The Rugby League World Cup 2017 (RLWC2017) Organising Committee (OC) today announced the Draw for the Tournament to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 27 October – 2 December 2017.
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium will host a blockbuster opening match of the RLWC2017, when the home nation, the Kangaroos, begin their campaign under lights against England on Friday 27 October.
On Saturday 28 October, the Kiwis first pool match will be played at the home of Rugby League in New Zealand – Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium – when they take on Pacific rivals Samoa.
In October 2015, the RLWC2017 OC announced Papua New Guinea (PNG) as a hosting partner of the World Cup, with Port Moresby to host the PNG Kumuls’ three pool matches against two European Qualifiers and the USA. The first match is scheduled for Saturday 28 October and in a country where Rugby League is the national sport, the passionate fans of PNG are sure to embrace the sport’s pinnacle event.
The winner of the RLWC2017 will be decided at Brisbane Stadium on Saturday 2 December, as the two finalists battle it out for the right to hold aloft the Paul Barrière trophy and claim the title of World Cup winners.
RLWC2017 Chief Executive Officer, Michael Brown, said the Organising Committee made a deliberate decision to take the Rugby League World Cup to more fans than any World Cup has done before.
“The Tournament Draw demonstrates how far and wide we are taking matches, from established Rugby League communities, to those new and emerging fan bases in all three countries.
“Over the course of the pool stages we have looked to position matches in strong Rugby League communities and where large populations of ex-pats, Pacifica and indigenous fans live, to give those who love the sport and their national teams the chance to see some World Cup action.
“The decision to take matches to places like Darwin, Perth, Christchurch and Port Moresby were made with the future of the game in mind. They are matches we believe will give profile to the sport in markets that have already shown an appetite for Rugby League.”
The RLWC2017 Tournament Draw is family-friendly by intention, with all matches to be played across the weekend including Friday night games. There will be three double-headers in Cairns, Perth and Townsville, providing additional value for money for fans.
When not attending games, fans will experience some of the most iconic sporting destinations in the world. Sports enthusiasts will be able to explore the diversity of the eight host cities across Australia to New Zealand’s compact nature that simplifies travel and makes it easy for visitors to access all venues while experiencing a variety of tourist attractions along the way. The welcome and hospitality supporters will receive when visiting all three host nations will make the RLWC2017 a bucket list item for sports fans worldwide.
“We not only want to see traditional rugby league fans come out to support their national team, we aim to engage with the local communities of all participating teams to deliver an event that will entertain the world, inspire communities and celebrate Rugby League,” continued Brown.
“Rugby league is truly a game for everyone. We hope the Rugby League World Cup 2017 leaves a legacy for the game that sees it continue to grow and dominate the sporting landscape.”
With 11 teams already confirmed, the final three teams will come from the European Qualifying Tournament to be played in October and November this year. The teams who are still in the race include Wales, Ireland, Russia, Serbia, Italy and Spain.
The pool structure reflects that of the successful 2013 Tournament. The composition of the pools for RLWC2017 were shaped by a number of considerations, including the final placings from the 2013 World Cup and current world rankings
Pool A: Australia, England, France and Lebanon
Pool B: New Zealand, Samoa, Scotland and Tonga
Pool C: Papua New Guinea, European Qualifier 1 and European Qualifier 2
Pool D: Fiji, USA and European Qualifier 3
As co-hosts of the tournament, the RLWC2017 OC wanted to give certainty to the Australian and New Zealand fans who want to pre-arrange travel to these matches to support their team.
The Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) has approved that if Australia qualifies for a Quarter-Final, it will play in Darwin. If New Zealand qualifies for a Quarter-Final, it will play in Wellington. If Australia and New Zealand were to play each other in a Quarter-Final or Semi-Final, whoever finishes higher in the pool stage will get the home advantage. The full Quarter-Final fixture will be finalised at the conclusion of the pool stages, taking in to consideration hosting requirements.
If Australia and New Zealand make the Semi-Finals they will play in Brisbane and Auckland respectively.
Rugby League World Cup 2017 Tournament Draw
*Kick off times to be announced ahead of tournament
Date Match Type Match-Up Venue
27/10/2017 Pool – Round 1 Australia vs England Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
28/10/2017 Pool – Round 1 PNG v Euro Q1 Port Moresby (venue TBA)
28/10/2017 Pool – Round 1 New Zealand vs Samoa Mt Smart, Auckland
28/10/2017 Pool – Round 1 Fiji vs USA Townsville Stadium
29/10/2017 Pool – Round 1 Scotland vs Tonga Barlow Park, Cairns
29/10/2017 Pool – Round 1 Euro Q2 vs Euro Q3 Barlow Park, Cairns
29/10/2017 Pool – Round 1 France vs Lebanon Canberra Stadium
3/11/2017 Pool – Round 2 Australia vs France Canberra Stadium
4/11/2017 Pool – Round 2 New Zealand vs Scotland Christchurch Stadium
4/11/2017 Pool – Round 2 Samoa vs Tonga Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
4/11/2017 Pool – Round 2 England vs Lebanon Sydney Football Stadium
5/11/2017 Pool – Round 2 PNG vs Euro Q2 Port Moresby (venue TBA)
5/11/2017 Pool – Round 2 Euro Q3 vs USA Townsville Stadium
5/11/2017 Pool – Round 2 Fiji vs Euro Q1 Townsville Stadium
10/11/2017 Pool – Round 3 Fiji vs Euro Q3 Canberra Stadium
11/11/2017 Pool – Round 3 Samoa vs Scotland Barlow Park, Cairns
11/11/2017 Pool – Round 3 New Zealand vs Tonga Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
11/11/2017 Pool – Round 3 Australia vs Lebanon Sydney Football Stadium
12/11/2017 Pool – Round 3 PNG vs USA Port Moresby (venue TBA)
12/11/2017 Pool – Round 3 Euro Q1 vs Euro Q2 Perth Rectangular Stadium
17/11/2017 Quarter Final Darwin Stadium
18/11/2017 Quarter Final Christchurch Stadium
18/11/2017 Quarter Final Wellington Regional Stadium
19/11/2017 Quarter Final Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
24/11/2017 Semi Final Brisbane Stadium
25/11/2017 Semi Final Mt Smart, Auckland
2/12/017 Final Brisbane Stadium
Tickets will go on general sale on 27 October 2016. Fans should register their interest at RLWC2017.com