World Cup set to be postponed

It’s been one of the most newsworthy stories of the past month, but Rugby League Live has revealed that the Rugby League World Cup will be postponed and played in 2022.

Australia and New Zealand pulled out of the competition in July, with World Cup organisers desperately trying to come to an agreement to continue the tournament as planned.

However, that no longer seems to be feasible, with the World Cup set to be pushed back another year to ensure the Kiwis and Kangaroos can play their part, Rugby League Live has reported.

Chief executive Jon Dutton has earned considerable praise for the way in which he has attempted to maintain the tournament’s integrity, but following a change of attitude – from saying the tournament would definitely go ahead to then saying it was 50/50 – stakeholders have now been informed that it will not take place at the end of this year.

With calls to extend the Super League season following a number of postponed games, we could see an extended domestic season – though whether or not this would affect the fixture list in 2022 would remain to be seen.