The International Rugby League hope a successful World Cup will bolster their bid to have Rugby League played at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.
The organisation remains committed to getting Nines onto the schedule for the Olympics when they are held in Brisbane.
They also believe Wheelchair Rugby League has a strong case for inclusion in the Paralympics.
There is a long way to go before that is possible, not least because the IRL are still only observer members of the Global Association of International Sports Federations and will need to become full members to be recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
Rugby union has been played at the Olympics since 2016, in the sevens format, while the wheelchair version has been contested at each Paralympic Games since 2000.
But an event in Brisbane, where Rugby League isthe most popular sport, could be the ideal time for the code to join the action for the first time.
“I absolutely stand by our vision of having Rugby League showcased for men and women in the Nines format at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics,” IRL chair Troy Grant told insidethegames.biz.
“I absolutely believe our sport is a better TV and viewer option than sevens – without diminishing the rugby union sevens in any way.
“We will also seek to include Wheelchair Rugby League for the Paralympics in 2032.
“As a sport it is leaps in front of wheelchair rugby and truer to the sport than others.”
