St James’ Park played host to the opening game of the men’s Rugby League World Cup as England hammered Samoa 60-6, with the women’s and wheelchair tournaments still to kick off.
The Rugby League World Cup, taking place a year late due to Covid, is the most inclusive of its kind with men, women and wheelchair teams all competing as part of one huge event. England got the men’s tournament off to a flying start, with the women’s (Tuesday 1 November) and wheelchair (Thursday 3 November) still to begin.
All three tournaments will come to a head in Manchester, with the wheelchair final taking place on Friday 18 November at Manchester Central and the men’s and women’s making up a doubleheader at Old Trafford on Saturday 19 November. For the women’s and wheelchair tournaments, the hope is that this will bring a lot more attention to their games than if they were held as standalone tournaments.
Inclusivity
The Rugby League World Cup follows in the footsteps of the Commonwealth Games to simultaneously hold events for all participants, with para-athletes benefitting from competing side-by-side with able-bodied competitors.
Sport England has invested £23 million into the tournament’s social impact programme and the organisation’s chief executive Tim Hollingsworth believes the Rugby League World Cup will leave a positive lasting impression.
He is quoted as saying: “This Rugby League World Cup will be remembered not just for being the most inclusive ever, but because of the impression it’s leaving on communities across the country.
“The simultaneous staging of the men’s, women’s and wheelchair events sends a fantastic clear message of inclusivity that is matched by the volunteer programmes running alongside it.
“That, combined with the investment in facilities that will last for generations to come, is exactly what our Uniting the Movement strategy is all about and we’ve been delighted to be so involved in the delivery.
“Everybody should feel they are able to access sport and physical activity, regardless of who they are, where they live or their background.
“It’s fantastic to see events on this scale helping to make that a reality.”
Women’s Rugby League World Cup 2021
Eight countries will compete across five venues in England for the right to be crowned world champions. Those countries are:
- England
- France
- Australia
- Cook Islands
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Brazil Canada
Australia are vying to replicate neighbours New Zealand by winning the tournament for a third consecutive time, with the Kiwi Ferns having won each of the first three editions of the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2000, 2003 and 2008. Hosts England will be hopeful that home soil advantage will see them reach a first final after reaching the semi-finals in each of the last three tournaments.
The Aussies are the big favourites to retain their crown at Old Trafford on 19 November and would be likely to meet either England or New Zealand in the showpiece event.
Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup 2021
This will be the fourth holding of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup and, like the men’s and women’s tournaments, was also postponed for 12 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a sport, wheelchair rugby league has grown hugely in popularity and can be played by both disabled and able-bodied participants, as Hull FC Wheelchair Rugby League player David Gill told Fen Regis Trophies. Like the women, there will be eight countries contesting the tournament, which are:
- England
- France
- Australia
- Wales
- Spain
- Scotland
- Ireland
- United States
England are one of the favourites along with France to win the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, having contested each of the last two finals (with France winning on both occasions). England did win the first holding of the tournament in 2008 and after suffering tight defeats (44-40 and 38-34) to France they will be eager to win on home soil.
England and France may meet again in the final in Manchester on 18 November at Manchester Central, with the two nations fancied to win their respective groups thus avoiding one another in the semi-finals, which will be played as a doubleheader at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport on Sunday 13 November.
This year’s tournament is also the first time that wheelchair players will receive the same participation fee as men’s and women’s players, and also represents the first time that prize money will be awarded in both the Women’s and Wheelchair Rugby League World Cups.
