SYDNEY, Nov 9, (Net) : Five cities across the Pacific and the United States will host the joint men’s and women’s 2030 Rugby League World Cup, organisers announced Monday, as the sport looks to tap into lucrative new markets.
The tournament currently underway in Australia has attracted record crowds and television ratings, with big support for nations such as Tonga and Samoa.
The International Rugby League said its success had generated unprecedented interest in the United States where there are significant Pasifika communities.
“The IRL board has decided that the next Rugby League World Cup for men and women in 2030 will be staged in the Pacific-USA,” IRL chairman Troy Grant said in Sydney.
“This is a strategy to maximise the interest of broadcasters, government partners and fans in the current World Cup, which has regularly broken records for crowds and the number of television viewers.
“At the same time we want to take advantage of opportunities that are opening up in new frontiers where the Rugby League World Cup hasn’t previously been played.”
The 2030 World Cup will expand the number of countries taking part by two to 12 for men, and to 10 for women from the current eight.
The host cities have yet to be decided.
