Well the World Cup kickoff is getting closer and it seems very strange to me.
I remember when they announced the tournament would be held in 2008, I thought it was way to far away. Now, I hardly have enough time to book all my flights!
I’ve talked about some of the negatives in regards to team selections, but lets look at some of the positives now.
As we get closer to kickoff, there is a lot being talked about and a lot being said. Its all got me thinking, what would I love to heard from each team on the eve of the kickoff to the 2008 World Cup?
We know not all nations are on equal footing talent wise, and for some countries coming in and talking about winning the World Cup is just stupid. However, with the way the competition is set up, some sides like Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and France could find themselves in the semi finals and needing just one good performance to be running out against Australia in the final.
So what would I love to see teams saying?
Australia
“We’re coming into this competition as raging hot favorites, and let me tell you, we have every intention of living up to those lofty goals. We know we can not be beaten if we play our best football, and with this World Cup being played on home soil, we can’t wait to show why we are the World Champions. To anyone that wants to talk about the score lines, I will say this. If you come to watch Australia play you will be watching the best sporting team in the world at its peak. How can you not enjoy that!”
England
We can’t wait to represent our nation at the 2008 World Cup. We wish all other nations taking part good luck and hope the tournament is a great success.
Scotland
“We have tried really hard to bring together a group of players that can do the Scotland proud. We come from many countries all over the world, but we all have one goal. We want this to be a starting point for Scottish Rugby League. We hope that in 10 years from now people will look back on us as say ‘They started a movement that will see Scotland name a 22 many squad that was born and bred in Scotland’. That’s our goal.”
PNG
“Everyone has commented on our addition to the Super Group, and while we face the toughest challenge of any nation at the World Cup, we are looking forward to it. Rugby league is more than just a sport to us, its a religion. When we run out against Australia, New Zealand and England, we will have all of PNG behind us.”
Ireland
“In 2000 we saw the birth of Irish Rugby League. Over the last eight years we have seen great growth in the game back home and its been a fantastic boost for the sport. However over the last eight years we have had one dark cloud hanging over us. This year our goal is simple. We want to make the semi finals, we want to face England again. We want to set things straight.”
Fiji
“People aren’t talking about us and that’s fine, we like it that way. Its given as a quiet preparation. However we know that as soon as people see the style of football we play, we’ll be getting a lot more attention. We don’t have all the big names of some other nations, but we produce the better footballers. We intend to prove that in this tournament.”
France
“We were the nation that pushed the concept of a Rugby League World Cup back in 1954. Since then we have faces odds that would have seen other sports crumble and be resigned to the history books. But look at us, we’re still here. we are just starting to make our mark once again, and make no mistake, we will be one of the sports heavy hitters within the next 15-20 years. This French team has more professional players in it than any other French Rugby League team in history, and just think, we’re only going to get better from here.”
Samoa
“Over the last 20 years we have produces from professional Rugby League players than any other Island nation. We have to fight against other countries who try and lure our players away, and yet look at the quality of the players in our side. The whole of Samoa is behind us, and we intend to stamp ourselves as the best of the Island nations.”
Tonga
“We now know where we stand, its been a tough few weeks, but we finally have what we wanted all along. A squad of players fully committed to Tonga. While other countries have talked up their chances, we have just sat back, quietly confident. We are a nation of people born to play this game.”
New Zealand
“heading into the 2005 Tri Nations, no one gave us a hope in hell of beating Australia. Now, as we head into the World Cup, we have named a side with the goal of taking the ultimate crown from Australia. You can point to the players that are not in the side all you like, but the fact is this is one of the best teams New Zealand has ever produced. We know what our supporters back home want, we know what lies ahead if we become the first New Zealand side to claim the World Cup. That’s all the motivation we need.”
