North America To Host 2025 Rugby League World Cup

21 Nov 2016 | tshego

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North America will host the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, following support of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF).

The USA and Canada will host the 2025 edition, following its unsuccessful bid for the 2021 tournament which was awarded to England last month.

The decision was made at the RLIF annual meeting, where Nigel Wood – CEO of RFL in the UK – and Australia’s John Grant were re-elected as chairman and deputy chairman respectively for the next two years.

Canada’s first professional team, Toronto Wolfpack, will compete in English rugby league’s third tier this coming season as the game looks to develop in North America.

RLIF Congress supports the Board decision to award the hosting of RLWC2025 to USA and Canada pic.twitter.com/uDhAylD29y

— International RL (@IntlRL) November 20, 2016

RLIF chairman, Nigel Wood said: “The award of the 2025 World Cup to North America is a historic moment in the global development of rugby league.

“The USA and Canada provide world class stadia allied to a significant multi-cultural population, which made the bid so persuasive.

“It is exciting that our sport is expanding into a new destination for our premier event, the World Cup, and we will work… to expand the presence of our sport in these countries during the lead-in to the 2025 World Cup.”

David Collier, the RLIF chief executive, said: “The decisions arising from our meetings in Liverpool have given fresh impetus to the global expansion of the sport and we look forward to an exciting year in 2017, with the World Cup less than a year away and tickets now on sale for the matches in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.”