The Rugby League season isn't over yet, with the best players in the world set to compete for the right to be called World Champions!
Wests Tigers Digital will provide comprehensive coverage of the Rugby League World Cup, meaning you can get your footy fix right up until December.
The 2013 Rugby League World Cup will be the fourteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and will be hosted by England and Wales with matches also be to held in France and Ireland.
It runs from 26 October to 30 November 2013. Fourteen teams will contest the tournament: Australia, England, New Zealand, Samoa, Wales, Fiji, France, Papua New Guinea,Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Cook Islands, Italy and the United States.
New Zealand are the defending champions, having defeated Australia in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup final.
The first World Cup took place in 1954 with France, who had initially lobbied for the event, hosting a four team tournament that also included Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.
Great Britain emerged victorious with a 16-12 win over their hosts in the final at the Parc des Princes.
The next five World Cups, through until 1972, featured the same four nations with Australia and Great Britain dominating within varied formats.
In 1975 Great Britain became Wales and England to make a five team tournament held throughout the year but it reverted to type in 1977 when Australia pipped Great Britain 13-12 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
A new format was initiated in 1985 with five nations, including Papua New Guinea, competing on a home and away league basis over a three year period. The final, played at Eden Park in Auckland, attracted over 47,000 with Australia beating the Kiwis 25-12.
The same approach was adopted between 1989 and 1992 with Australia beating Great Britain in front of 73,000 at Wembley Stadium.
In 1995 an innovative new structure was adopted with 10 teams taking part. Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and South Africa joined the fray and an additional seven nations in Moldova, Russia, USA, Cook Islands, Morocco, Ireland and Scotland competed in a parallel Emerging Nations World Cup.
The 2000 World Cup featured 16 nations with Lebanon taking part for the first time and Russia, Ireland, Scotland and the Cook Islands stepping up to the main event.
The Emerging Nations competition was also repeated with Japan, Italy and Canada all taking their bow in a Rugby League event.
The 2008 World Cup moved Down Under with 10 nations involved. New Zealand upset the odds and won the trophy for the first time after an epic final against Australia at Brisbanes Suncorp Stadium.
Wests Tigers Digital will provide comprehensive coverage of the Rugby League World Cup, meaning you can get your footy fix right up until December.
The 2013 Rugby League World Cup will be the fourteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and will be hosted by England and Wales with matches also be to held in France and Ireland.
It runs from 26 October to 30 November 2013. Fourteen teams will contest the tournament: Australia, England, New Zealand, Samoa, Wales, Fiji, France, Papua New Guinea,Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, Cook Islands, Italy and the United States.
New Zealand are the defending champions, having defeated Australia in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup final.
History of the World Cup
The first World Cup took place in 1954 with France, who had initially lobbied for the event, hosting a four team tournament that also included Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.
Great Britain emerged victorious with a 16-12 win over their hosts in the final at the Parc des Princes.
The next five World Cups, through until 1972, featured the same four nations with Australia and Great Britain dominating within varied formats.
In 1975 Great Britain became Wales and England to make a five team tournament held throughout the year but it reverted to type in 1977 when Australia pipped Great Britain 13-12 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
A new format was initiated in 1985 with five nations, including Papua New Guinea, competing on a home and away league basis over a three year period. The final, played at Eden Park in Auckland, attracted over 47,000 with Australia beating the Kiwis 25-12.
The same approach was adopted between 1989 and 1992 with Australia beating Great Britain in front of 73,000 at Wembley Stadium.
In 1995 an innovative new structure was adopted with 10 teams taking part. Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and South Africa joined the fray and an additional seven nations in Moldova, Russia, USA, Cook Islands, Morocco, Ireland and Scotland competed in a parallel Emerging Nations World Cup.
The 2000 World Cup featured 16 nations with Lebanon taking part for the first time and Russia, Ireland, Scotland and the Cook Islands stepping up to the main event.
The Emerging Nations competition was also repeated with Japan, Italy and Canada all taking their bow in a Rugby League event.
The 2008 World Cup moved Down Under with 10 nations involved. New Zealand upset the odds and won the trophy for the first time after an epic final against Australia at Brisbanes Suncorp Stadium.
