The Rugby League World Cup will be postponed until 2023, the International Rugby League (IRL) has confirmed.
It comes following a joint decision from Australia and New Zealand to withdraw from the tournament, due to be hosted in the United Kingdom, due to growing player welfare and safety concerns regarding the pandemic.
RLWC CEO Jon Dutton conceded last week the tournament was a "50/50" chance of going ahead without the Kangaroos and Kiwis competing, and after a series of meetings between organisers and government officials, the call to postpone was made.
"The most significant (challenge) being the non-release of up to 400 players, match officials and staff members from the NRL competition in Australia," a statement on Thursday read.
"This is despite all requests from international rugby league federations having been met which included the rigorous health measures that have been keeping thousands of elite athletes from around the world safe whilst competing in major sporting events across the UK over the last year."
The decision from the ARLC and NZRL to withdraw from the tournament has copped significant backlash from tournament organisers and the IRL
While a number of high-profile NRL players have also spoken out against the decision, many declaring they were hoping to compete the tournament but that their position wasn't considered by the governing bodies.
“The news overnight that Australia and New Zealand will not compete in the 2021 World Cup is no doubt disappointing for players who were hoping to represent their Nations in the tournament,” said RLPA Chief Executive Officer, Clint Newton.
“We have had feedback from a number of players eligible for these Nations stating their intentions to compete in the tournament, pending more information becoming available in the coming weeks.
“Clearly, the views of those players have not been enough to prevent this decision and we believe it has been made prematurely."
The call from the NZRL and ARLC was well backed by all 16 NRL clubs, echoed concerns about player welfare and urged the RLWC to postpone the tournament until 2022.
ARLC Chairman Peter V'landys admitted it was a tough decision to make, but was the right one for all the players involved.
“Not participating in this year’s World Cup is not a decision the Commission has taken lightly, but we must put the best interests of our players and officials first," he said.
"Protecting them is our absolute priority.
“In the current environment, the risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of the players and officials travelling from Australia to participate in the tournament this year are insurmountable.
"The majority of NRL players are currently living away from home under difficult biosecurity protocols.
"They would then be required to remain under protocols and away from home for the duration of the tournament before again quarantining on return to Australia. This is too much to ask our players and officials to do.
“We have again requested the IRL and Rugby League World Cup consider postponing the event until 2022 to enable all players to participate.”
