UPDATE: York will be a Rugby League World Cup 2021 host city! York’s new stadium will host a women’s group game and both women’s semi-finals. More to follow.
The wait is almost over for York and the other English towns and cities hoping to host matches in the Rugby League World Cup 2021.
A total of 40 applicants met last July’s deadline to submit bids and the winners will be announced in Manchester from 9am today (Tuesday).
The great and the good from York were gathering at the Everyman Cinema to await the verdict. It was being live screened there between 9am and 9.30am.
Organisers will unveil up to 14 venues for the 31 matches in the men’s tournament and other venues for the women’s and wheelchair events which will be run alongside for the first time, resulting in a total of 32 teams competing across 64 games in two months from October 27, 2021.
Officials will also reveal which of the 40 other applications to provide training camps for the 16 teams have been successful.
Northern Powerhouse
- Host six pool games and one semi-final of the Women’s World Cup
- Host four women’s teams and one men’s team in the city
Partners in the bid to #LineUp4York and bring the cup to the city include:
- City of York Council
- York St John University
- University of York
- Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL)
- York City Knights
- Make it York
It is already known that 80 per cent of the men’s fixtures will be played in the northern powerhouse as a result of Government backing worth £25 million, including a £10m legacy pledge.
So approximately 24 of the 31 games will be staged in the game’s traditional heartland and, to reach their ambitious targets, organisers will opt for cities rather than towns and for stadia with at least 12,000 capacities.
Games will take place exclusively in England after organisers ruled out taking fixtures to France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales as they have in the past when the Rugby Football League has acted as hosts.
So St James’ Park, Elland Road, Anfield and the Etihad are also all in the running to host the opening ceremony and the first game which will feature England, while the final looks likely to be held once more at either Wembley or Old Trafford.