‘Bolder’ Rugby League World Cup reveals host venues

The Rugby League World Cup, outside Old Trafford which will host the men's and women's finals (Credit: SWPix)

The 2021 Rugby League World Cup has set out an ambitious and inclusive platform as it revealed the host venues for the sporting tournament.

England is hosting the rugby tournament for just the second time in 20 years following a successful, but more modest, event in 2013.

The World Cup will actually be three tournaments in one, combining the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions for the first time. Overlapping schedules will see only three days without matches to create a festival of rugby league in the autumn of 2021.

The sport is aiming to make a much bigger impact with the tournament than in 2013, where it was presented as a celebration of the rugby league community and towns including Rochdale and Halifax hosted matches.

Jon Dutton, chief executive of the Rugby League World Cup 2021, described the announcement as “a very important milestone on a journey”.

He said: “We decided if we wanted to stage another World Cup in England it had to be bolder rather than before, and in doing so, capture the imagination of the wider population.”

The 2021 tournament is targeting aggregate attendances of 750,000 by using some of the largest stadia in the country. The ambitions have been supported by £25m Government funding through the Northern Powerhouse, where more than 80% of the games will be held.

The men’s opening ceremony will be at St James’ Park, Newcastle and the men’s and women’s final will be held as a double-header at Old Trafford.

England, who were beaten in the 2017 final by hosts Australia, are scheduled to play a quarter-final at Anfield and a semi-final at Arsenal’s home ground, Emirates Stadium, should they progress from their group. Other big games will be hosted at Elland Road, Leeds and Bramall Lane, Sheffield.

Rugby league venues, including St Helens, Warrington, Leigh, and the planned new stadium in Workington will each host three men’s group games, while further afield Middlesbrough and Coventry will host a match each.

Dutton added: “A commitment to government of staging the majority of the tournament in the northern powerhouse has been met, and slightly exceeded, and I’m hugely excited about delivering what would be the world’s biggest sporting team tournament in 2021.”

The tournament is being supported by a trade programme, which includes 16 international visits that each ends with an event at the embassy, and is being assisted by the Department for International Trade.

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