Australia and NZ withdraw from World Cup
Defending champion Australia and New Zealand withdrew from the Rugby League World Cup in England yesterday, citing player welfare and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic in a massive blow for the sport鈥檚 global showpiece.
The Australian Rugby League Commission and New Zealand Rugby League said they had repeated a request to organizers to postpone the October 23-November 27 event until 2022 to 鈥渕inimize risk of players contracting COVID-19.鈥
鈥淭he decision to withdraw from the RLWC2021 comes after considering the risk of COVID-19 infection in the United Kingdom, the worsening environment in Australia and the time a majority of NRL (National Rugby League) players will spend away from home under strict biosecurity conditions prior to the World Cup,鈥 they said in a joint statement.
Rugby Football League chairman Simon Johnson called the withdrawals 鈥渁 selfish, parochial and cowardly decision.鈥
鈥淩ugby League World Cup organizers have bent over backwards to offer every assurance to the Australians and the Kiwis,鈥 Johnson told the BBC. 鈥淲e are very unhappy with this decision and we are not prepared to take it lying down.鈥
World Cup organizers said they were informed about the withdrawals at 鈥渧ery short notice鈥 and would continue discussions with stakeholders to agree on the best way forward.
鈥淩LWC2021 note the disappointing statement made by the ARLC and NZRL which may have wide ranging implications for international Rugby League,鈥 organizers said in a statement.
COVID-19 infections are increasing in the UK with 47,114 new ones reported on average each day. The UK has recorded 5.5 million confirmed cases and 128,896 total deaths.
Australia is also battling outbreaks of COVID-19 albeit on a much smaller scale. Around 13 million people, or half the country鈥檚 population, are under strict lockdown.
Australia鈥檚 鈥淜angaroos鈥 have dominated the World Cup, winning eight out of the last nine editions dating back to the 1970s. New Zealand, whose top players also compete in the NRL, won the 2008 World Cup hosted by Australia.
Australian and New Zealand media had reported that both nations had cold feet about sending teams to England.
Most NRL players are already living away from home, with the league moving teams to northern Queensland state to escape COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns further south.
鈥淭hey would then be required to remain under (COVID) protocols and away from home for the duration of the tournament before again quarantining on return to Australia,鈥 ARLC chairman Peter V鈥檒andys said. 鈥淭his is too much to ask our players and officials to do.鈥
NZRL boss Greg Peters said the safety staff and players could not be guaranteed.
鈥淭here are stark differences between how the pandemic is being managed in the UK compared to Australasia and recent developments have highlighted how quickly things can change,鈥 he said.
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