Rugby league urgently needs not just a World Cup host but a long-term plan

T he phrase “one step forwards, two steps back” has been uttered so often in rugby league it could double up as an unofficial slogan. But last week, of all weeks, for the game’s followers it felt hard not to be let down by the direction of a sport that has so much potential on the field, but a frustrating lack of progression off it.

For the second consecutive time, the Rugby League World Cup is facing an existential crisis. If the decision to push the 2021 event back to last autumn was understandable due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this latest setback is much tougher to take.

France’s hosting of the tournament in 2025 was viewed as a seminal moment for an international game, breaking the cycle of World Cups alternating between England and Australia and suggesting that someone, somewhere could step out of the shadows and propel the sport into a new era.

Initially awarded to the USA and Canada in 2016 before that bid collapsed with more answers than questions, those involved disappeared without an explanation about what happened. Now France have cited financial pressures from its government for withdrawing as hosts.

That means yet again – barely two years out from its scheduled kick-off – rugby league’s most prestigious international tournament is in tatters. What happens now? A rushed process to find a replacement, with four countries stepping forward: New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and – surprisingly – Qatar.

There is already talk of stripping back the tournament just to get it staged. The reality is that without government support, major international rugby league tournaments are financially unviable. So how do things change?

“Those involved have got to radically change the business model,” said the chief executive of