‘Likely’ France World Cup 2025 cancellation is a disaster for international rugby league

James Gordon 15 May 2023 11:22 AM

The future of international rugby league in the northern hemisphere appears to be in ruins with the impending news that France are to withdraw from hosting the 2025 World Cup.

It would be the second time the host nation for 2025 has pulled out, with it previously being awarded to North America back in 2016 before it was scrapped due to financial concerns two years later.

A pledge of €60m from the French government has been reneged upon since the announcement back in January 2022, with respected France-based journalist Steve Brady reporting that it is ‘likely’ they will pull out of hosting the tournament.

A meeting is being held in Paris on Monday between French Federation chiefs and government officials to try and thrash out a deal, and a possible reduced format, but it is thought the entire event will be written off.

It could be the end of the World Cup dream for French Rugby League as the game's chiefs hold a crisis meeting today over the @CDMFrance2025's financial viability.
Latest details in this morning's @leagueexpress.
❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/47fKhECVSL

— Catalan Media 🇨🇵 (@catalanmedia) May 15, 2023

It’s a sorry state of affairs for rugby league when one of only four countries that boast professional club sides is unable to host a World Cup, and may prove to be a reality check.

Power struggle

The International Rugby League federation remains toothless in power terms, and the real bodies of power in the sport – the NRL and the RFL – have other priorities.

You could argue that Australia’s disdain toward the international game has partly caused its decline, but they have developed a cash-rich domestic competition and the only real growth in international competition has been caused by that through the Pacific nations.

The RFL face enough challenges of its own in keeping the game going in the UK, and though they have tried to embrace France – the reality is that they simply haven’t been able to provide the competition that England need to retain interest. England (or Great Britain) have also become less attractive to the southern hemisphere nations.

After the delayed 2021 World Cup was a moderate success, albeit underpinned by significant Government funding, the collapse of the 2025 event would be a disaster.

The continued lack of international calendar and the disappearance of the relatively successful annual Tri/Four Nations competitions have to be a factor, and the over elaborate governance of IRL must take responsibility.

Rugby league fans will look on in envy when France hosts the Rugby (Union) World Cup later this year, wondering what might have been.

As League Express editor Martyn Sadler writes: “It’s difficult to know precisely what has happened but the omens look bad and it’s impossible to deny that International Rugby League (RL) should have ensured that the guarantees from the French government were set in stone before the announcement was made by the then French Prime Minister in January 2022.

“The IRL would be well advised to not rush too hastily into making alternative arrangements.”

The news would be a significant blow to any hopes IMG had of using the international game to help grow rugby league. An end of season test series between England and Tonga was received in relatively positive fashion recently, despite the choices of venue, but clearly it needs to be a source of revenue in the short-term.

That in itself highlights some of the challenges the sport faces, with IMG’s remit falling under the RFL banner, which again raises questions on just what power IRL has.

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf said they didn’t want to “bite off more than we can chew” when it comes to their end of season tour.

Unfortunately, it looks like that is what’s happened with France.