Ex-England coach Tony Smith believes France pulling out of holding the 2025 Rugby League World Cup is an opportunity lost - but the international game can still flourish.
France bailed on Monday, the second time the tournament's hosts has made a U-turn after North America ditched in 2018 due to financial concerns. France has encountered its own funding issues after its government went cold on some of its original promises. International Rugby League chair Troy Grant admitted it was “difficult to express how disappointed I am” in another hammer blow for the sport.
RFL chair Simon Johnson said it would continue to support the French game on “such a difficult day” while the IRL will meet on Wednesday to start discussing contingency plans. Given England hosted last year’s delayed World Cup, it is widely expected Australia are the most likely to come to the rescue although, if the tournament does go ahead, it may be postponed until 2026.
Hull FC boss Smith, the Australian who was in charge of England at the 2008 World Cup, remains optimistic. He said: “Obviously, it’s disappointing when we’re trying to help France grow by having a mid-year international with them as we did a couple of weeks ago. And the prospect of promoting the game in France would have been fantastic. It would have attracted a lot of interest from Down Under; a lot of people would have co-ordinated a World Cup/European trip and it’d have been attractive to people here, too.
“But it’s not to be. It’s hard to blame anyone within the sport. It’s more of a higher political agenda. But it also shows the importance of planning and having something in place a bit longer-term. Everybody’s grateful for the Tonga visit here later this year and there is an appetite for international rugby league as was shown in the last World Cup. That’s not just the men’s but the women’s and wheelchair, too. Let’s hope we can get something in place.”
