Rugby League World Cup: France pulls out of hosting tournament

The Kiwis during the 2021 World Cup. Photo / Photosport

International Rugby League expressed its dismay after France withdrew its hosting rights for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup today.

French organisers said they couldn’t fully meet financial guarantees for the risk of loss demanded by the French government, and relinquished the staging rights.

“It’s difficult to express how disappointed I am with this news,” IRL chair Troy Grant said in a statement.

Grant said the IRL board will meet in July to consider options for the 2025 World Cup.

England hosted the previous World Cup last October-November. It combined the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions successfully, but was delayed for a year by the pandemic.

The most obvious alternative to stage the tournament was Australia or New Zealand. They shared the event in 2017.

Grant praised the French organising committee for achieving a lot in a short time, and lamented the loss of a major opportunity to strengthen France as a rugby league nation by staging its own World Cup for the first time in 53 years.

“I respect the French government’s decision amid the challenges they are facing but I can’t hide my disappointment, that I conveyed clearly to them in person,” Grant said.

“We will now accelerate our consideration of other contingency options.”