i have heard from various sources that both the Aussies and Kiwis are very doubtful to make the trip due to covid restrictions and willl be played next year instead does anyone have some proof of this?

No but I expect it will be cancelled

They are making a decision this week.

The Aussie and Kiwi's involvement is key, but moving it back a year isn't easy either as there is a winter Football World Cup which the BBC will also cover. Government has pumped about £50m in too and they'll be keen to hold it this year.

Read they need to move 500 over ?

Not just Oz & NZ, but Tonga, Samoa, PNG & no doubt any of the above with Lebanese, Italian, USA etc etc heritage.

Physios, trainers , media, officials.

Surely doable with negative tests, they are Green at the moment. Challenge will be what happens when they return - their mandatory two weeks in Hotel pretty tough,

Really hope oit goes ahead -60K at Wembley for the Euro finals.

Quote The tournament could be postponed as soon as this week, with the management of hotel quarantine on return for Australian-based the main concern. World Cup organisers have offered to foot the bill for that, but it would likely have flow-on effects with players' NRL pre-seasons.'" Sounds like a lame excuse, would players go straight back to pre-season on their return? https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-leag ... -c-3379237 It now appears the WC is definitely ON. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... ll-5644337

Quote The tournament could be postponed as soon as this week, with the management of hotel quarantine on return for Australian-based the main concern. World Cup organisers have offered to foot the bill for that, but it would likely have flow-on effects with players' NRL pre-seasons.'" Sounds like a lame excuse, would players go straight back to pre-season on their return? https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-leag ... -c-3379237 It now appears the WC is definitely ON. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... ll-5644337

Australia and New Zealand have just withdrawn from this Autumn’s World Cup due to Covid and have requested that it is played next year.

Sensible decision and pleased it’s been made now and not in a few weeks.

Let’s hope they decide just to extend the league season now and play the Grand Final in late November and allow all teams to play all their fixtures in front of fans.

Let's hope they do extend the season now https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/world- ... d9e4e2e51a

Let's hope they do extend the season now https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/world- ... d9e4e2e51a

To be honest it was always going to be hanging by a thread and should have been postponed. Now is the time to draw a line under it confirm the postponement of the World Cup. Also time to move the GF and extend the season to ensure the domestic game is safeguarded by being able to be completed and giving players recovery time between games.

Hopefully common sense will prevail.

Looking at the remaining scheduled fixtures, there are two regular mid week fixtures
( ours are Saints (2/icon_cool.gif, Salford (30/icon_cool.gif). These along with all other clubs could now be put back to 24/9 and 1/10. Then re-schedule all the outstanding postponed fixtures, (for us Leigh, Salford and Rovers away). Build in another week’s contingency, then start the play offs, for a Grand Final in November. The World Cup Final was scheduled to be played at Old Trafford any way so they’ll have a date available.

That would mean all teams can complete the season with one game a week. Even if some games still get postponed, at least all teams would get to play most of their fixtures. Player welfare will be protected and clubs will be able to finally start getting some decent gate revenue.

If this World Cup goes ahead this year, then it would be a massive mistake. They keep saying that this is a defining moment for the sport, but you cannot do it without the 2 star sides. I expect Tonga, Samoa etc. will be looking at the small print too as I expect NRL clubs may withhold their players.

It won't take much to put a positive spin on it from a PR point of view. We want full stadiums, piece of mind, supporter buy-in, but most importantly, the best players and teams

Exactly and not rocket science really.

I wouldn't surprised to see others such as Tonga, Samoa and PNG for instance follow suit. Pushing ahead with the WC without 2 of if not the top 2 teams in world rugby league would for me make a mockery of the sport and the World Cup, though at least there'd be a new name on the trophy

Tha Pacific nations are supossed to be having a meeting next week about thier involvment in the world cup .I guess the Aussies will put pressure on them not to go as to protect the players who play in the NRL .

From the looks of it it seems to be more about protecting the NRL after reading a number of articles. As the players returning to Australia would need quarantine for 14 days which then eats in to their pre season.

So I’m not sure they are being completely honest think it’s more to do with issues once they return home rather than not being safe here or having their needs met. As one person says it’s because their demands haven’t been met, then another says the organisers did everything they could to meet their needs.

The sad fact is that Covid is here and isn’t going away soon and the only way the world can continue is to accept we can’t hide away from it indefinitely we have to learn to live with it and deal with it.

Without those 2 nations the World Cup has been devalued completely and needs to be postponed.

I think some folks need to be honest here the Aussies are sending a touring RU team here in the Autumn so what is the difference. Probably the fact that the 14 day quarantine back in Aus for returning players eats into their NRL pre-season.

It is particularly tragic for the Women's and Wheelchair game who would have got so much exposure with the blanket BBC coverage. That would have done wonders for their sport and lets face it a lot of those playing in those two competitions saw it as possibly their one and only chance to be spotlighted in such a way.

They could postpone it but next year with the World Cup at the end of the year and several other high profile sports events in the offing that is unlikely to happen because they wouldn't get the broadcasting fees or the levels of exposure we were to get this year. To cancel altogether when everything else is attempting to open up, would just once again show us as a tin pot game run by amateurs. What a mess.

Aussie cricket agree to tour Bangladesh !!.

However, some England cricket players talking about not going to Australia later this year for the Ashes as they won’t be allowed to have their families visit during the tour.

Common sense Chris but unfortunately for financial reasons i cant see them cancelling the competition.
How you can expect the public to pay money to watch such a diluted competition missing the Worlds two top nations.
They will now be scouting the world looking for two minor nations to make up the numbers.

WOW even without Covid they will pick something up there

Just scrap it.

Extend the SL season, Old Trafford is booked for 27th November, Anfield 13th so the Grand Final can still be played in a big stadium.

The players union down under along with a number of players seemingly are disappointed about the decision to pull out and state it’s a premature decision. Pity the likes of Vlandys & Peters whilst they may have concerns re covid can’t be honest as most who follow RL know the real reason is the NRL preseason will be affected due to the 14 day quarantine on their return which the organisers haw no say on. So covid must only affect league and not union or cricket.

Cancelled till 2022. Good job, because I don’t know anyone interested apart from the players. Time to extend the season and play the Grand Final in a November time slot.

Yeah add a month onto the season let teams get their home games in, we have Salford and Leigh which you would imagine is four points which is a massive difference in our season.

Yes and the Grand Final can still be played in a big stadium as we have Old Trafford / Anfield booked for late November.

And The Emirates and Elland Road, gives a few options. Old Trafford should be first choice though, they have worked with them for years and the game needs all the 'friends' it can get right now.