Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland


NI Conference
By Chris O'Brien
May 13 2009

Ulster is preparing to welcome competitive Rugby League later this month as the inaugural Northern Ireland Conference gets underway. Only four teams will compete in the new competition – but it marks the latest step from RL officials to develop the game in the Emerald Isle; inspired, in part, by Ireland’s positive showing at the 2008 World Cup.

Strangford Sharks, East Belfast Bulldogs, Ballynahinch Bulls and Portadown Pumas will all take part in the first Northern Irish Conference which gets underway later this month.

Another club, Antrim Storm are hoping to join the league in 2010 and will take part in a Nines tournament that will act as the season's curtain-raiser.

Establishing a league, albeit on a small round-robin format, is the latest step to developing the game across Ireland.

Rugby League officials were left impressed by Ireland's competitive showing at the 2008 World Cup. A narrow two-point defeat to Tonga and a convincing win over Samoa sent the Irish into the knock-out stages - before Andy Kelly's men crashed out following a valiant defeat to Fiji in the qualifying final in the Gold Coast.

Back in March, Irish coach Kelly told the BBC's Super League show that he wanted to see an Irish club apply for a Super League license for 2011.

Meanwhile, rumours persist that Super League may be interested in a Scottish club staking a claim for a Super League place following the recent success of the Murrayfield Magic weekend. The Edinburgh Eagles have won the Scottish Conference two seasons running; though there is no Scottish representative in the National League at present.

Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland
Posted by: CruXIII (IP Logged)
Date: 13/05/2009 00:32

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Re: Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland
Posted by: stevec (IP Logged)
Date: 13/05/2009 07:33

Interesting that RL has not adopted the same approach as RU and tried to foster an All Ireland approach to the code; there is an existing competition in the Republic that the four teams could have been encouraged to look towards.

Re: Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland
Posted by: Terrace-Culture (IP Logged)
Date: 13/05/2009 16:04

Good points Steve; and something I also considered.
Perhaps it's about standard. The NI clubs may be some way behind the ROI teams at this moment in time.
Perhaps also they're trying to encourage some away support and thought that an All-Ireland league would detract from that.
I agree with you though. And a four-teamed round robin does seem a little strange: although it's something that nearly happened to Welsh RU a few years ago.

Re: Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland
Posted by: 40:20 (IP Logged)
Date: 13/05/2009 19:32

Can we join in ? We might be able to win against those teams !!

Re: Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland
Posted by: stevec (IP Logged)
Date: 13/05/2009 22:09

I think that the northern fans who resent expansion will like NI since if you extend the M62 onwards to the west doesn't it bisect the province?

Re: Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland
Posted by: Terrace-Culture (IP Logged)
Date: 13/05/2009 23:00

We'll have to ask our Warrington friend!!

Re: Rugby League experiment hits Northern Ireland
Posted by: 40:20 (IP Logged)
Date: 14/05/2009 14:38

He's gone quiet at the prospect of having to get the ferry every other weekend !!!

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