Rugby League World Cup To Generate £155m
The 2013 Rugby League World Cup is expected to generate around £155m for the economy according to RFL Chairman Richard Lewis.
The tournament was officially launched after the RFL hosted a kick-off event at Salford’s new MediaCityUK development.
The 2013 competition, which will be contested in venues throughout England and Wales, will be the fourteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and has already been backed by the Welsh Assembly Government, Welcome to Yorkshire and the North West Regional Development Agency.
Speaking at the tournament’s kick-off event Lewis said: ‘The 2013 World Cup will generate a welcome boost to the region’s economies, generating an economic impact of £155m, with over 200,000 fans expected to attend games.’
‘Our aim is to build on that success and to deliver a profitable tournament that further enhances the international game across the globe and raises the profile of the sport in the UK.’
‘Rugby League is vital to the North West and Yorkshire economy, generating nearly £100m per year and supporting in the region of 1600 jobs.
‘Our benchmark is the 2008 tournament when global television audiences peaked at 19.2 million making it the most widely broadcast event in the game’s history,’ added Lewis.?
Critical to the successful delivery of the tournament will be the selection of appropriate host venues across England and Wales and The RFL announced that they will be initiating a tendering process to select these host venues early in 2011.
RFL director of projects and planning, Sally Bolton, said: ‘Previous World Cups staged in the UK, particularly in 1995 and 2000, saw many of the host cities and towns benefit from a positive economic and social impact in their area.’
‘We want to build on that success and intend to stage the best World Cup to date. To do this we will be seeking enthusiastic host towns and cities who will work with us to bring the tournament to life through connecting with communities.’?
‘There will be opportunities to host individual matches as well as team camps and to build a programme of associated events and activities around the tournament that will deliver a long term legacy for both the sport of Rugby League and the areas that will become event hosts,’ added Bolton.
Australia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Papua 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.?
