RUGBY league chiefs have been told they are ‘foolish’ for eyeing America as the place to launch a new international tournament in the same year as a Rugby Union World Cup.
As a result, the man who is taking the 2025 Rugby League World Cup Stateside will not be bidding to kickstart the latest idea there.
The new competition, featuring eight teams, will take place inbetween the 2021 and 2025 World Cups.
However Moore Sports International, the company which secured the latter tournament for North America, has revealed it will not bid for the new competition in an area where rugby is regarded as rugby, whatever the code.
Sources told SunSport the Rugby League International Federation is taking expressions of interest in hosting the tournament and will make a decision in the coming months.
But Jason Moore, the boss of Moore Sports International, says he will not be bidding – and revealed his concern over the date.
He said: “We had several reasons why the 2023 event didn’t work for us in the US/Canada, which were communicated to the RLIF Board very concisely.
“We were interested in several modified forms of the proposed eight team ‘Mini World Cup’, however for October/November 2022 – not 2023 – as that would clash directly with Rugby World Cup.
“In the North American market, where the difference between league and union is not widely known, we consider it commercially challenging, if not foolish, to try and get media and market support in an already cluttered time of the year in the North American sports landscape.”
Moore did, however, reveal his proposal for a third international tournament, which would further plunge the future of the Four Nations into doubt, especially if traditional Great Britain tours are brought back into the calendar.
However, sources revealed bosses should get an update on the competition, whch was won by Australia at Anfield last year, is expected next month – but it is largely up to the Rugby Football League and the NRL to sort.
Moore added: “We have presented a formal proposal to the RLIF for a six-team competition format – Australia, NZ, Great Britain/England, USA, Canada and an RLIF Qualifier – to be played in North America 2022, 2028, 2032 and every four years onwards.
“This was matched with turnkey benefits for teams and a multi-million dollar guarantee. While the RLIF board has not declined, it has not accepted either.”
Meanwhile, England’s players will not be held back from representing their country against Samoa by NRL teams.
Fears that stars who play in Australia, like Josh Hodgson, James Graham and three Burgess brothers, could be prevented from playing in the mid-season Test on May 6 had started to spread through rugby league.
But SunSport has been told by a senior international rugby league power broker that the game will take priority over any club.
That means coach Wayne Bennett can pick whoever he wants and they would have to be released.
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