A tournament for all
The Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) was held across England in 2022 and aspired to be the biggest, best and most inclusive tournament ever staged.
For many of its 18 host towns and cities, this was not just a rare chance to stage a major international sporting event but also to present themselves on a global stage, welcome visitors, boost their economies and bring positive change to their residents’ lives.
RLWC2021 went beyond its sporting remit to prioritise social impact, particularly in communities with a greater need for new opportunities. This focus aligned with the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and developed the CreatedBy capital grants programme to provide financial support for organisations improving active environments in areas where rugby league is played.
The tournament also ran three volunteer programmes. These were designed to introduce people to volunteering, remove barriers to getting involved and provide the training and skills needed to create an engaged community of volunteers from which the sport can benefit in future.
Read more: RLWC2021 - A Tournament with a Purpose (External PDF)
187,374
Unique spectators (different people)
88%
of spectators from the North of England felt proud of their region for hosting RLWC2021
56%
of the general public including those who watched on TV felt inspired to do more sport and physical activity
77%
of spectators felt that their mental health was positively impacted by the tournament
£26.4 million
Invested into community rugby league facilities across the country via the CreatedBy Capital Grants Programme (60% of the investment awarded to the top 30% most deprived areas)
91,367
Participants engaged in social impact programmes
£25.5 million
Direct economic impact on the North of England
£38.4 million
Total economic impact on the host economy (direct and indirect)
44.9 million
Global audience amongst all broadcast partners