Dave Craven: We must ensure positivity from the World Cup is not wasted

Don’t get me wrong, they were never suggesting this would be as big as last year’s sporting shindig down south, but there were a lot of shared buzzwords between the two.

There was always that lingering doubt the game could suffer a nasty fall and not quite live up to its billing in this ‘golden decade’ of hosting major sporting events.

Of course, there is the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow still to come next year before the 2017 Rugby Union World Cup and the 2019 Cricket World Cup too – all on the back of those Olympic heroics.

However, as we enter the knockout stages of the Rugby League World Cup it has been an unprecedented success.

Before we start on the actual competitiveness of the contests, the characters it has thrown up, record attendances, all the colour and feel-good tales it has generated, the actual television viewing figures alone paint a picture of progress. A peak audience of 2.2m watched England’s final group game against Fiji on the BBC last Saturday afternoon – a 15 per cent share of the total viewing audience across all channels.

The numbers are more revealing, however, when put up against rival sports; the England v Argentina rugby union international on Sky topped out at around only a quarter of that at just 571,000, while the live Premier League football on the satellite broadcaster did not compare either at 810,000.

Even the ATP Tennis World Tour Finals on BBC2 at the same time barely reached half rugby league’s total.

Hopefully, from all of that, some new fans – terraces, armchair or commercial – will be discovered and, most importantly, retained.

And that is the key. Making sure all the current positivity around the game is developed.

This is not just in terms of expanding that support base.

Seeing the so-called “lesser” sides that have enriched the tournament build on what they have achieved is paramount too.

In the wake of his side’s loss to Tonga, it was interesting to hear Italy coach Carlo Napolitano talk about his belief that his nation should be considered for a Super League franchise.

They were unlucky not to qualify for the quarter-finals after following up their shock friendly win over England with victory over Wales and a draw against the Scots. Admittedly, they currently have plenty of Australian-based players in their ranks.

However, Napolitano is convinced that Italians would follow a Super League side if it was introduced and that, in turn, would raise the sport’s profile in that country, increase participation levels and see more homegrown players developed.

The coach also explained how the sport there is looking to work in unison with the dominant Italian rugby union and break down previous barriers which is another encouraging sign.

It has to be hoped that all the good work – and good will – achieved over these last few weeks is not forgotten as soon as it has been gained.

Likewise, the strides Scotland and USA have made to secure their own places in the quarter-finals have been remarkable.

Scotland, perhaps more so than Italy, could argue it has the potential for a Super League franchise as it looks to build on these foundations.

That would certainly infuriate some in Cumbria, though, who have proved with the manner in which they have hosted games recently that their appetite for the sport has never been greater.

However, as the 14 nations are now whittled down to eight, it all adds up to some important decisions that must be made in the months ahead, not years.

Whatever the eventual plan, Scotland, Italy and the like cannot be left as an afterthought until the next World Cup comes around in 2017. That would be criminal.