Happy New Year! The brand new issue of Rugby League World is on sale from Friday 6th January 2012. In addition to our usual outlets, the mag is also available on iPad, iPhone, Android and the web.
Rugby League is often referred to as ‘the family game’ and there have been many fathers, sons and siblings who have graced our sport throughout its history. Our cover stars, dad and lad Gary and Ross Divorty have both had the distinction of playing at Wembley; Gary for Hull in 1985 and Ross for Wales last year. It’s something they are both hugely proud of and which they discuss further inside.
Leeds Rhinos Maori star Weller Hauraki also has a family connection to Rangi Chase of Castleford Tigers and he tells us why he fully supports Rangi’s decision to play for England in a wide ranging interview.
Sadly, we lost one of the father figures of the Rugby League family recently, as the legendary Arthur Beetson passed away in December. Malcolm Andrews pays a fitting tribute to an Australian sporting giant.
Jason Demetriou talks to us about a long and varied career which now finds him spearheading a revival at Keighley Cougars as player/coach.
To guide you through the new season, we present a full fixture guide for Super League, Carnegie Challenge Cup, the Co-operative Championships and Northern Rail Cup and you can enter our fantastic competition to win a trip for two to watch your team play Catalan Dragons in Perpignan.
You can also help shape the future of the magazine by taking part in our readers survey.
Further afield, we pay a visit to Egypt where a group of schoolchildren have taken to the game with great enthusiasm and we have coverage of the recent tours to the UK by Ukraine and the Australian Institute of Sport.
The familiar name of London Broncos returns to Super League in 2012 and we hear from chief executive Gus Mackay about their plans for the game in the capital.
Add to all that a chat with Golden Boot winner Johnathan Thurston, expert opinion from Robbie Hunter-Paul, Jon Wells and Dave Hadfield, a new coaching column by John Stankevitch plus a few surprises too and we can confidently dismiss the claim that there’s nothing to talk about during the off-season!
We’ll be back next month with our massive club-by-club season preview issue. Don’t miss it.
Tell us what you think about the mag or any other Rugby League topic via our website forum, or on Twitter or Facebook or even just write a good old fashioned letter, your views are always welcome.
We also now have our own Youtube Channel where you can view videos linked to features in the magazine including our regular fitness training feature, Fit for Purpose.
John Drake – Editor
NB: You should be able to find a copy of the mag on sale in all good newsagents and many supermarket chains including Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys in the UK from Friday 6th January – if your local newsagent doesn’t have it in stock, ask them to place a regular order for you. You can also order a single copy or a subscription to be delivered by post to any address worldwide by clicking here.
Don’t forget we’re now available to read on the iPad, iPhone, Android and the web too!
