“The Rugby League World Cup 2017 will be the greatest sporting event in New Zealand and Australia next year and we look forward to working with the New Zealand Government to deliver an event that will entertain the world, inspire communities and celebrate rugby league”.
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The draw, naturally, is geared towards the co-hosts and the world’s best two teams, Australia and New Zealand, meeting in the final.
“The partnership with the Rugby League World Cup will see us not only create the global television coverage but also undertake the most far-reaching and expansive coverage of the Cup across television and connected devices”, Seven West Media chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette says.
“New Zealanders have a very proud history of supporting Rugby League and we know these passionate league communities will embrace co-hosting the sport’s pinnacle event in”.
Papua New Guinea have the advantage of playing all three of their pool matches – against the top two European qualifiers, and their cross-pool showdown with US – in Port Moresby, a hard assignment for any visiting side.
Brisbane ousted Auckland for the final, with the decider and one semi-final to be played at Suncorp Stadium, though no pool games are set down for the city.
“In planning this tournament, we made a deliberate decision to take the Rugby League World Cup to more fans than any World Cup has done before”.
The Vodafone Fiji Bati has been drawn in Pool D for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup with United States of America and a European qualifier to be confirmed.
It’s a waiting game for the third spot, but it’s an uphill battle for any of the aforementioned six teams in the hunt for European qualifying.
If Australia and New Zealand make the Semi-Finals they will play in Brisbane and Auckland respectively.
October 28: New Zealand v Samoa (Mount Smart, Auckland).
Christchurch will host its first global matches since the 2006 Tri-Nations, with the New Zealand-Scotland pool game and a quarter-final – likely to be between Samoa/Tonga and Fiji – to be staged in the South Island city.
The 10-time and reigning world champions Australia will take on England at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in the opening game of the tournament and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Only two of the 28 matches will be played in league heartland NSW, both pool games featuring minnows Lebanon in Sydney.
Even AFL-mad Darwin will host a quarter-final after NSW government disinterest, ensuring not only Sydney but also league strongholds Newcastle and Wollongong missed out in the Cup draw unveiled in Brisbane on Tuesday.
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November 18: Quarter-final (Wellington Regional Stadium).
