Blogs.
Rugby League World Cup 21 – Host Nations
26th August 2022
With less than 50 days to go until the Rugby League World Cup, the excitement continues to build! As part of the tournament, Leeds will host the most games of any city involved in the World Cup, and is also proud to be the home of various nations throughout the World Cup. Below is more information on the respective nations which will be hosted within our city!
Jamaica (Men’s)
Known as ‘The Reggae Warriors’, the Jamaica men’s team will make their first ever appearance at the Rugby League World Cup. In 2017, Jamaica faced off against the USA in the ‘Qualification Play-Off Final’, where they would eventually win 16-10, beating the USA for the first time in their history.
Jamaica are currently 14th in the IRL rankings, and will face a stern test against New Zealand, Ireland and Lebanon in the Group Stages of the Rugby League World Cup.
Twitter: @Reggae_Warriors
Instagram: @Reggaewarriors
Facebook: @Jamaica Rugby League Association
Ireland (Men’s)
Known as the ‘Wolfhounds’, Ireland will be taking part in their fifth Rugby League World Cup. Their best run in the tournament saw the nation reach the Quarter-Finals in 2000 and 2008, with their last tournament in 2017 ending at the Group Stages.
The nation’s first international fixture was played in 1995, when Ireland beat USA 24-22 on St Patrick’s Day. Ireland are placed 12th on the IRL Rankings, and will be hoping to venture past the Group Stages as they face newcomers Jamaica, Lebanon and the World Number 1 ranked team, New Zealand.
Twitter: @Irelandrl
Instagram: @rugbyleagueireland
Facebook: @rugbyleagueireland
England (Women’s)
Known as the ‘Lionesses’, England will enter their fourth Rugby League World Cup, hoping to emulate their previous Semi-Final run in 2017. Competing on the international stage since 2008, England have won 70% of all their matches played, never finishing lower than the Semi-Finals of the World Cup.
Currently placed 3rd in the IRL Rankings, England will face Brazil, Canada and Papua New Guinea in the Group Stages, including their first match against Brazil at Headingley Stadium on the 1st November.
Twitter: @England_RL
Instagram: @englandrugbyleague
Facebook: @englandrl
Papua New Guinea (Women’s)
Known as ‘The Orchids’, Papua New Guinea make their second World Cup appearance after reaching the Quarter-Finals in 2017. The nation were the focus of a documentary called ‘Power Meri’, which outlined the team’s route to the RLWC 2017 in Australia.
Placed 4th in the IRL Ranking’s, Papua New Guinea will face England, Brazil and Canada in the Group Stages as they hope to emulate their previous success once again.
Twitter: @PNGOrchids
Instagram: @pngorchids
Facebook: @Oil Search PNG Orchids
Brazil (Women’s)
Known as the ‘Brasil Amazonas’, Brazil will make their debut at the Rugby League World against England at Headingley Stadium. The nation were the winners of the South America Cup in 2018, beating Argentina 48-0.
Brazil are placed 15th in the IRL Rankings, and will be looking to make headlines in their group, which features England, Papua New Guinea and Canada.
Twitter @BrasilRugbyXIII
Instagram @brasilrugbyleague
Facebook: @brasilrugbyleague
Canada (Women’s)
Known as the ‘Canadian Ravens’, Canada make their second appearance at the World Cup, after reaching the Semi-Finals in the previous tournament. With the nation’s side only being developed in 2017, Canada recorded their biggest victory in their last match before the tournament – recording a 42-10 win against USA.
With Canada 6th in the IRL Rankings, big expectations are on their shoulders as they face off against England, Papua New Guinea and Brazil in the Group Stages.
Twitter: @canadarl and @CRLA_Ravens
Instagram: @canada_rl and @canadaravens
Facebook: @canadarugbyleague and @Canada Ravens Rugby League
The Rugby League World Cup takes place between Saturday 15 October 2022 and Saturday 19 November 2022.
General admission tickets and hospitality for all 61 matches are now on sale!
Tickets can be purchased via: www.rlwc2021.com/tickets Be sure to follow @RLWC2021 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For any enquiries, please contact [email protected].