The Rugby League World Cup was first held in France in 1954. This is an international rugby league tournament and it is contested by national teams of the Rugby League International Federation. An interesting fact about the World Cup is that since its inception, it has been held at various intervals – from 2 to 8 years, and has featured a lot of formats.
Australia, New Zealand, and France are the only 3 teams to have played in all of the tournaments, while New Zealand (1), Great Britain (3), and Australia (11) are the only three winners of the World Cup since its inception.
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup will be the 16th overall instalment and it will start on 23 October. This will be the first time in history where the Men’s, Women’s, and Wheelchair tournaments will take place together. All 61 matches will be played over 1 month in various venues. This World Cup will be fun and exciting, which is why we wanted to share the details and inform you about everything you need to know about it
Betting
You may have not known this, but betting on the Rugby League World Cup is pretty popular. It has been reported that millions of people around the world already started placing bets on the games and on the teams that they consider as favourites.
Most of the bets are placed online since online bookies have numerous advantages over the land-based ones. More betting options, better odds, better payout percentages, efficiency, easy access, availability, tons of bonuses and promotions, and anonymity are just a few to mention. All you have to do is register on their site (a process that lasts just a minute), and you’ll be all set. Speaking of bonuses and promotions, you might want to know that some online bookies require you to type in codes in order to claim them. These bonuses vary from free bets to bonus on winnings, and much more. When it comes to bonuses, the most reputable and most rewarding online bookie that we know is Bet365. This is one of the online bookies that feature codes, so if you want to claim their bonus, make sure you read this Bet365 bonus code review.
Host
This year’s host will be England. Historically looking, this is their 6th tournament in which they will act as host, more than any other team. England has hosted the Rugby League World Cup in 1969, 1970, 1995, 2000, 2013, and now in 2021. The Men’s team will also play the opening game, on Saturday, October 23 against Samoa. The game will start at 14:30 BST.
The original plans for this World Cup were made in 2015 and UAE was supposed to be the host for the 2021 Cup, but the plans fell apart when the national UAE sporting body placed a ban on the rugby league in the country.
After spending a year in various negotiations, it was announced in 2016 that England will act as the new host after they fended off a strong storm by both the USA and Canada.
Groups
There will be a total of 16 teams competing in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. For the record, the last tournament had 14. The teams will be divided into 4 groups and each group will have 4 teams.
Group A has England, Samoa, France, and Greece. Group B consists of Australia, Fiji, Scotland, and Italy. Group C has New Zealand, Lebanon, Jamaica, and Ireland, while Group D has Tonga, PNG, Wales, and the Cook Islands.
The first round will begin on October 23rd, the second round will start on the 29th, and the third round will begin on November 5th. The quarter-finals will take place on Friday, November 12th, and the semi-finals will begin on Friday, November 19th. The long-await final will kick off on Saturday, 20th November.
Venues
A total of 18 stadiums have been confirmed to act as venues for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. Some of the biggest names are included in this list. Old Trafford, Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, Emirates Stadium, St. James Park, and Elland Road are among them.
Other stadiums include Bramall Lane, Kirklees Stadium, Jones Stadium, Riverside Stadium, and the University of Bolton Stadium.
The Favourites
As the previous tournaments, the three main favourites to win the Rugby League World Cup are Australia, New Zealand, and England. Australia is the top contender out of the three. But, it is worth noting that Tonga and Fiji have been labelled as potential challengers and a threat to the throne.
Many experts have stated that the competition has never been fiercer. Plus, this tournament will include 2 more teams than the previous one, so that should add to the excitement.
