With 500 days to go until the opening fixture of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021), tournament organisers have announced that Leeds will act as the training base for men’s squads from Jamaica and Ireland, and women’s squads from England, Papua New Guinea, Brazil and Canada.

There is sure to be a carnival atmosphere in Leeds, as the city welcomes some of the biggest and best names in rugby league, across the men’s and women’s game, all six nations will be welcomed to what promises to be one of the biggest parties at RLWC2021.

No strangers to incredible sporting action and home to two venues at the tournament, Elland Road and Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds is in for a feast of rugby league action in 2021.

Councillor Judith Blake, Leeds City Council leader, said:

“We are incredibly excited that as part of Rugby League World Cup 2021 which is now just 500 days away, six teams in total from both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be based in Leeds.

“This is testament to the tremendous training facilities that we are able to offer as a city through many different sites, which includes as part of this tournament, those available at University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University.

“With two of our city’s most iconic venues Elland Road and Emerald Headingley Stadium also hosting matches as part of Rugby League World Cup 2021, we simply cannot wait to once again showcase Leeds to people from across the world in what promises to be a truly unforgettable tournament.”

Jon Dutton, RLWC2021 Chief Executive, said:

“Today marks another hugely exciting milestone on the road to Rugby League World Cup 2021 as we celebrate 500 days until the opening fixture at St James’ Park in October next year.

“Leeds is set to see some amazing action, hosting more matches than any other city. Now, with the city set to act as the training base to some amazing nations and rugby league cup debutants, Rugby League World Cup 2021 is set to be an unforgettable time for the people of Leeds.

“Our refreshed tournament identity and today’s nation base announcement can serve as an exciting reminder for the people of Leeds of what’s to come in 2021 as we continue to build momentum towards what promises to be the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup in history.”

The squads from the 21 unique nations and 32 teams will be based in different locations. The full list of host towns and cities, and the corresponding nations is as follows:

• Bolton – France (Men’s)
• Doncaster – Samoa (Men’s)
• Hull – Fiji (Men’s)
• Leeds – Jamaica, Ireland (Men’s) | England, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Canada (Women’s)
• Liverpool and St Helens – Tonga, Italy (Men’s teams)
• London – England, Australia, Norway, Spain (Wheelchair)
• Manchester – England, Australia (Men’s)
• Newcastle – Scotland (Men’s)
• Preston – Wales (Men’s)
• Sheffield – Greece (Men’s) | France, Wales, Scotland, USA (Wheelchair)
• Tees Valley – Cook Islands (Men’s)
• Warrington – Papua New Guinea (Men’s)
• Wigan/Leigh – Lebanon (Men’s)
• York – New Zealand (Men’s) | Australia, New Zealand, France, Cook Islands (Women’s)

All the host cities and towns, including those who won’t be a dedicated team base (Coventry and Kirklees), will form a huge part of making the tournament a success, welcoming players from around the world and adopting them as their own, as they get behind them and cheer them on in 500 days’ time. Following this announcement, the fixtures for all three tournaments will be announced in the coming months.

RLWC2021 has today also revealed new branding for the tournament, celebrating the power of together, focusing on human interest stories and emotional connections, with the goal of connecting with a universal audience.

The new branding will also include bespoke elements from each host, drawing on recognisable icons and displaying the sense of civic pride each host has for its town or city. RLWC2021 will be asking people from each town and city to vote on the icons that make up their custom patterns in the coming months and will be doing something similar for the nations towards the end of the year.

Please visit www.RLWC2021.com for more information and for details on how to sign up to the receive ticket alerts and all the latest news first.

ABOUT RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2021

The Rugby League World Cup is the pinnacle major event of rugby league, globally contested every four years. England 2021 will be a breakthrough moment in the tournament’s history with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions being staged together for the first time.

The three tournaments will take place across 21 venues throughout England. Both the women’s and wheelchair competitions will be contested by two groups of four teams, whilst the men’s tournament will see 16 teams compete across four groups.

RLWC2021 will be the most visible rugby league event in history with all 61 games in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions being broadcast live on the BBC.

Mission: Delivering the biggest and best ever Rugby League World Cup.

Vision: Creating inspirational moments that excite, engage and leave a long-lasting legacy.

The event vision is underpinned by five strategic goals:

1. To be the most attended and viewed Rugby League World Cup ever.
2. To deliver a profitable tournament.
3. To leave a long-lasting legacy.
4. To increase profile and visibility for Rugby League.
5. To be the most digitally connected sports entertainment event in 2021.