BBC SPORT | RUGBY LEAGUE | Britain to stage World Cup

Britain will host the next World Cup in 2005 and Australia will make an Ashes tour next year.

The Rugby League International Federation have also voted to revive the World Sevens Tournament and to create an International Club Championship featuring four Super League teams and four from the southern hemisphere.

Key dates

2003:
World Sevens (Aus);
GB v NZ;
Aus v NZ;
GB v Aus (3 Tests);
World Club Challenge (GB)

2004:
World Club Challenge (GB);
World Sevens (Aus);
Aus v GB;
Aus v NZ;
New-look World Club Challenge (GB)

2005:
Aus v NZ;
World Cup (GB)

2006:
GB to tour Australia and New Zealand

"The reinstatement of the World Sevens and an International Club Championship in 2004 will provide enormous opportunity to showcase the game," said RLIF chairman Colin Love.

A five-year calendar of events was released at the end of a two-day meeting of the RLIF in Sydney, at which Britain were represented by Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay and RFL operations manager Nigel Wood.

The World Sevens will make a return in Australia at the start of the 2003 Australian season.

The Sevens and the World Club Challenge between the winners of Super League and Australia's NRL Premiership will precede each season.

In 2003, Great Britain will play a mid-season Test against New Zealand and Australia will play a one-off Test against the Kiwis before embarking on a three-Test Kangaroo tour of Britain.

The 2004 season will see the World Club Challenge, the World Sevens, Australia against Great Britain in July and Australia against New Zealand in October.

Newcastle's Robbie O'Davis is tackled during the World Club Challenge
Bradford beat Newcastle in the 2002 World Club Challenge
England would then host the new International World Club Championship featuring eight teams, including three from the NRL and the New Zealand Warriors.

The World Cup will then return in 2005 in Britain, with Australia having played New Zealand midway through that season.

The following year Britain will tour Australia and New Zealand.

"It's an exciting concept which by 2004 should produce an intense level of competition," said Love.

"The international side of the game will grow once more and the commitment from the delegates here over the last few days suggests a bright future."


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