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Turning a profit Rugby League comes out ahead despite problems
MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Rugby league's much-criticized World Cup tournament generated more than 2 million pounds (U.S. $3 million) in profits, organizers said Monday. Despite disappointing crowds for the 31-match competition, the game's international rulers will have a surplus to spend on the game's worldwide development. The tournament was plagued by ticketing fiascos, poor marketing, bad weather and low attendance figures. But lucrative commercial and broadcasting deals ensured the tournament ended up well in the black. "There are clearly lessons to be learned but an event that produces a surplus before distributions of six to seven million Australian dollars hardly represents a failure, as some people have been claiming," said Rugby Football League chairman Sir Rodney Walker. "And that leaves the International Federation for the first time ever with sufficient funds to be able to assist with the development of the game around the world." The tournament was won by Australia, which defeated New Zealand 40-12 at Old Trafford on Saturday for the Kangaroos' 10th world title. Walker, who is vice chairman of the international federation, said it had been a mistake to stage the bulk of the group matches away from the heartland and regretted the decision to play the opener at Twickenham on a Saturday evening. "Clearly we weren't helped by the weather, transport difficulties and the like but I think we have learned from our mistakes," he said. "We would probably take fewer games away from the heartland and we would have started the competition differently, probably with a different time and venue. And we would certainly want the major opening game to be the first game on television." Walker said he believes the World Cup will return to Britain in 2004. The Australians are reportedly considering a plan in conjunction with New Zealand for an eight-team competition in 2004, with matches taken to regional centers around the country and the semifinals and final held in Brisbane, Auckland and Sydney. But the league's director of rugby Greg McCallum, an Australian, has cast doubt over the viability of a rugby league tournament in the Australian summer. Walker insists that Britain is the only feasible option. The international federation will next meet in March, probably in Papua New Guinea, but a decision on the 2004 World Cup venue is not due until October.
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