Dublin Blues eye rugby league League One place in Ireland
Bid to join the third tier set to be lodged in the next month - but Belgrade, New York and Villeneuve set to rival them
IRISH eyes could soon be smiling on rugby league as Dublin Blues eye a place in League One.
And the people behind it believe it can unlock a new powerhouse in the 13-a-side game.
An application will be made to the Rugby Football League in the next month about them taking a place in the third tier for 2020.
Talks are set to take place about playing out of Morton Stadium at the outset on Saturday evenings with a view to a move to Tallaght in future as it is hoped the Blues' inclusion would give union talent that does not make it the chance to shine and make the national side stronger.
Primarily made up of Irish-born players, there would be some 'heritage' players brought in, with former Salford man James Hasson a key target.
It is also not going to be a rapid rise to Super League, unlike Toronto Wolfpack, but big name sponsors, new fans and even a push towards America are being talked about.
One of the men behind the bid, Kieron Brown, told SunSport: “For Ireland to succeed in rugby league, this team needs to happen.
“We’ve got the business plan, it’s just that timing is everything but little things are already happening.
“80 per cent of the squad will be Irish born. Any heritage players would have to give something back, like being a development officer.
“We know we’ll have to pay for teams to come over but we’re looking at certain airlines to come on board as sponsors and every major company has offices in Dublin.
“We’re trying to go to 11 and 12-year-old kids now saying, ‘Come and play rugby league,’ but there’s no professional team in Ireland. We’ve got to give them this avenue and union clubs have about 80 players for each position, surely some of those can be good rugby league players.
“And I’m told the RFL knows of people in Ireland willing to invest in rugby league.”
Ireland narrowly missed out on the quarter-finals of last year's World Cup but developing rugby league in the Republic is key.
It would cost about £250,000 a season to operate a side in Ireland but if things get off the ground, a team north of the border in Belfast is also a possibility in the next 10 years.
Friendlies pitching the best players in Ireland against League One sides next pre-season are being discussed.
However, the Dublin bid is likely to face competition from New York, French club Villeneuve and Belgrade for a 2020 spot.
Potential broadcast deals are being talked about and Brown feels Dublin would be a popular addition – especially if New York get in too.
He added: “New York v Dublin in the same division. You’ve got a marketing dream for a St Patrick’s Day game.
“And nine out of 10 people reply when asked, ‘Where should the game expand to?’ with, ‘Dublin.’ Ideally we’d want 1,000 fans at a game and Ireland stuff like kit will sell all over the world. There’s a lot to get our teeth into.”
