The 2021 Rugby League World Cup has been postponed according to an exclusive by the Hull Daily Mail in a a move you could see coming from a mile away.
Once the Australian Rugby League and New Zealand Rugby League decided go withdraw from the World Cup, it was always long odds that the competition was going to be played in 2021.
Instead the completion look set to be played in 2022 with all nations taking part. Hopefully this time around the International Rugby League adds clauses for all participants to sign that will see financial penalties in place if they decide not to take part.
With the Delta strain of Covid 19 ravaging many parts off the world, it was a bad time to be playing a Rugby League World Cup. Especially when the biosecurity measure put out by the IRL seemed to be so inadequate.
When coupled with the fact that many Super League clubs have struggled to fulfil their commitments to complete games, and NRL teams have all now been moved to Queensland and been in some form of lockdown for the last season and a half, something eventually had to give.
The postponement of the Rugby League World Cup will take pressure off Super League clubs, allowing the Super League season to be extended and give teams a chance to catch up on games that have not been able to be played. It will give breathing room for the NRL to do something similar if the Covid 19 numbers in Australia continue to grow. It will allow Australian based Women’s Rugby League players to take part in the Women’s World Cup, and hopefully also allow the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup to go ahead next year with lower levels of Covid 19 in the general UK community.
Yes it is sad to see the 2021 World Cup postponed, but it was the right thing to do. It is just a shame that the decision was not made much earlier, and it didn’t take the Australian Rugby League and New Zealand Rugby League to force the issue.
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup has been postponed until 2022.
What do you think of this decision by the International Rugby League? @FergoFreakPod @NRLBreakingNews https://t.co/PBfm0LPDI8 #RugbyLeague #NRL #RFL #SuperLeague #IntRL #Rugby #BBCRugby
— League Freak (@LeagueFreak) August 3, 2021
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