Odd decision given NZ cricketers have been to the UK and back with no ill effects.
@bovidae said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
All those other Sydney, I mean international teams, like Lebanon will probably withdraw too.
It's our year!
@sparky said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
Odd decision given NZ cricketers have been to the UK and back with no ill effects.
Part of it is having to maintain bubbles in the domestic season as well, just too hard on the players.
How about replacing the official Aus and Kiwi teams with squads of UK-based expats who have been double vaccinated? Time for some of us to get our boots out?
@sparky said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
How about replacing the official Aus and Kiwi teams with squads of UK-based expats who have been double vaccinated? Time for some of us to get our boots out?
Sorry, Lebanon has already called.
@bones said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@sparky I'm guessing $$$£££
I’m guessing the administrators said ‘fucked if I’m looking after these mongrels in iso’
RFL chairman Simon Johnson is not happy:
A spokesperson for Boris Johnson has said that he is surprised and disappointed with the decision of the Australia and New Zealand associations to pull out of the Rugby League World Cup.
One compromise being suggested is the Australia and New Zealand could play their group games in Scotland and Wales where Covid rates are already lower.
According to this piece, 75% of the players want to go the RL World Cup and have no concerns about Covid.
Aussie and NZ League authorities have been accused from the Speaker's Chair of the House of Commons of lacking bottle. Looks like the competition is going ahead even if certain teams have decided to stay at home.
Don't really like League but here's my five cents anyway. Given Covid cases are already going down in the UK more than three months before the League World Cup starts (after a rapid vaccine rollout) and the coaches and players were keen to go, this is a poor decision by the Aussie and NZ League authorities. It looks really arrogant and shows contempt to the competition organisers. I'm afraid Australia and New Zealand as countries will lose a lot of friends and respect in the Rugby League heartlands in the North of England if the players are made to stay at home.
And I'm calling "bullshit" on the argument given of player safety. Seriously? Even at the height of the pandemic, young fit people were at more risk of death by road accidents in the UK than from Covid. Given the players have been offered double vaccination ahead of the Rugby League World Cup, their risks of serious injury on the coach out of Heathrow would be much, much higher than that from Covid.
I think NZR should send a squad of Super Rugby players to represent New Zealand at the Rugby League World Cup if the League authorities don't let the Kiwis go. Great chance to showcase talent, give experience to players and most of all win back friends.
@bones said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@sparky bro, your emotions are getting the better of you again.
Not really, I'm not much of a follower of League. I think I've only watched one League World Cup game in the last ten years, so I don't really have skin in the game this time.
But if the All Blacks pulled a shitty stunt like this then that would be a different matter.
If you can't be bothered competing, then there's always some else more than willing to take your place:
They should just tell the truth...the real reason they pulled out is that they don't want to lose to Tonga again..
considering there has been two instances of players breaking Covid bubbles in Origin this year by bringing women back to the hotel, and that's like a week, then i am not surprised officials threw their hands up and said "fuck taking those kids away for 6 weeks"
@sparky said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
According to this piece, 75% of the players want to go the RL World Cup and have no concerns about Covid.
75% means "I asked four players and three said yes". Who gives a a flying fuck? The only thing more pathetic than a league world cup is a "World Series".
@antipodean said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@sparky said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
According to this piece, 75% of the players want to go the RL World Cup and have no concerns about Covid.
75% means "I asked four players and three said yes". Who gives a a flying fuck? The only thing more pathetic than a league world cup is a "World Series".
NSW + Munster would have won by a really large margin anyway
In two year's time, when NZ and Australia finally work out what Boris Johnson has -- that once you've vaccinated the oldies and vulnerable then any more restrictions are merely attempting to hold back the tide -- we'll open our borders. And then we will, inevitably, get a surge in cases.
At about that time will the UK League nations want to visit us? Because if I was them, I'd say no.
@chester-draws said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
In two year's time, when NZ and Australia finally work out what Boris Johnson has -- that once you've vaccinated the oldies and vulnerable then any more restrictions are merely attempting to hold back the tide -- we'll open our borders. And then we will, inevitably, get a surge in cases.
At about that time will the UK League nations want to visit us? Because if I was them, I'd say no.
If these were XBox ‘athletes’ holed up in their houses I’d get it.
But we’re talking about blokes who are sweating , bleeding and breathing over each other.
@mikethesnow said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@chester-draws said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
In two year's time, when NZ and Australia finally work out what Boris Johnson has -- that once you've vaccinated the oldies and vulnerable then any more restrictions are merely attempting to hold back the tide -- we'll open our borders. And then we will, inevitably, get a surge in cases.
At about that time will the UK League nations want to visit us? Because if I was them, I'd say no.
If these were XBox ‘athletes’ holed up in their houses I’d get it.
But we’re talking about blokes who are sweating , bleeding and breathing over each other.
Agreed. Easy to trivialise when you ain't the one being breathed, sweated or spat (wittingly or unwittingly) on. One of the doctors at our work was telling me about the Delta variant numbers. Young adults and adolescents getting really sick now. Not just an old crumbly person's disease
@canefan said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@mikethesnow said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@chester-draws said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
In two year's time, when NZ and Australia finally work out what Boris Johnson has -- that once you've vaccinated the oldies and vulnerable then any more restrictions are merely attempting to hold back the tide -- we'll open our borders. And then we will, inevitably, get a surge in cases.
At about that time will the UK League nations want to visit us? Because if I was them, I'd say no.
If these were XBox ‘athletes’ holed up in their houses I’d get it.
But we’re talking about blokes who are sweating , bleeding and breathing over each other.
Agreed. Easy to trivialise when you ain't the one being breathed, sweated or spat (wittingly or unwittingly) on. One of the doctors at our work was telling me about the Delta variant numbers. Young adults and adolescents getting really sick now. Not just an old crumbly person's disease
Sorry I wasn’t clear enough / you misinterpreted what I wrote
We’re talking about the 1% of the 1% in terms of physical fitness and wellness in the prime of their athletic careers.
If these athletes - who will be double jabbed before they leave the SH - can’t ‘tell’ COVID-19 to get fucked then the general population of Australia and NZ is fucked.
@mikethesnow said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
If these athletes - who will be double jabbed before they leave the SH - can’t ‘tell’ COVID-19 to get fucked then the general population of Australia and NZ is fucked.
Unfortunately...
@donsteppa said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@mikethesnow said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
If these athletes - who will be double jabbed before they leave the SH - can’t ‘tell’ COVID-19 to get fucked then the general population of Australia and NZ is fucked.
Unfortunately...
OK, that's their choice
I'm a fit 54 year old and got over Covid in 48hrs
If I can, I'm sure they can / won't even know they've had it
@donsteppa said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@mikethesnow said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
If these athletes - who will be double jabbed before they leave the SH - can’t ‘tell’ COVID-19 to get fucked then the general population of Australia and NZ is fucked.
Unfortunately...
Organisers thinking of hosting the tournament in 2022 because NZ players won't get vaccinated
What The Actual Fuck???
I hope the general NZ population doesn't feel the same way about vaccination.
If they do, NZ isn't coming out of isolation any time soon.
@mikethesnow said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@donsteppa said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@mikethesnow said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
If these athletes - who will be double jabbed before they leave the SH - can’t ‘tell’ COVID-19 to get fucked then the general population of Australia and NZ is fucked.
Unfortunately...
Organisers thinking of hosting the tournament in 2022 because NZ players won't get vaccinated
What The Actual Fuck???
I hope the general NZ population doesn't feel the same way about vaccination.
If they do, NZ isn't coming out of isolation any time soon.
They’re all Australian based so don’t really reflect the NZ population.
Fucking idiots. Now I have no league team to support. They should just only select players who will get vaccinated and tell the rest to piss off.
@sparky said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
Don't really like League but here's my five cents anyway. Given Covid cases are already going down in the UK more than three months before the League World Cup starts (after a rapid vaccine rollout) and the coaches and players were keen to go, this is a poor decision by the Aussie and NZ League authorities.
Don't know where you've got that from. The UK is currently going through another exponential explosion in the number of cases. And with England removing all restrictions, that's likely to climb much higher before September.
Fortunately the number of hospitalisations and deaths is not rising as fast because they've done a good job with the vax roll-out, but still nervously waiting to see how much that goes up.
Having said that, I don't reckon the danger from covid is the reason they've withdrawn. The problem of players living in perpetual bubbles might be. Or it might just be down to a power / money play from the NRL, don't know.
@gibbonrib said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
@sparky said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
Don't really like League but here's my five cents anyway. Given Covid cases are already going down in the UK more than three months before the League World Cup starts (after a rapid vaccine rollout) and the coaches and players were keen to go, this is a poor decision by the Aussie and NZ League authorities.
Don't know where you've got that from.
The number of reported COVID cases in the UK has been dropping for the last two days, quite significantly today when you compare it to last Friday's figure.
This might be a temporary blip of course and cases could rise again. But unless you are an expert in UK public health, perhaps best not to make sweeping statements. Three months is long time and a lot could change before then.
Don’t really blame Oz / NZ. I doubt the vaccine rollout would get down to their players within 3 months from what I’ve read.
Jury still out on where the UK will be in 3 months too. Pingdemic causing chaos at the moment too.
All in all, catastrophic for the tournament and also for any near future sport involving NZ / OZ. Precedent has been set.
@majorrage said in 2021 Rugby League World Cup:
I doubt the vaccine rollout would get down to their players within 3 months from what I’ve read.
My understanding is that sport teams like the Black Caps and the Olympians were prioritised for vaccinations before travelling. I caught the end of an interview with Sophie Devine yesterday where vaccines were also mentioned ahead of the White Ferns England tour. Sounded like the league players would almost certainly be vaccinated before travel, if they want it.
@donsteppa yup there is a process, but if the sport applies and the govt agrees, people can queue jump, already 86000 people have jumped ahead of vulnerable groups 'above' them
Group 4 86186 45876
Anyone confused by me saying the numbers in the UK are going up and Sparky's comment that they're going down: he's right that the last couple of days' numbers are down, but you don't have to be a public health expert to know that you can't read two much into one or two data points. Here's the 7 day average...
This spike started before "freedom day", so dropping all the restrictions (in England, it's a bit different in Scotland and Wales) is likely to increase it rather than turn it around. It's not good, but the high vaccination levels help a lot - levels of hospitalisation and death are not going up as much.
It is very hard to say what it'll look like in 3 months when the RLWC was meant to be. But we know that politically Bojo's very unlikely to consider another lockdown or many restrictions. Safe to say that it'll be a bit different to NZ.