FRANCE will no longer be hosting the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.
However, there is hope that the tournament can still be salvaged with four nations having outlined their intention to take on the mantle left by France.
The four countries are New Zealand, Fiji, Qatar and South Africa, with International Rugby League chief Troy Grant telling the media as such on Wednesday morning.
“We have received expressions of interest from New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa and Qatar already,” Grant said.
“We are yet to make any assessments in regarded to their viability, I’m just being honest about who has reached out.
“It gives me comfort that there is interest in our sport and our World Cup. How real or viable any or all of those options are, we’re yet to make any of those assessments.”
Grant revealed the information this morning to a media conference following the cancellation of the tournament after it was unable to meet the financial guarantees required by the French government if it was to go ahead.
Grant explained that the 2025 tournament had been cancelled because of changes that had occurred in France that made it difficult for the localities that had been approached to host matches to finalise their offers in accordance with the timetable that had been set out by the French government.
The original timescale had required bids to be finalised by December and that deadline was then extended to 31 March, but many of those local governments had been unable to finalise their bids by that date as they were overtaken by the economic crisis that gripped France.
“I think the business plan was sound in relation to the pricing,” said Grant.
The enthusiasm from the localities was high until the economic landscape changed. The economic crisis descended on France and Europe and those pressures reduced their risk appetite.”
Grant has admitted that he is interested in exploring the Qatar option, which is a joint government and private sector expression of interest, further before the next IRL board meeting in July.
“The attractiveness of Qatar would be their financial capability, their first-class stadia, the close proximity of stadia and the more limited travel, which would be massively advantageous for costs,” he said.
“It would create an amazing atmosphere.
“But we would need to undertake due diligence on human rights because our ability to have a Women’s World Cup as well as wheelchair would be crucial.”
The cancellation of the tournament inevitably calls into question the qualification matches in Europe that are scheduled for later this year.
“Those matches have been organised by European Rugby League (ERL) and it will decide how to proceed with those matches.”
