Wane Urges Rugby League to Boost Self-Promotion Ahead of England Clash
Ahead of England’s international clash against France, England boss Shaun Wane has urged the sport of rugby league to do more in terms of self-promotion. With an ankle injury preventing Wane from travelling to Toulouse for the double-header between England’s men’s and women’s teams, assistant coach Andy Last will take charge of the Test matches on Saturday.
The fixtures come just hours after Toulouse’s union side defends its Top-14 title against Bordeaux in the sell-out Final at Stade Velodrome in Marseille. Despite an expected crowd of around 10,000 for the Anglo-French rugby league affair, Wane believes the sport needs to do a better job of showcasing its impressive feats.
“We can do a lot better in bragging about our game, without a shadow of a doubt,” Wane told Love Rugby League.
The England head coach used the example of a 2020 Wigan-St Helens match, where the ball was in play for over 60 minutes with minimal stoppages, and Saints captain James Roby making an astounding 67 tackles.
“There’s not a sport in the world – not Aussie Rules, not NFL – with athletes that could do what ours did that day. And nobody knew,” Wane lamented.
Wane also acknowledged the need for better alignment between Super League clubs and the national team, stating “the benefits to our game is the international game.” The upcoming fixtures against France and Samoa this autumn are among just a handful of Test matches for England in 2024, leading Wane to suggest rugby league remains too club-dominated.
“The international game is the future. Rugby union has proved that many, many times,” he concluded.
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