Four months into the opening match between England and Samoa at Newcastle’s St James’ Park, the 16 competing nations still don’t know if the event will go ahead as planned or if it will be brought forward 12 months to 2022.
Organizers have refrained from making a final decision, but tournament executive director Jon Dutton has admitted that time is running out.
The rapid progress of the UK’s Covid-19 vaccination program has led to optimism, but several countries are believed to have yet to sign participation agreements and NRL clubs are said to remain nervous about the release of their players, they would have to quarantine for two weeks upon their return to Australia.
With at least half of the players from the 16 nations arriving from the southern hemisphere, officials have been holding talks with the Australian Rugby League Players Association.
More than 400 players and officials based in the southern hemisphere are believed to have been offered chartered flights for the return trip to England to avoid mingling with the general public.
Organizers have been planning the 2021 World Cup for five years and desperately hope to avoid a postponement, which would mean a clash with the UEFA World Cup in Qatar.
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-25 18:40:20
