The Rugby League International Federation have announced that the next Rugby League World Cup will be held in the United Kingdom in 2013. Wales will be one of the automatic qualifiers.

The venues have not yet been decided but the RFL is examining the possibility that some fixtures could be staged in Wales, which successfully hosted games in the 1995 and 2000 tournaments.

In 1995, three matches were held in the Principality - Wales v France and France v Western Samoa at Ninian Park in Cardiff followed by Wales v Western Samoa at the Vetch Field in Swansea which attracted a sell-out crowd of 15,385.

Four matches were staged in Wales in 2000 with the hosts taking on Cook Islands in Wrexham, Lebanon in Llanelli while a double header at the Millennium Stadium - Lebanon v Cook Islands and Wales v New Zealand attracted 17,612 fans.

Wales Rugby League's executive chairman Mark Rowley hopes that Wales does get to shine again.

"We're pleased to hear that we're being considered again to host matches in the Rugby League World Cup," he said.

"It was a big success here both in 1995 and 2000 and we've making tremendous progress on and field since then. We're winning international tournaments with alarming regularity right now with our Students being British Champions and our under 18s and Dragonhearts being British and European Champions."

Deputy Chairman of the International Federation and RFL Chairman, Richard Lewis said: "It is a great boost for Rugby League in the Northern Hemisphere to secure the World Cup in 2013. I thought that the 2008 tournament was an outstanding success and our goal is to deliver a successful and profitable tournament that further enhances the International prestige of Rugby League."

"We are in negotiation with various Government agencies and regional bodies about the venues for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup which is already arousing considerable interest from all region in the UK," said an RFL spokesman.

The decision to play the next World Cup in the northern hemisphere was based on a comprehensive business plan, submitted by the Rugby Football League (RFL), detailing plans to host the tournament in the United Kingdom, as part of the UK's 'Golden Decade of Sport'. The decision to play the tournament in 2013 as opposed to 2012 was made to ensure the tournament is played outside an Olympic year in the future.

The new international calendar discussed by the RLIF will see Four Nations played in England in 2009, Australia and New Zealand in 2010 and England in 2011, then in Australia post the 2013 World Cup. No Four Nations will be held in 2012 as it is likely that this will be the year when World Cup qualifiers are staged.

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