Rugby League World Cup 2013 Tournament Schedule Announced
Salford will host Scotland v the USA
Rugby League World Cup 2013 today announced the schedule of matches for the group games and quarter finals being held in October and November next year.
Here in Salford we are delighted to be hosting Scotland v USA and it’s also an honour for us to have Scotland as our adopted country.
Salford is readily preparing to welcome our Scottish friends, none more so than sixteen-year old Tony Campbell from Airdrie who plays on the wing and is part of Salford City Red’s Scholarship Programme.
Salford is a hotbed of Rugby League and is the only professional sport played in the city. Thousands of local residents regularly play, coach, administer and watch the game from the city’s many community clubs, school’s associations and the Salford City Reds Foundation’s community programme.
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.
The tournament will kick off at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with a spectacular first day including the opening ceremony, host nation Wales taking on Italy and co-hosts England playing Australia.
Welsh hosts Wrexham’s Glyndwr University Racecourse Ground have Wales taking on the USA and one of the tournament quarter-finals. While in Neath, home supporters at The Gnoll can see the men in red take on the Cook Islands.
The tournament will be pushing Rugby League further than ever before with Limerick’s Thomond Park in Ireland hosting Australia v Ireland and France playing New Zealand in Avignon and Samoa in Perpignan
Councillor John Merry, Leader at Salford City Council said: “We are delighted to welcome players and officials for the Scotland verses USA game and hope both teams enjoy the experience at the brand new City of Salford Stadium. The Rugby League World Cup 2013 will provide a huge boost to tourism, leisure and sports in the city and we are working alongside Salford City Reds to ensure rugby league is accessible to the local community.”
Nigel Wood, RLWC2103 Tournament Director said: “This is an exciting day for all our hosts. They now know who will be playing or training in their stadiums and who their communities will be getting behind. We’re saying to them ‘this is your World Cup, this fantastic international event will be putting the world’s best Rugby League players right on your doorstep’. I have no doubt they will help to make this the best Rugby League World Cup so far”.
RWLC2013 BELONG BALL
Please note that as well as revealing the tournament schedule, RWLC2013 will also be launching the ‘Belong Ball’. This ball will be passed 2013 times as it travels around the RWLC2013 Host towns and cities, throughout 2012 and 2013. The final pass will be made back at the Millennium Stadium at the opening ceremony.
Carwyn Jones, First Minister of the Welsh Government and longstanding champion of Rugby League in Wales, will make the first pass at the Millennium Stadium.
More details on the journey of the Belong Ball will be available later in the year, through its own dedicated Facebook page.
