Date: 24/10/17 (Photo Credit: NRLPhotos)
The pinnacle of international Rugby League competition, the Men’s and Women’s World Cups start in Australia on Friday October 27th when Australia host England in the opening game of the Men’s competition in Melbourne as 6 weeks of intense competition begins.
During the competition, leaders of the sport from all corners of the world will gather for the RLIF Annual General Meeting and to receive the Annual Review. It will be a momentous few weeks for Italy who have not only qualified for the Men’s World Cup but have also passed the criteria required for nomination as a Full Member of the RLIF at the AGM in Sydney on 1 November.
David Collier OBE, RLIF Chief Executive Officer, is looking ahead to the competition and to meeting with the RLIF members from around the globe.
“RLWC2017 will be a fantastic experience as the 14 best male teams in the world fight for their place in the final and for our female teams to showcase the progress made in Women’s Rugby League. There will be games played over an extensive geographical area, taking in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea as well as the major centres across Australia. Thousands of fans will enjoy the games in the stadia and millions will watch on TV, it is a great showcase for the sport.”
“Rugby League has had another good year in 2017, our membership has grown to 71 nations and our Annual Review demonstrates the progress made within every continent.”
“The World Cup is an amazing experience for everyone involved and I send my best wishes to the host organisers, the competing teams, the officials and all supporters. The Host Nations have worked exceptionally hard to get to this stage and now we can focus on the excitement on the pitch.”
One important part of David Collier’s journey to Sydney will be to transport with him the RLIF Golden Boot Trophy. At the conclusion of the tournament the best player in the world will be awarded the Golden Boot for 2017. There are several outstanding contenders but it is likely that a strong performance at RLWC2017 will provide the judging panel with the compelling evidence to make their final choice.
