Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

The 2021 Rugby League World Cup has been postponed a year following the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand a fortnight ago.The tournament was due to kick off on October 23 but has been moved back a year.The New Zealand Rugby League informed tournament organisers two weeks ago that the Kiwis and Kiwi Ferns would not be attending the event in England, due to Covid related player welfare and safety concerns.New Zealand has participated in every World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1954.The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) also confirmed that they would not be sending teams to the tournament."Today is a challenging moment for everyone involved in Rugby League, but most importantly the players and fans of the competing nations," said Jon Dutton, RLWC2021 Chief Executive Officer."Ultimately, time and competing priorities from others forced us to make the most difficult decision in our six-year history. However, we and the sport of Rugby League are resilient, and next year we will deliver our vi