The Super League general manager, Blake Solly, has said the Rugby World Cup is not a threat to the game and believes the sport can take advantage of the momentum the event will generate.
The tournament, which begins on Friday when England play Fiji at the same time St Helens and Wigan meet in a huge end-of-season battle in Super League, is a major opportunity for rugby league to attract new fans according to Solly, who believes the sport can benefit from the increased media attention on rugby in general.
“I don’t see the Rugby World Cup as a threat, I see it as a massive opportunity,” he said. “I think the Rugby World Cup will be an extremely successful tournament, but I don’t see it as a predator.
“Looking at rugby union or football as our only competition is naive. Rugby league’s competition is everything from Disneyland to a trip to the pub, not just rugby union or football.
“We are in the leisure and entertainment industry and not just competing with other sports for people’s attention and investment. I truly believe the Rugby World Cup will attract a new audience to, or remind lapsed fans about, how great live sport in general is.”
Although the tournament will directly clash with the Super League Grand Final – which is held at Old Trafford on the same night England face Uruguay at the Etihad Stadium – England’s international series against New Zealand will not begin until after the Rugby World Cup, and Solly believes that provides a great opportunity for rugby league to capitalise on the momentum generated by the sport’s rival code.
“We really believe rugby league is the simpler, more exciting and more dynamic version of rugby – so we have a golden opportunity with the Super League play-offs and Grand Final, as well as the international series against New Zealand immediately post the Rugby World Cup, to welcome a chunk of those people attracted to rugby by the World Cup to rugby league,” he said.
“We are in a really good position to exploit the opportunities presented by the Rugby World Cup. We still have a lot to do and will have to get things right over the next two months, but the early signs are positive that we will actually benefit from the Rugby World Cup, not suffer.”
