Jon Dutton: Rugby league calendar the Achilles heel for the international game
As he prepares to deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive World Cup ever, chief executive Jon Dutton has admitted the rugby league calendar is holding the international game back.
With less than 60 days to go until their opening match with Samoa, host nation England have played just once in 2022, as the sport continues to struggle to create gaps in the domestic schedule for meaningful internationals.
“The calendar has been the Achilles heel for the international game,” Dutton admits on the Love Rugby League podcast.
“There are only two professional leagues in the world. That is just the way it is at this moment in time, but there needs to be more international rugby league.
“The athletes, unlike other sports, are not centrally contracted. Rugby league needs a tournament like this to be the catalyst for international change. More regularity, and a set calendar. “
Jon Dutton: We have the chance to make a difference
Dutton believes that International Rugby League chair Troy Grant is a “force for the good” who wants to see change happen, and has urged other stakeholders to come to the table.
“It can only happen in collaboration with colleagues at the RFL, Super League and of course the NRL,” Dutton adds.
“It just feels like this is the moment in time where a breakthrough will happen. If you are a sponsor, broadcaster or private equity investor, you can start to say with a calendar, that you can invest in the long term rather than be hand-to-mouth as the sport internationally unfortunately has been.
“The business economics are complicated. We all want change but when the change happens we might not quite like it.
“The coming together of Super League and the RFL is a huge step in the right direction. All of my conversations with the NRL suggest they want to come to the table and be part of the conversation about the future. We are so passionate as fans about a sport that we truly love.
“This is a moment in time when we have the chance to make a difference.”