The 2025 Rugby League World Cup is in serious doubt after the hosts, France, confirmed they would not be able to stage the tournament. France had been preparing to be sole hosts of the event for the first time since they held it in 1972, but have pulled out after funding cuts from the French government.
The government had demanded a guarantee concerning the possibility of the tournament making a loss. Conditions initially set to secure the economic viability of the event were not fulfilled and, despite being given additional time to secure funding, the organising committee was unable to do so. That left them unable to commit to hosting and plummeting into doubt the biggest event in world rugby league.
