Wood: Double header doesn’t mock World Cup

Rugby League World Cup tournament director Nigel Wood insists the World Cup semi finals have not lost their significance staging them as a double header.

Wembley will host both semi finals on the same day, a date to be determined by the tournament’s major broadcasters.

Wembley last hosted a World Cup fixture in 1995 when Australia defeated England 16-8. Andrew Johns inspired Australia to a famous win in one of the most dramatic international matches of the 20th century.

However Wood says that just because both games are being played as a double header, it does not lower the importance of those matches.

He said: “One of our objectives is to ensure all games in the tournament are treated equally, and it was probably more important to use Wembley in some capacity during the World Cup.

“The feedback from our international partners following the Four Nations event last October was good and it was something we were anxious to repeat for this tournament.”