Rival codes to play on during World Cup

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Rival codes to play on during World Cup

Tom Smithies From: The Daily Telegraph April 28, 2010 9:12AM

RIVAL football codes will receive Government guarantees that they can continue their seasons uninterrupted if Australia wins the right to host soccer's World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

The assurances from the Rudd Government remove the fear that the AFL, NRL and Super 14 competitions would have to be suspended - or even cancelled - during a World Cup hosted here.

The Government sweetener also includes a multimillion-dollar package for the rival codes to compensate for switching their games to non-World Cup stadiums.

The Federal Government will include the guarantee that the seasons won't have to be suspended in an agreement that will bind all codes into supporting the bid - with the Government prepared to sign it.

The NRL and AFL, in particular, have been up in arms over FIFA's insistence that no other major sporting event can be played in the same city as a World Cup venue for the duration of the tournament.




That and compensation for lost revenue have been the major issues confronting the taskforce charged with securing agreement from the other codes.

But sources close to the taskforce told The Daily Telegraph that no codes will be forced to suspend their seasons if they want to continue throughout a World Cup.

The stadiums used for the World Cup - up to 12 - will still be off-limits, but the other codes will be free to continue their seasons elsewhere, including big events such as Origin.

The source also indicated that broad agreement had been reached on the formulas for assessing which codes receive compensation for moving their games from grounds such as the MCG and ANZ Stadium. "Central to the agreement is an assurance that all codes will be able to continue their seasons in the event of a successful World Cup bid," the source said..

"Season continuity has the absolute backing of the Australian Government, which maintains that the home-and-away seasons of all codes should and will be played in the lead-up to and during the World Cup. These fixtures will not divert attention or resources away from what is the biggest single sporting event in the world."

FIFA's concern over competing events surrounds the ability of police, hotels and transport systems to cope with multiple commitments, and the source emphasised that the government does not believe that will be an issue with the other codes continuing.

FIFA's decision to allow a rugby international in Cape Town on June 12 - the day after France play Uruguay in the World Cup in the same city - is being cited as a precedent, along with the continuation of Major League Baseball in the US in 1994.

[Loppermann]

they'll be playing in front of 12 people...

[Red-4-Life]

i thought they werent allowed to have any other "major" sports on at the same time...


AFL and NRL = idiots

[DOC]

they wont be in the cities hosting wc matches on that day, so melb could have a afl match fri while world cup could be sat, but some matches will be pushed regional, in SA there is a rugby match the day ater a wc match

[Loppermann]

they wont be in the cities hosting wc matches on that day, so melb could have a afl match fri while world cup could be sat, but some matches will be pushed regional, in SA there is a rugby match the day ater a wc match

there's a rugby match?
here?
no one gives a fuck about it here though?

[ARodgers]

I think he means SA as in South Africa.

I'm less concerned about these minor sports continuing their season than I am about our serious lack of quality stadia.....

[DOC]

they wont be in the cities hosting wc matches on that day, so melb could have a afl match fri while world cup could be sat, but some matches will be pushed regional, in SA there is a rugby match the day ater a wc match

there's a rugby match?
here?
no one gives a fuck about it here though?

yes there is a tri nations match in south africa the day after one of the cities hosts a world cup match

[Loppermann]

I think he means SA as in South Africa.

I'm less concerned about these minor sports continuing their season than I am about our serious lack of quality stadia.....

ah