RUGBY LEAGUE FOUR-NATIONS

 

Host Nation - Australia and New Zealand

Number of Teams - 4

2010 Four-Nations Snapshot - The 2010 Four-Nations is the 2nd instalment of the highly successful rugby league competition. With the ongoing improvement of 2nd tier nations, the successful Tri-Nations series has been expanded. The Four-Nations will take place in Australia and New Zealand in October / November 2010. The dates for the Four Nations were released on the 4th of February 2010.

Each team will play each other once in the pool rounds with the top two nations contesting the final. The Four Nations will run over four weeks. The format will be much like the early World Cup competitions. Wellington's Westpac Stadium will host the opening game between New Zealand and England. Melbourne's new rectangular stadium is also in line to host the England v Australia game. Rotorua's International Stadium will host the New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea match. Surprising everyone, Australia will play Papua New Guinea at Parramatta Stadium. Parramatta Stadium is located in rugby league heartland in western Sydney. The final will be hosted at the new home of rugby league, Brisbane's ANZ Stadium due to the near capacity crowds that have turned up to international rugby league games in recent times.

The 2009 Pacific Cup winners Papua New Guinea have secured their place as the fourth team in the 2010 Four Nations. Papua New Guinea are the only nation to have Rugby League as their number one national sport. Over the last 5 years they have been improving their local SP Cup competition and stamped their authority as the best team in the Pacific by winning the Pacific Cup. They also showed the world that they can compete with the big three after putting in great performance in the pool of death during the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

In late 2009 Papua New Guinea put a submission forward to the National Rugby League for the inclusion of a PNG based team in the NRL in 2013. In 2010 Papua New Guinea are once again out to prove they can mix it with Australia, England and New Zealand and are worthy of consideration for their own NRL team.

The 2010 Four Nations is shaping up to be the most successful Tri/Four Nations tournament staged to date and will continue with the Rugby League International Federation's (RLIF) plans to strengthen the international game at the top level.

Dear Readers, if you would like to talk more about the Four-Nations with other rugby league fans please visit our international rugby league forums at http://forums.rugbyleagueplanet.com and have your say.

• 2010 FOUR NATIONS RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS
• In League with Team and Supporters - 2010 Four Nations
• Peacock extends England welcome to Tonga-born Manu - 28/7/10 www.mirror.co.uk
• 'We've earned it' - 28/7/10 www.thenational.com.pg
• Four Nations boycott 'would be illegal' - 28/7/10 www.abc.net.au
• Four Nations boycott illegal, warns Carr - 27/7/10 www.smh.com.au
• Blow for Kumuls - 23/7/10 www.thenational.com.pg
• Manu may have big part to play for England - 23/7/10 www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
• MANU FLATTERED BY ENGLAND RECOGNITION - 23/7/10 www.sportinglife.com
• Lam to plot the course - 21/7/10 www.thenational.com.pg
• Kearney happy to walk in the park - 18/7/10 www.nzherald.co.nz
• Mac to focus on England - 14/7/10 www.skysports.com
• St Helens' Kyle Eastmond may miss rest of season - 7/7/10 www.bbc.co.uk
• Steve Renouf calls for an all-Maroon Test team - 3/7/10 www.foxsports.com.au
• Kumuls will be ready - 3/7/10 www.thenational.com.pg
• Time running out for Kumuls - 2/7/10 www.thenational.com.pg
• Chris Bridge ruled out of Four Nations tournament - 30/6/10 www.telegraph.co.uk
• no Blues good enough for Kangaroos squad - 29/6/10 www.dailytelegraph.com.au
• Has Papua New Guinea made the "Big Time" via inclusion in the Four Nations? - 25/6/10
• England can win Four Nations - James Roby - 15/6/10 www.bbc.co.uk
• Zeb Taia plans to keep in Kiwis frame - 11/6/10 www.stuff.co.nz
• Taia plans to keep in Kiwis frame - 11/6/10 www.tvnz.co.nz
• Kumuls not ready - 11/6/10 www.thenational.com.pg
• McNamara's England staff taking shape - 25/5/10 www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
• LOCKYER EXPECTS CLOSE TOURNAMENT - 6/5/10 www.sportinglife.com
• NRL imports sharpening skills Down Under - 6/5/10 www.abc.net.au
• McNamara will call in troops before Four Nations battle - 26/4/10 www.mirror.co.uk
• Smith to help England in Four Nations - 5/2/10 www.abc.net.au
• Chance for Kiwis to settle score at Eden Park - 5/2/10 www.nzherald.co.nz
• 4N's confusion highlights international problems - 5/2/10 www.guardian.co.uk
• Four Nations features Eden Park double-header - 5/2/10 www.stuff.co.nz
• FOUR NATIONS DATES SET - 5/2/10 www.sportinglife.com
• Kiwis first up for England - 5/2/10 www.skysports.com
• Games for England in NZ as 4 Nations fixtures unveiled - 5/2/10 www.dailymail.co.uk
• England to face New Zealand in 2010 Four Nations opener - 5/2/10 www.bbc.co.uk
• League returns to Eden Park - 4/2/10 www.tvnz.co.nz
• Suncorp Stadium to host final of Four Nations - 4/2/10 www.news.com.au
• Rotorua secures Four Nations rugby league test - 4/2/10 www.scoop.co.nz
• Opinion - World Cup and Four Nations can take rugby league forward - 3/1/10
• Kiwis to drop the black and white - 29/12/09 www.heraldsun.com.au
• Shock, horror: the Technicolor Kiwis - 27/12/09 www.stuff.co.nz
• England to start Four Nations series in Wellington - 23/12/09 www.guardian.co.uk
• Westpac Stadium caught up in clash of the codes - 22/12/09 www.stuff.co.nz
• City dips out on big league games - 10/12/09 www.stuff.co.nz
• Auckland Four Nations blackout could deny fans - 6/12/09 www.stuff.co.nz
• 'Festival' to christen new venue - 27/12/09 www.theage.com.au
• Melbourne to host Kangaroos matches in 2010 - 24/11/09 www.foxsports.com.au
• Eden Park targeted for Four Nations venue - 12/11/09 www.tvnz.co.nz

• 2010 FOUR NATIONS SQUADS

   

  Australia

  TBA

   

  England

  TBA

   

  Papua New Guinea

  TBA

   

  New Zealand

  TBA

   

   

Game 1

Oct 23rd New Zealand - England

Location - Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand

Crowd - (Capacity - 36,000)

 

Game 2

Oct 24th Australia - Papua New Guinea

Location - Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta, Australia

Crowd - (Capacity - 20,000)

 

Game 3

Oct 30th New Zealand - Papua New Guinea

Location - International Stadium, Rotorua, New Zealand

Crowd - (Capacity - 34,000)

 

Game 4

Oct 31st Australia - England

Location - AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia (Ground to be Confirmed)

Crowd - (Capacity - 31,500)

 

Game 5

Nov 6th Papua New Guinea - England

Location - Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand

Crowd - (Capacity - 50,000)

 

Game 6

Nov 6th New Zealand - Australia

Location - Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand

Crowd - (Capacity - 50,000)

Final Table

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
England	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Papua New Guinea	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Australia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
New Zealand	0	0	0	0	0	0	0