BBC to broadcast Rugby League World Cup 2021

As well as showing the forthcoming Rugby League World Cup in October/November 2017 the new deal means the BBC will now retain free to air rights to all 31 matches of the 2021 tournament, which is due to be played in England. Live coverage of at least 16 matches will be on BBC One or BBC Two, with the remaining matches available on Red Button and online.

Rugby league already has a strong presence on the BBC, with 40 weeks of coverage on network TV every year with the Super League Show and Challenge Cup programmes transmitted from February to October. There are more than 50 commentaries a season on BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra from the Super League, the Challenge Cup and England internationals with ongoing coverage on the BBC Sport website including news, analysis, features, video clips and podcasts.

The rugby league season in 2017 is an exciting one - from the community game, The Super League and Challenge Cup, and culminating with the Rugby League World Cup taking place down under, where England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland will battle it out alongside southern hemisphere heavyweights, Australia and New Zealand.

The event kicks off when England face Australia on October 27 with the 14-team tournament then spanning six weekends, with the final on December 2. BBC Sport coverage will include every England match live on network television alongside action from Wales, Scotland, and Ireland plus highlights shows. Radio 5 live will also bring extensive coverage alongside features, articles and opinion pieces on the BBC Sport website.

For the first time ever, BBC Sport will also show a match from every round of the Challenge Cup leading up to the final. One match from the early rounds (one to five) will be streamed on the BBC Sport website bringing viewers the latest from the community game. The network televised matches on BBC One and BBC Two start in May from round six onwards.

The Super League season begins on Thursday February 9 as St Helens take on Leeds Rhinos with Radio 5 live delivering full commentary on that match.

Director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater says: "This is the biggest international event in the rugby league calendar and we're delighted to have secured the rights to it, building on our extensive portfolio of the sport and this year’s World Cup down under. Securing comprehensive rights for the Rugby League World Cup 2021 in England means we will once again bring audiences to the heart of the action via first class coverage on the international stage, and unprecedented coverage of the event will be available on the BBC.”

Further demonstrating their commitment to the sport, BBC Sport have appointed Dave Woods (pictured) as their first ever rugby league correspondent. With over 27 years at the BBC under his belt and as the current lead TV and Radio commentator for the sport, Dave’s knowledge and reputation are unsurpassed. The new position will see Dave work across all BBC platforms on a regular basis, breaking stories and bringing his wealth of expert analysis to the game.

Dave says: “As a child I used to dream about commentating at a rugby league final at Wembley, and nine years ago I was lucky enough to do that - but my new role at the BBC takes it to another level. It is a chance to show a diverse audience what a great sport rugby league is and I feel privileged to play a small part in maximising the BBC’s coverage across all their outlets.”

2021 World Cup bid lead Jon Dutton says: “We are delighted that the BBC will show all 31 games throughout the 2021 World Cup live. This is a very significant moment for the sport and will increase visibility and profile for the tournament like never before. Along with the appointment of Dave, the excellent coverage of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup, England games and Super League Show, the build-up to the World Cup in 2021 will create more compelling coverage across many platforms.”

ME