If this Rugby World Cup does better than the one in 2000 and I think sales already are better than that. If this Rugby World Cup does better than the one in 2008 and I think the semi finals and and final are already better.
If the coverage on the BBC is up to their recently improved standards for the game and a huge terrestrial audience forms good impression of what we have to offer, especially when compared to the dross that will be emanating from Twickenham, Murrayfield and Cardiff in the same month, this will be a positive thing for RL.
If the players from the USA, Wales, Ireland,Scotland the Pacific Islands and the Italian domestic game are able to return to their countries and if funds from any profits from the tournament become available to them and their respective games grow a little as a result, this would be a good thing.
Forget the RU World Cup. They have had numerous countries playing their game for a very long time. Up until 1995 RL had four, Aus, NZ, GB/England, France and occasionally Wales due mostly to the iniquitous ban on our game under pain of sporting apartheid visited on us by the RFU.
RL has always been a child of the underprivileged until recent years and has always struggled to find money. RU is the sporting wunderkind of the establishment and the mega rich and they didn't have any wage bills ( officially) for over 100 years whilst still raking in humongeous gate receipts and TV contracts.
RL has been behind the 8 ball from it's birth. It's a miracle we still have our balls on the table and are still in the game.
Far from running down this years Cup, I am very pleased with what I have seen so far. It seems to be the best organised ever and, by RL terms will be a cracking success.
What RU does is their business. I am very optimistic about the business of the Rugby World Cup, the first and original one since 1954.
