NRL and rugby union is the prospect of taxpayer-funded redevelopment for their existing stadia, or brand new ones which would be used for their sports post-World Cup.

With at least 12 stadia needed, the MCG, ANZ Stadium, Etihad Stadium, Sydney Football Stadium and Suncorp Stadium predictably head the list of World Cup venues.

Redevelopments of Newcastle's EnergyAustralia Stadium, Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville, Carrara on the Gold Coast, Canberra Stadium and a western Sydney venue to the FIFA-required 40,000-capacity are also part of the plan.

The two uncertainties are Adelaide and Perth.

The FFA is keen on a redeveloped 55,000-seat Adelaide Oval.

But the road block is tension between the venue's tenants, the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA).

And there is divided opinion over redeveloping Perth's Subiaco Oval, or building a new stadium in the city to host World Cup matches.

The FFA has just over a week to present its final costings to the federal government, while they must lodge stadium and infrastructure plans for the World Cup bid by May next year.

FIFA will decide the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts in December next year.


sorry if it should be in other sports thread

 

[RobDog55er]

Sensible idea, footy players get some time off whilst we get some new or upgraded sports infrastructure.

Although, I was hoping if Australia ever hosted FIFA World Cup, that we'd still do State of Origin during the event to showcase League to our international vistors.

 

[Mitch Connor]

sorry soccer can go and get f*cked. i dont wanna have 8 weeks of bullsh*t wogball disrupting a potential premiership.

take your round ball and gtfo of this country.

 

[Costaki10]

a 8 week break is a huge huge ask and tbh i dont see the nrl or afl agreeing. we will have origin during that time which is the showcase of our sport and dont think the nrl will want to not have origin on.

yes stadiums will be redeveloped but the game will loss millions and millions of dollars and wont be worth the break.

 

[kimlo]

**** off. I don't want to miss origin because of soccer and I don't want to miss 8 weeks of football because of soccer either. Take it to a city that cares about soccer thanks.

 

[Doga]

sorry soccer can go and get f*cked. i dont wanna have 8 weeks of bullsh*t wogball disrupting a potential premiership.

take your round ball and gtfo of this country.

RL is insignificant when it comes to the greatest sporting event ever.

The ONE AND ONLY WORLD CUP!!!

 

[Mitch Connor]

soccer is boring as f*ck. i'd watch f*cking sailing before id watch soccer.

 

[Doga]

soccer is boring as f*ck. i'd watch f*cking sailing before id watch soccer.

Well you can go play with yourself or neck yourself whilst the WC is on in Australia because RL and GayFL are going to take a back seat and fade.

 

[Mitch Connor]

here's hoping australia dont make it in >.<

 

[JERRY LEE]

it will be a few years till Australia gets it, but if we do it will be as big as the olypmics in 2000.

 

[Snake Jailbird]

here's hoping australia dont make it in >.<

ignorant pansie lol

 

[FaceBreaker]

Ages away.... 8 weeks without league is a joke though.

I'll be pissed.

 

[Hansta]

Fix up Belmore you ****s and you have a deal!!!!

 

[Rodzilla]

why dont they play the games in regional areas during the world cup?

but i like the break idea because it will let me focus on the main event

 

[Nexus]

why dont they play the games in regional areas during the world cup?

Thats what I was thinking.

If we got the world cup it would be an ideal time to showcase our game to any number of international guests with the potential to peak some more interest. I think the NRL are letting a great opportunity for our game go if they agree to this. They wont get another one like it in their life time.

 

[Özil]

Thats what I was thinking.

If we got the world cup it would be an ideal time to showcase our game to any number of international guests with the potential to peak some more interest. I think the NRL are letting a great opportunity for our game go if they agree to this. They wont get another one like it in their life time.

yeah but during that time FIFA will be the ones who have all the playing venues and its as if they are going to let another sport play at the venue while they have it on lease. FIFA will not let a SOO happen during the WC.

 

[unwrittenlaw]

The problem is it is a FIFA stipulation that no one can play on the fields being used for a month before it anyway. So it would be impossible to "showcase rugby league to the world" because even regional stadiums like Dairy Farmers and Bluetounge would be used. And I dont that your average Danish soccer supporter will want to travel to places like Orange to watch a game of League.


Also big LOL to some people in this thread. If you cant get pumped for the World Cup you seriousley fail at life!

 

[Doga]

lol at regional.

 

[bdog]

The problem is it is a FIFA stipulation that no one can play on the fields being used for a month before it anyway. So it would be impossible to "showcase rugby league to the world" because even regional stadiums like Dairy Farmers and Bluetounge would be used. And I dont that your average Danish soccer supporter will want to travel to places like Orange to watch a game of League.


Also big LOL to some people in this thread. If you cant get pumped for the World Cup you seriousley fail at life!

go easy on Orange

 

[phelps_fan]

NRL revolt looms over FIFA World Cup bid

NRL clubs have threatened a revolt after revelations soccer's governing body, FIFA, wants to suspend all rival codes for at least a month to stage a World Cup in Australia.

Club bosses yesterday reacted with contempt to suggestions the NRL should be shut down during July should Australia stage either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

One even asked what do you do with the players, "send them to the beach''.

Under a FIFA edict, all rival codes must be suspended for the duration of the four-week tournament, while major grounds - including ANZ Stadium, Suncorp Stadium and the SFS - would be closed to NRL clubs for a month before the World Cup even kicks off. NRL chief executives said they could not afford to give soccer a free kick like that.

Wests Tigers CEO Stephen Humphreys questioned the fairness of the Federal Government bankrolling the $34 million World Cup bid at the expense of rival codes.

Cowboys boss Peter Parr labelled FIFA and FFA arrogant if they expected the rival football codes to shut down at the peak of their season.

"It affects your team, your income, your cash flow, I imagine it would affect broadcasting agreements, it would affect interest in the code,'' Parr said.

"I imagine there would be a lot of people in North Queensland, which is rugby league heartland, that would say why do we have to suspend our competition for a soccer tournament, albeit something as big as the World Cup. I just don't see why you would do it. They wouldn't get me to put my hand up to agree with it.''

The NRL agreed to shorten the 2000 season to accommodate the Sydney Olympics, starting the premiership early and staging the Grand Final on August 28.

But Brisbane CEO Bruno Cullen said while clubs were willing to work with FFA and FIFA to set aside major grounds, the NRL had to "protect our patch''.

"While it would be great for Australia to have that World Cup here, what that would do is just give the opposition code a tremendous boost and I don't know why we should allow that to happen,'' he said. "We've got a season and it's very important we play our season and I think we've just got to do it.''

Penrith CEO Mick Leary added: "What do you tell the players, you can go to the beach for the month? Then you've got your membership to think of. And when are we going to finish playing - on Christmas Eve or something?''

Manly chairman Scott Penn agreed. "The notion of postponing the competition is going a bit far.

"For us to not play for a month in peak time is probably stretching the friendship.''

Bulldogs chief Todd Greenberg said while suspending the competition was not an option, the NRL and its clubs had to work to find a compromise.

Greenberg said the Bulldogs would be happy to shift home games or schedule away matches to accommodate the World Cup.

"The soccer World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the globe next to the Olympics and so attracting something like that to Australia would need the buy-in of all governments and major sporting bodies to make sure that it could come off. And I think it would be a great thing for the country,'' Greenberg said.

Titans chairman Paul Broughton said aside from the impact on fans and sponsors, it was impractical to lay off players for a month.

The break would cause problems for player fitness.

"I couldn't imagine the players standing around for two months or a month,'' Broughton said. "It's tough enough as it is to get themselves fit to play the first game.''

Sharks CEO Richard Fisk said: "We have to be flexible because it's a great window of opportunity for rugby league in a world stage, but it's not workable to suspend the competition for a month.''

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...fa-world-cup-bid/story-e6frexnr-1225790579895