Ongoing Interest In RLWC

The RFL says there has been significant interest shown in staging matches in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup by towns and cities across the UK.

Seminars in Cardiff, Leeds and Manchester have focused on hosting criteria and the considerable benefits from being involved in the 14-nation tournament.

Sally Bolton, the RFL?s Director of Events and Projects, is more than happy with the way plans are progressing.

?The interest we have received from potential host towns and cities is very encouraging. There is clearly a real excitement around the country about the opportunities that involvement in the tournament could bring to towns, cities and regions.

?There is an acknowledgement that the opportunity to host a World Cup in any sport doesn?t come along very often and we expect competition for hosting opportunities to be fierce.?

The 2013 England and Wales World Cup was officially launched last November and will involve 14 nations, two of whom will gain entry through their participation in qualifying tournaments played in 2011.

Australia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, Samoa, Scotland, Tonga and Wales have all been confirmed as competing nations and they will be joined by one qualifier from a European Qualifying Group consisting of Italy, Lebanon, Russia and Serbia and one qualifier from an Atlantic Qualifying Group consisting of Jamaica, South Africa and the USA.

The RFL and Rugby League International Federation, joint organizers of the 2013 World Cup, announced at the weekend that Philadelphia was successful in its bid to host the Atlantic Zone qualifying series in October.

The World Cup?s structure will consist of two groups of four, with England drawn alongside archrivals Australia, Fiji and Ireland in Group A and World Cup holders New Zealand facing Pacific Island rivals Papua New Guinea, Samoa and France in Group B. Scotland will face Tonga and the European qualifiers in Group C and joint hosts Wales have been drawn against the Cook Islands and the Atlantic qualifiers.

Source/Author: RFL