Salford hosts Rugby League World Cup
Salford scoops an international sporting prize as the RFL announced today that the city will be a host venue for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
The new £26m City of Salford stadium has beaten off stiff national competition to host a match in the 14 nation tournament in two years time.
The city will also play host to a competing nation as an official World Cup team base.
The sporting triumph was announced today at MediaCityUK and will help boost the profile of the city’s latest state-of-the-art sporting venue.
Leader of Salford City Council John Merry said:
“This is a tremendous result for everyone in Salford and places the city and the new stadium firmly on the international sporting stage.
“We have created a world class sporting venue which will give residents better access to the very best sporting facilities.
“We are already reaping the rewards in terms of hosting this prestigious sporting event.
“This will be a huge boost to tourism, leisure and sports in the city and will provide a lasting legacy for all residents.”
2013 Rugby League World Cup Tournament Director Nigel Wood said:
“I would like to congratulate Salford who have been successful in their bid to host match and a team in what I am confident will be a World Cup that enhances the UK’s golden decade of sport.
“We experienced massive interest in hosting matches from all across Europe and the bidding process proved to be hugely competitive.
“In putting together their bid over the last 12 months, Salford have demonstrated a level of commitment that gives us confidence that the 2013 Rugby League World Cup will exceed everyone’s expectations.
“It has been a fantastic and inspiring bidding process and we have been extremely impressed with the quality, detail and diverse nature of the host bids received.”
Today’s announcement outlines 18 different venues which will stage matches and reveals six other venues which will host teams during the tournament. Details of host fixtures and venues for the opening ceremony, the semi-finals and the final will be confirmed early in the New Year.
A total of 34 bids, comprising 30 stadia, 47 team training sites and 87 team base camps, were submitted to the RFL. Each of the bidding hosts underwent a detailed inspection from a 2013 team to examine the various sites venue specifications, as well as evaluating the enthusiasm and commitment of each bidding host.
Upwards of half a million people are expected to watch the 28 matches live over a six-week period in the autumn of 2013 with a further 20 million viewers from 120 countries tuning in around the world.
