England v New Zealand match at Olympic Stadium can help us grow the game in London, says Rugby Football League boss Nigel Wood
Not only is it a chance to topple the globe’s No1 ranked team and gain revenge for World Cup heartache, but England’s showdown with New Zealand at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday is the next instalment of rugby league’s quest to unlock a latent capital fanbase.
London has not staged international rugby league since a World Cup semi-final double-header in November 2013, during which England suffered an agonising last-gasp defeat to the Kiwis in front of 67,500 fans at Wembley Stadium.
History will be made as the Olympic Stadium plays host to its maiden rugby league encounter, while England could deliver a knockout blow in the three-Test series after Sunday’s 26-12 success against New Zealand at the KC Stadium in Hull.
The perception remains that rugby league continues to resonate more in the north of England, although tapping into the London scene and harnessing a lingering appetite for the game is a priority in the corridors of power.
“The capital is the capital for good reason and if you want to be taken seriously as a sport you need to have a proper, significant and respectful relationship with the capital,” Rugby Football League chief executive Nigel Wood told Morning Wire
“The prospects for rugby league here have never been better. Our research suggests there are about 10m people with an interest in rugby league and a fifth reside in London and the south east.
“There is the Challenge Cup final every year at Wembley and now the international programme is coming to the capital, which is as important as it could be.
“The potential is vast and we have to deliver a programme of events to keep those people interested and engaged. That is top of the agenda moving forward and is essentially what England versus New Zealand is all about.
“It will lead to other rugby league events there over the course of 2016 and 2017 and beyond. Right now, rugby league is on the cusp of some exciting times in London.”
London Broncos’ relegation from Super League in 2014 did little to boost the domestic game’s long-term standing in the south, and attempts have been made by the likes of Wigan Warriors to exploit that gap in the market.
In September, Wigan staged their Super 8s clash against Catalans Dragons at The Den – home of Millwall FC – while the club’s designs on the capital now extend to a permanent commercial office in London.
“We haven’t had a successful club side in London for a number of years and in the future you have to believe that can be regularised,” he added.
“There is too much interest in the sport in the capital for a club-based opportunity not to manifest itself in the future. We have to give those people that have an interest in the sport a more compelling offer to invest in. That’s our challenge over the next few years.”
Those are not the only targets being championed by Wood, who has challenged England to lift the 2017 World Cup in Australia and go unbeaten in each home series through to 2021.
“We have got a really good bunch of players right now and we do have to get to a position where we start winning series and winning tournaments as opposed to being valiant second-places,” he said.
“This series [against New Zealand] is an opportunity for us to remind the world that we are a fully-fledged contender when it comes to the World Cup prize.”
Limited tickets from £27 and hospitality packages from £150 are still available for the Olympic Stadium game at www.rugbyleaguetickets.com