Australia and New Zealand are set to be invited to take their places in the World Cup at the end of the 2022 season after tournament organisers agreed to postpone it for 12 months.
The World Cup board met on Wednesday night and reluctantly decided postponement was the best option after the ARLC and NZRL withdrew the Kangaroos, Jillaroos, Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns due to concerns over the safety of players travelling to England this year.
NRL clubs backed the decision of the ARLC and called for the tournament to be postponed to ensure the top players were on display at the World Cup, which was set to be the most ambitious in the code’s history.