Stateside and beyond: IRL announces next RLWC host

Following the success of this year’s Rugby League World Cup, the International Rugby League (IRL) and Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) have confirmed their ambition to continue the code’s expansion, with the United States and the Pacific set to host the next iteration of the 72-year tournament.

It’s the first time that the event will be held in the Americas, with the governing bodies keen to capitalise on the growth of the sport through the Pacific nations and in the USA, with the NRL having already hosted their season opener in Las Vegas for the last three years.

The structure will also undergo changes once again, with the men’s tournament expanding from 10 to 12 teams and the women’s going from 8 to 10. The wheelchair tournament will be held in France.

It will also see changes in the match schedule with the IRL and ARLC adopting a Magic Round-style system, seeing all group stage matches for a particular round played at the same venue on the same day.

In a statement, IRL chair Troy Grant was looking forward to expanding the sport into ‘new frontiers'.

“This is a strategy to maximise the interest of broadcasters, government partners and fans in the current World Cup, which has regularly broken records for crowds and the number of television viewers because of the outstanding skill, intensity and passion of the players and teams,” it said.

“At the same time, we want to take advantage of opportunities that are opening up in new frontiers where the Rugby League World Cup hasn’t previously been played."

Host cities and stadiums will be confirmed at a later date.

The announcement also comes with confirmation of a slew of changes from the IRL, with semi-finalists Tonga and Samoa receiving Tier 1 status alongside the extension of eligibility rules to allow players to represent the nation their great-grandparent was born in.