Rugby League World Cup offers London chance to shine
England legend Martin Offiah has championed the decision to take the Rugby League World Cup to the South for this year’s trio of tournaments.
The men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions are due to take place concurrently in the same country for the first time when they get under way next month, a year later than planned.
One of the men’s semi-finals will take place at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium while the wheelchair matches will be housed in east London’s Copper Box Arena – the next most southern venue is the Coventry Building Society Arena in the East Midlands.
“It’s awesome for London,” Hackney-born Offiah told Morning Wire “London has a rich history in rugby league with some great players currently plying their trade in the Super League.
“Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook [St Helens] and Kai Pearce-Paul at Wigan, there’s always been a fruitful hotbed of budding talent.”
Former Woman of Steel – the accolade equivalent to player of the year – and member of the England Women’s squad Jodie Cunningham agrees.
“I know quite a lot of the wheelchair players who were [in London] for the Paralympics in 2012, they’re really excited to get the opportunity to get out and play there in front of a packed crowd,” she said.
“And for the first game that’s not football at the Emirates [to be rugby league] is impressive as well, that’s going to be history in the making.
“It gives us national reach, and we can spread into areas that maybe traditionally haven’t been so strong.”
England are among the favourites for all three competitions this year but face stiff opposition from New Zealand and, primarily, holders and 11-time winners Australia.
England Women’s squad was named earlier this week and included a good balance of youth and experience – as well as every Women of Steel winner since its 2018 inception.
The men’s party will be named on Friday but it is expected that their squad, too, will be extremely competitive – especially with some potential inclusions playing in Australia’s league as well as in the famously brutal State of Origin.
“One person I expect to be on that team sheet is Tommy Makinson,” added Offiah, who was speaking at grassroots club Brixton Bulls yesterday. “I thought he was heroic in the Grand Final. England will be up against it but we are playing on home soil and need to back ourselves.”
The Bulls have been part of National Lottery funding which has seen millions put into grassroots sport – and £9.3m into the development of league.
The National Lottery funding includes £750,000 to support communities across England through the RLWC21 CreatedBy Grants Programme