Rugby’s coming home as Yorkshire gets 2021 World Cup matches
THE UK has conquered competition from the US and Canada to stage the Rugby League World Cup in 2021.
The 31 match tournament will be held across 12 stadiums, and the Rugby Football League has proposed holding 80% of those matches in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
The RFL received a £25m grant to support its bid which also includes the Women’s 2021 World Cup and the Wheelchair 2021 World Cup.
Chairman of the RFL, Brian Barwick, said: “The news today that England has won the right to host the Rugby League World Cup in 2021 is transformative for our sport.
“The UK has a proud reputation for delivering world class sporting events and the Rugby League World Cup in 2021 will round off an incredible decade of major events in our country that began with the London Olympics in 2012. The hard work starts now, but we are confident that we can deliver.”
Minister for Sport, Tracey Crouch, said: “I am delighted that England has been chosen to stage the Rugby League World Cup in 2021. The government is investing up to £15 million to put on a world class show and up to a further £10 million into the game’s infrastructure as part of the Northern Powerhouse agenda – and to help Rugby League grow outside its traditional home.”
The Rugby League International Federation, which decides on host countries, has recommended that the 2025 tournament be staged in North America, which would be the first time it is held outside Australasia or Europe since 1954.
