The Rugby League World Cup has come to an end and was a massive success but it has left questions over what comes next for international rugby league.
IMG, in their recommendations for rugby league presented to Super League, Championship and League 1 clubs earlier in 2022, identified building the international game as an absolute must in the sport’s future and growth.
However, other than a clash between England and France which has been nailed down for April 2023, there is nothing quite settled just yet for the future of international rugby though it seems Tonga and Samoa are set for a clash at some stage.
The RLIF are said to be talking about the future of the game and have even included IMG in their plans.
However, not knowing the future of international rugby league seems to be a common problem.
That is the view of Leeds Rhinos legend Jamie Peacock who said on BBC last night after the Rugby League World Cup: “We’ve been saying this for so long, international rugby needs to sort itself.”
He thinks it’s important that the sport capitalises on the World Cup: “When you witness what happened today with the crowd getting involved, the amazing crowd and the amazing game we’ve seen, the three brilliant competitions we’ve seen and we don’t know what’s happening with England playing France in Australia.”
