FIVE years after the last instalment, the Rugby League World Cup returned to our screens, this time from the United Kingdom. As the 16 nations ‘battled’ it out across the Group stage, there was much conjecture from viewers who had noticed the distinct lack of competitive contests.

Originally, the 1954 Rugby League World Cup was contested between just four nations: Australia, France, Great Britain and New Zealand. Since then, the number of competition members has fluctuated as the game reaches wider audiences, yet the results of this World Cup have suggested to one side of the Rugby League community that it needs to be stripped back further. 

Some of the scoring margins and records broken have been eyepopping, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Of the 24 group games, only 5 finished with a margin of 20 points or less. On ten occasions, one team crossed the 60-point total, with Australia and England powering through their group averaging over 64 points per contest. On the flip side, lower ranked sides in Greece and Jamaica conceded over 60 points per game for their tournaments.

This is however not some new phenomenon in world tournaments of any sport, blowouts happen quite frequently between higher and lower ranked nations. But in a time where Rugby League is being promoted more than ever before as a global game, these numbers are considerably more lopsided than the last edition in 2017.

The flip side of the argument is that including 16 teams allows for further exposure of these lesser-known league nations, as well as showcasing the talents that don’t hit the screens every weekend in the National Rugby League competition. However, the outcomes of these group games are clearly not producing a product reflective of this goal. On one hand, these results could be said to be a motivating force for these teams moving forward, or they could be seen as unproductive training runs for both parties.

There is no easy solution to this problem which plagues a lot of major sports across the globe. In saying this, it is clear from the most recent Basketball World Cup and this recent Cricket World Cup, there is potential for upsets as the game keeps progressing around the world. Rugby League has a choice to make, adapt their format for a short-term fix or stay patient in the global development process.