The RLFA has today announced the remade draw for the 2003 World Cup, after the shock inclusion of four new sides.

The cup has been expanded to include one new venue nation, with South Africa given host status after the tremendous success of the Capetown Ravens in Division Two this season. Other groups will be hosted in NSW and QLD of Australia, as well as the original host sites of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

GROUP A- NSW, Australia
Australia
Samoa
Wales
Germany

GROUP B- QLD, Australia
AA/TSI
USA
England
Ireland

GROUP C- New Zealand
New Zealand
Lebanon
Japan
Fiji

GROUP D- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Russia
France
Tonga

GROUP E- South Africa
South Africa
Cook Islands
Europe
Scotland

Predictions
Australia and Wales seem certainties to qualify for the finals from their pool. The Aussies and Dragons will meet for the Cardiff Cup for the first time since 2002. The clashes between Tonga and unknown entities, Germany, should prove interesting.

Group B has football fans salivating, with all of the member nations very strong. Ireland have been a dominant European side in recent years, whilst a change of coach seems to have resurrected the English Lions. USA and the Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islanders side will also push for an upset result here and there, although it should be the British Isles show here.

New Zealand are virtually guaranteed a finals berth after drawing a very easy Pool C. Fiji are probably the next strongest nation, but will be pressured by Lebanon. Japan's first foray into international league (aside from last year's clash with Russia), should prove painful.

Papua New Guinea and France will be the two favourtes to take out Pool D. Russia, like Japan, are not ready to compete internationally- but the always strong Tongan squad will provide some scares for the more well known sides.

South Africa, amazingly, will go in favourites for Pool E after drawing an easy group. The under-performing Scottish side and the woeful Cook Islanders will provide little danger to the Rhinos- whose greatest danger will be an always unpredictable European side who will field exciting junior, Scott Magro.

How did two top(4 or 5) ranked sides get put in the one pool?

Are they not weighted at all?

Yah Scott Magro!

Lebanon are sooooo feck, we'll be fielding our 6/3 army :drool:

(Yah I'm on 300 posts, I'm a Kanagaroo now)

Aside from the hosts being put in certain pools, no, I went entirely random.

Ireland will just have to deal with it. ;-)

Chris

Oh i'm cool with it, but if you have seeding why not use them? <_<

After this year we will, but the seeding system isn't effective at the moment given that most sides have yet to play most other sides- some have more/less internationals than others- and there are sides in here who have changed vastly.

I've started re-seeding as of the tri-series.

Chris

ahh should be sweet then.....


see the ASRL FC result :bang:

Hey i was just wondering, Do we have a squad to pick from or do we just gather some players by doing some research? And do we pick our 3 feeder players?

Some research would help, especially if you're coaching Japan or Russia- who currently only have a few players.

Both have/had websites though, so it shouldn't be hard to track something down. Even if you research their Union players to make up numbers.

I have no idea what feeder players you're talking about.

Chris

Just getting this to the top - is this the World Cup draw? If so is there a list of who plays when?

Cheers,

Mark F
England

Each nation has three trial games before the world cup starts...i'd say the draw will be made/released around the time of the 2nd or 3rd game.

Nathan