“They are in awe of what we have done” – Ralph Rimmer reflects on 2022 on home World Cup

Tonight is the Betfred Championship and League 1 Awards nights following in the footsteps of last week’s Man of Steel Awards.

To get things kicked off departing RFL Chief Executive Ralph Rimmer reflected on the last 12 months for rugby league, his last with the RFL.

Speaking on the OurLeague App, he said: “We’ve done some things this year that have never even been on the horizon for rugby league.”

He then spoke about conversations he’d had with other sports such as cricket about the way rugby league has come back with bang following the pandemic: “They are in awe of what we have done. We’ve not just come through Covid, but we’ve come through and doing something really bold.”

As part of this, he praised the likes of Premier Sports for ‘disrupting’ the status quo and allowing the sport to “punch above its weight.”

He then went on to praise Super League, Champions, League 1 and England sponsors Betfred: “This partnership is one of the best partnerships I’ve ever had.

“They’re innovators and full of energy. It’s a very embedded relationship which goes beyond Super League, the Championship to community rugby and wheelchair and it’s a privilege to have them on the England shirt.”

Speaking of England, they’re set to compete in a massive and inclusive World Cup with the Men’s, Women’s, Wheelchair and PDRL tournaments all taking place at the end of this year.

Rimmer spoke about the World Cup on home soil admitting that it might be the last on home soil for some time: “A World Cup on home soil, I’m not sure when that will happen again as we try and expand the sport.”

So, according to Rimmer, the sport is on the up at the moment as we look ahead to the World Cup and of course 2023 after a superb Super League season as well as terrific Championship and League 1 seasons.