2021 Rugby League World Cup

The 2021 Rugby League World Cup will be the sixteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and will be held in England between 23 October 2021 and 27 November 2021. The tournament will include 16 teams, an increase of two from the last two tournaments.[1]

This article is about the men's tournament. For the women's tournament, see 2021 Women's Rugby League World Cup.

2021 (2021) Rugby League World Cup  ()
Number of teams16
Host country England
Matches played31
Tournaments
 < 2017
2025 > 

On 27 October 2016, it was confirmed that England won the hosting rights for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[2]

Host selection
Main article: Rugby League World Cup hosts

There were initially three bids for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup but the United Arab Emirates bid[3] had to be cancelled due to the arrest of Sol Mokdad at the behest of UAE rugby union officials.[4]

England, and the United States and Canada were the two remaining bidders of the event. The English RFL received UK government support - £15 million to enhance the tournament and up to a further £10 million into the game's infrastructure - for the event to be staged in the country. The RFL mentioned they wanted the event to be the most attended in history with over 1,000,000 people attending the grounds over the tournament's days. They were also planning to use 12 venues for the event which included non-purpose and rugby league-purpose stadiums.[5]

The United States and Canada bid was initially a sole United States bid from an Australian sports marketing agency, Moore Sports International (MSI). Jason Moore of MSI stated that rugby league has a strong following in several US markets and that fans new to rugby league and "who have a hunger for gladiatorial-style sports are going to fall in love with this extraordinary game".[6] Eight to ten cities, featuring venues from either the NFL or MLS, were planned for the event, offering Rugby League International Federation the opportunity to stage the tournament outside of Europe and Australasia for the first time.[7] Canada Rugby League later announced they wanted to be a part of the United States bid stating that the cities of Vancouver and Toronto could also potentially host matches.[8]

On 27 October 2016, the RLIF announced that England had won hosting rights for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.[9]

The World Cup draw was held on 16 January 2020,[10] hosted by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at Buckingham Palace.[11]

Qualification
Main article: 2021 Rugby League World Cup qualifying

The eight quarter-finalists of the previous tournament in 2017 earned automatic qualification to the 2021 tournament. As such, the allocations were confirmed as 6 teams from Europe (excluding hosts), 6 from Asia-Pacific, 1 from Middle East/Africa, 1 from the Americas, and 1 from an intercontinental play-off.[12] Qualification began in on 16 June 2018, and concluded on 16 November 2019.

Qualified teams
Region Team Qualification
method		 Previous
appearances		 Previous best result World
ranking
Americas  Jamaica Americas winner 0 Debut 20
Asia-Pacific  Australia Automatic 15 Champions (1957, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1985–88, 1989–92, 1995, 2000, 2013, 2017) 2
 Cook Islands Repechage play-off 2 Group stages (2000, 2013) 23
 Fiji Automatic 5 Semi-finals (2008, 2013, 2017) 5
 Tonga Automatic 5 Semi-finals (2017) 4
 New Zealand Automatic 15 Champions (2008) 1
 Papua New Guinea Automatic 7 Quarter-finals (2000, 2017) 6
 Samoa Automatic 5 Quarter-finals (2000, 2013, 2017) 7
Europe  England[lower-alpha 1] Hosts 6 Runners-up (1975, 1995, 2017) 3
 France European winners 15 Runners-up (1954, 1968) 8
 Wales[lower-alpha 1] European runners-up 5 Semi-finals (1995, 2000) 14
 Scotland[lower-alpha 1] Europe play-off 1 4 Quarter-finals (2013) 9
 Ireland[lower-alpha 1] Europe play-off 2 4 Quarter-finals (2000, 2008) 12
 Greece Europe play-off 3 0 Debut 11
 Italy Europe play-off 4 2 Group stages (2013, 2017) 13
Middle East-Africa  Lebanon Automatic 2 Quarter-finals (2017) 10
  1. Competed as part of  Great Britain in nine previous tournaments, finishing as champions on three occasions (1954, 1960, 1972). The squads largely consisted of English players, but also featured Welsh players in every tournament. Scotland (1954, 1968, 1977, 1989–92) and Ireland (1957) were represented by native-born players in some tournaments.

Venues

The full list of 21 venues to be used for the three tournaments (men's, women's and wheelchair) was announced on 29 January 2019.[13] Eighteen venues will be used for the men's tournament and in addition Preston was announced as a training venue for the tournaments.[13] The use of the as-yet unbuilt Workington Community Stadium as a venue was thrown into doubt after the 2019 Allerdale Borough Council election when control of the council changed and the new council showed less enthusiasm for the new stadium project.[14] In early July 2019 Allerdale Council confirmed that they would be unable to host any matches in the tournament. The tournament organisers responded that the three group matches planned for Workington would be re-allocated.[15] On 28 August 2019 it was announced that Kingston Park in Newcastle upon Tyne would host the three games originally planned to take place in Workington.[16]

Manchester London Liverpool Newcastle Leeds
Old Trafford Emirates Stadium Anfield St James' Park Elland Road
Capacity: 74,994 Capacity: 60,260 Capacity: 54,074 Capacity: 52,405 Capacity: 37,890
Middlesbrough
Stadiums in Greater Manchester
Stadiums in West Yorkshire
 Sheffield
Riverside Stadium Bramall Lane
Capacity: 34,742 Capacity: 32,702
Coventry Bolton
Ricoh Arena University of Bolton Stadium
Capacity: 32,609 Capacity: 28,723
Hull Huddersfield
KCOM Stadium Kirklees Stadium
Capacity: 25,586 Capacity: 24,500
Leeds St Helens
Headingley Stadium Totally Wicked Stadium
Capacity: 21,062 Capacity: 18,000
Doncaster Warrington Leigh Newcastle York
Keepmoat Stadium Halliwell Jones Stadium Leigh Sports Village Kingston Park York Community Stadium
Capacity: 15,231 Capacity: 15,200 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 10,200 Capacity: 8,500

Team base camps

Base camps are to be used by the 16 national squads to stay and train before and during the World Cup tournament. On 10 June 2020, these locations were released.[17]

Opening ceremony

The men's tournament opening ceremony will take place at St James' Park in Newcastle on 23 October 2021.[18][19]

Group stage

Draw

The draw was originally scheduled to be finalised on 27 November 2019, exactly two years before the date of the tournament final. However, the draw was postponed until 16 January 2020.[10] The draw was made at Buckingham Palace on 16 January 2020. Teams from pot 1 were drawn by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, pot 2 was drawn by Katherine Grainger and pot 3 by Jason Robinson.[20]

Pool Group A Group B Group C Group D
Seeded England Australia New Zealand Tonga
Pot 1 Samoa Fiji Lebanon Papua New Guinea
Pot 2 France Scotland Jamaica Wales
Pot 3 Greece Italy Ireland Cook Islands

With three groups headed by Pacific region teams, the decision was made to ensure that there was Pacific region team in each group, therefore Lebanon were left out of the pool 1 draw until after the first team from that pool had been drawn. With the other three teams in pool 1 all being from the Pacific region this would ensure that Group A (where England are the seeded team) would contain a Pacific region team.[21]

Key to colours in pool tables
Advances to knockout stage and qualifies for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup

Group A
Main article: 2021 Rugby League World Cup Group A
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Samoa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 France 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: https://rlwc2021.com/the-tournament/mens
23 October 2021 England  v  Samoa St James' Park, Newcastle
25 October 2021 France  v  Greece Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
30 October 2021 England  v  France University of Bolton Stadium, Bolton
31 October 2021 Samoa  v  Greece Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
6 November 2021 England  v  Greece Bramall Lane, Sheffield
7 November 2021 Samoa  v  France Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington

Group B
Main article: 2021 Rugby League World Cup Group B
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Fiji 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: https://rlwc2021.com/the-tournament/mens
23 October 2021 Australia  v  Fiji KCOM Stadium, Hull
24 October 2021 Scotland  v  Italy Kingston Park, Newcastle
29 October 2021 Australia  v  Scotland Ricoh Arena, Coventry
30 October 2021 Fiji  v  Italy Kingston Park, Newcastle
6 November 2021 Fiji  v  Scotland Kingston Park, Newcastle
6 November 2021 Australia  v  Italy Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens

Group C
Main article: 2021 Rugby League World Cup Group C
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 New Zealand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Lebanon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Jamaica 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: https://rlwc2021.com/the-tournament/mens
24 October 2021 Jamaica  v  Ireland Headingley Stadium, Leeds
24 October 2021 New Zealand  v  Lebanon Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington
30 October 2021 New Zealand  v  Jamaica Headingley Stadium, Leeds
31 October 2021 Lebanon  v  Ireland Leigh Sports Village, Leigh
5 November 2021 New Zealand  v  Ireland Headingley Stadium, Leeds
7 November 2021 Lebanon  v  Jamaica Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

Group D
Main article: 2021 Rugby League World Cup Group D
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
 Tonga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Papua New Guinea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
 Cook Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: https://rlwc2021.com/the-tournament/mens
26 October 2021 Tonga  v  Papua New Guinea Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
27 October 2021 Wales  v  Cook Islands Leigh Sports Village, Leigh
1 November 2021 Tonga  v  Wales Totally Wicked Stadium, St Helens
2 November 2021 Papua New Guinea  v  Cook Islands Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington
7 November 2021 Tonga  v  Cook Islands Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
8 November 2021 Papua New Guinea  v  Wales Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster

Knockout stage

The top 2 teams from each pool advanced to the quarter-finals. All quarter-finalists automatically qualified for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
12 November – Huddersfield
 
 
Group B winner
 
19 November – Leeds
 
Group C runner-up
 
Quarter final 1 winner
 
13 November – Liverpool
 
Quarter final 3 winner
 
Group C winner
 
27 November – Manchester
 
Group B runner-up
 
Semi final 1 winner
 
13 November – Hull
 
Semi final 2 winner
 
Group A winner
 
20 November – London
 
Group D runner-up
 
Quarter final 2 winner
 
14 November – Bolton
 
Quarter final 4 winner
 
Group D winner
 
 
Group A runner-Up
 

Quarter-finals

Quarter final 1
12 November 2021
19:30 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Group B winner v Group C runner-up

Quarter final 2
13 November 2021
14:30 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Group A winner v Group D runner-up

Quarter final 3
13 November 2021
19:30 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Group C winner v Group B runner-up

Quarter final 4
14 November 2021
14:30 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Group D winner v Group A runner-up

Semi-finals

Semi final 1
19 November 2021
19:45 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Quarter final 1 winner v Quarter final 3 winner

Semi final 2
20 November 2021
19:45 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Quarter final 2 winner v Quarter final 4 winner

Final
Main article: 2021 Rugby League World Cup Final
27 November 2021
17:00 GMT (UTC±00:00)
Semi final 1 winner v Semi final 2 winner

Broadcasting

At the moment only the United Kingdom's broadcasting of the World Cup have been confirmed. Australia's broadcasters are expected to be run by Fox Sports and a free to air broadcaster. New Zealand's broadcaster is expected to be Sky Sport.[22]

Country Broadcaster Matches
 United Kingdom BBC All 31 matches live, 16 matches on BBC1 or BBC2, Venue launch programme[23] and highlights programme[24]
OurLeague App All 31 matches live, exclusive post match interviews and OuRLeague highlights programme.[25][26]
RugbyAM (FreeSports) Highlights programme and post match interviews.
FacebookLive (RLWC2021 and Royal Family Pages) Group Draws for Men's, Women's, and Wheelchair. Hosted by HRH Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex.

In April 2019, it was reported that the digital strategy for the tournament will be led by Deloitte.[27] In May 2019, the RLWC organisers announced they were looking for an esport partner to engage new audiences with the sport.[28]

InspirationALL legacy project
Main article: Legacy of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup

The 2021 Rugby League World Cup commenced a legacy project called InspirationALL in 2018.[29]

Partnerships and suppliers
Partners and sponsors
Partner/supplier date announced area
Deloitte 30 April 2019 Digital services[30]
UNICEF 19 June 2019 Tournament charity[31]
Community Integrated Care 2 April 2020 Social inclusion[32]
Kappa 28 May 2020 Apparel (other than teams)[33]
Kuehne + Nagel 5 June 2020 Logistics[34]
Cube Partnership 9 July 2020 Merchandising[35]

Festival of Rugby League World Cups
Main article: 2021 Festival of World Cups

In 2019 it was announced that the RLWC contacted Rugby League governing bodies across the world regarding a 'Festival of World Cups'. Organisers have stated the festival of world cups will take place in the summer of 2021, before the commencement of the Men's, Women's, and Wheelchair tournaments, taking place in the autumn of 2021.[36]

Previous RLWC tournaments have also hosted a Festival of World Cups, which have historically included a University World Cup, Police World Cup, and a Defence Forces World Cup. 2021 is expected to include an emerging nations tournament for both men and women.

Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup

The Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup will be the first of its kind and take place in Warrington.[37]

References
  1. "Rugby League World Cup to feature 16 teams in 2021". Sky Sports. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. "Rugby League World Cup 2021: England chosen as hosts ahead of US & Canada". BBC. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  3. "UAE plans bid to host the 2021 Rugby League World Cup". skySports. 18 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  4. "Sol Mokdad issues public apology to UAE Rugby Federation to end criminal proceedings against him". TheNational. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  5. "England to bid for 2021 Rugby League World Cup". skySports. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  6. Caldwell, Dave (1 August 2016). "Plan Seeks to Aid Rugby's Growth With a Global Event on U.S. Soil". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  7. "USA submit bid to host 2021 Rugby League World Cup". Nzherald.co.nz. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  8. "Vancouver — and Canada — aiming to be part of 2021 Rugby League World Cup bid". TheProvince. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  9. "England to host RLWC2021 - North America recommended for RLWC2025". Rlif.com. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  10. "Rugby League World Cup 2021". www.rlwc2021.com. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  11. "Duke of Sussex to host Rugby League World Cup Draw". BBC. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  12. "Statement from the RLIF Board meeting - March 28th 2017". rlif.com. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  13. "2021 Rugby League World Cup: Emirates Stadium among host venues but Wigan misses out". BBC Sport. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  14. "Rugby League World Cup boss offers fresh hope to supporters of Workington shared stadium plan". Times & Star. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  15. "Allerdale Council pulls out of World Cup". Total RL. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  16. Knight, Chris (28 August 2019). "Kingston Park Stadium to host Rugby League World Cup 2021 games". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  17. "Kangaroos to be united in Manchester: World Cup team bases announced". National Rugby League. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  18. Seddon, Sean (29 January 2019). "Newcastle to host Rugby League World Cup 2021 opening ceremony and game". nechronicle.
  19. "Newcastle to host 2021 Rugby League World Cup". Newcastle United Football Club.
  20. "Rugby League World Cup 2021 draw: England drawn with Samoa, France and Greece". BBC Sport. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  21. "Rugby League World Cup 2021: How will Thursday's draw work?". BBC Sport. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  22. "2021 Rugby League World Cup | 2021 RLWC". www.rugbyleagueplanet.com. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  23. "2021 Rugby League World Cup: Venues to be named live on the BBC". 25 January 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  24. "Rugby League World Cup 2021: BBC secures rights to broadcast all 31 games". Sportspromedia.com. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  25. "Our League". App Store.
  26. "Our League – Apps on Google Play". play.google.com.
  27. "Deloitte's RLWC digital goal". www.sportindustry.biz. 30 April 2019.
  28. Corking, Graham (24 May 2019). "Rugby League World Cup 2021 search for esports partner".
  29. "Rugby League World Cup 2021". www.rlwc2021.com.
  30. "Rugby League World Cup 2021". www.rlwc2021.com.
  31. News, Melanie May on 29 June 2018 in (29 June 2018). "Rugby League World Cup 2021 partners with Unicef UK". UK Fundraising. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  32. "Rugby League World Cup 2021". www.rlwc2021.com.
  33. "Rugby League World Cup 2021". www.rlwc2021.com.
  34. "Rugby League World Cup 2021". www.rlwc2021.com.
  35. "CUBE Partnership announced as Official Retail and Merchandise Supplier of RLWC2021". www.rlwc2021.com.
  36. "Record numbers for Rugby League Festival of World Cups 2021". www.rlwc2021.com. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  37. "Warrington Chosen As 2021 Rugby League World Cup Venue". Wire FM.
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