International window to capitalise on game's X-factor: Abdo

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has described international rugby league as an ‘X-factor’ for the code and believes it will build momentum with a dedicated window at the end of the season.

The first international fixtures involving NRL stars in almost three years were played last weekend and whet the appetite of players and fans for the end-of-season World Cup and more regular Tests.

However, with State of Origin to return to Wednesday night for all three matches of the series when the new broadcast deal with Channel Nine begins next year, the stand-alone representative round will make way for an end-of-season international window.

Abdo said the change would make international rugby league stronger as players would not have to choose between State of Origin or representing their nation of heritage, as numerous members of the Blues and Maroons teams were forced to, while Super League stars would also be available.

Significantly, there would also be the opportunity for the revival of Kangaroo tours, Test series and tournaments at the end of the season, which would have more significance than a one-off round of internationals mid-year that excludes Australia.

“We are working through the season structure for next year. It is a new cycle and there are some changes that are linked to the new broadcast arrangements with our partners, but I will say this - the [ARL] Commission are 100 per cent committed to international football,” Abdo said.

“We are all incredibly excited about the re-birth of international football coming out of what we have been restricted to the last couple of years. This weekend was a great example of how important it is to the players and to the fans, and to all of us.

“It is the X-factor we have with rugby league – the opportunity that we have to really grow the international game, particularly here in Australia and New Zealand, and of course throughout the Pacific, so international footy will be a real priority going forwards.

“What we are doing is thinking strategically about the season and the construct of the season - pre-season, State of Origin, the Premiership and an international window in October and November.

“Instead of having just a single round we can start to think about tours, we can start to think about tournaments, and we can start to think about regular content every year, instead of just doing a one off. That is incredibly exciting.”

Interest in the international game has been growing strongly since the 2017 World Cup after the defection of Jason Taumalolo, Andrew Fifita and other stars to Tonga helped turn the Pacific nation into a powerhouse team that narrowly missed the final, in which Australia beat England 6-0.

Tonga beat New Zealand during the tournament and won Tests in 2019 against Great Britain and Australia, in what is likely to be the last match the Kangaroos will have played before their opening World Cup clash with Fiji on October 15 in Leeds.

The men’s and women’s international double-header between New Zealand and Tonga at Mount Smart Stadium last Saturday was a sell-out and also established a record attendance for a women’s international, with 18,369 fans on hand to see the Kiwi Ferns beat Mate Ma’a Tonga 50-12.

The Pacific Test double-header, in which Samoa beat Cook Islands 42-12 and Papua New Guinea downed Fiji 24-14, drew a crowd of 10,720 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Saturday night.

While the fixtures provided a World Cup warm-up for the Pacific nations, Cook Islands forward Tinirau Arona was the only player to make the trip from England as there was a full round of Super League matches, which also forced Tonga coach Kristian Woolf to hand over the reins to Dean Young.

“Strategically it makes sense to have a dedicated international window that harmonises across the world, that has all the players available, and captures the imagination of the fans,” Abdo said.

“The concept of us returning to three Wednesday night Origins in the new [broadcast] cycle is one that has been very carefully thought through and obviously discussed as part of our commercial arrangements and that opens up an opportunity to think strategically at the end of the season from an international perspective.”