Breaking: 2025 World Cup will not be held held in France

On Monday May 15th 2023, an exceptional Board meeting of France2025 was held to deliberate on the finalization of the economic and financial model for the Rugby League World Cup 2025, whose organization was given to France by the International Rugby League.

Despite all the work carried out by the Organizing Committee, it hasn’t been possible to fully secure the risk of a deficit.

Despite the interest shown in this unique sport for all event with 4 competitions in one (Wheelchair, Women’s, Men’s, Youth) and accessible to all thanks to our ticketing rates, and despite the desire shown by several cities across France to host World Cup matches, the Board had to decide to renounce organizing this major international competition, which the International Rugby League had entrusted to France.

The conditions of financial viability initially defined by the State to support the project, set in January 2022, were not fully met, despite the search for solutions and the additional three months granted by the State to the organizing committee at the end of 2022.

This difficult decision was taken so as not to threaten the robustness of the major international sporting event models that France now wishes to promote.

In addition, the State will reinforce the support it provides to the XIlI rugby development plan supported by the Federation, to ensure that this sport has a better visibility and to make it shine again in France.

The France2025 Organizing Committee would like to thank all those who, in France and throughout the world, believed in this unprecedented project, the bearer of inclusive and societal values, as close as possible to the territories and the population, and who have resolutely committed themselves to its side: mayors, members of parliament, companies in the sports business, public and private partners, high-level sportsmen and women in all sports.