RLWC2021: Tournament CEO Jon Dutton on breaking records and learning from Women’s Euros | News about rugby league

Rugby League World Cup chief executive Jon Dutton has high hopes for the women’s tournament, including setting an attendance record for an indoor international involving England in either code; he also explains what he has learned from the ongoing Euro 2022 Women’s Football Championship

British women will be at the center of the home field at the Rugby World Cup later this year

The record attendance for an England women’s national team player in either rugby is 15,863. The organizers of this year’s Rugby World Cup have set their sights on breaking that.

The aforementioned record was set at rugby union’s Six Nations women’s rugby league earlier this year when England faced Ireland at Leicester’s Mattioli Woods Welford Road, showing how that rivalry has grown. how in recent years.

But with the rugby union’s global gathering to these shores for the first time since 2013 – albeit a year later than originally planned – the ambition is to at least replicate the session’s success. edition, especially with the women’s and wheelchair tournaments being held in conjunction with the men’s event.

A crowd of more than 5,000 is expected at the Bronze Box for England’s opening match against Australia, while the men’s first match between England and Samoa at St James’ Park is also sold out. It is now expected that England’s opener against Brazil at Headingley on November 1 will also set a new benchmark.

“It’s big, isn’t it?” RLWC2021 CEO Jon Dutton spoke of Headingley’s ability to reach nearly 19,700 capacity for the England-Brazil clash.

“We’re talking about the big moments; we’ll start with a bang in Newcastle and with Leeds [when Australia face Fiji at Headingley] on opening day. Then we go straight to the end of this tournament and three finals in Manchester, I think it’s going to be an incredible moment for all of us.

“We then have these spikes including the England vs Brazil match, so the sales for that match, and England-Australia in the wheelchair at the Bronze Box, were phenomenal.

Organizers are aiming for a record crowd at Headingley for the Women’s World Cup opening game

“It’s been the biggest moment in 127 years of rugby league and we’ve had some real celebrations along the way. But I’m looking forward to England vs Brazil and being in the crowd, hopefully we’ll sell out. at Headingley.”

That match and the host nation’s final match in Group A will be played in a doubles format involving the other two teams in the group, Canada and Papua New Guinea, while all Group B matches will be played. between Australia, New Zealand, France and the Cook Islands will be played as doubles at York Community Stadium.

York will also host the semi-final while the women’s final comes before the men’s match at Old Trafford – another day of the semi-final – on November 19.

Dutton sees no reason RLWC2021 can’t repeat the success of the ongoing Euro 2022 women’s soccer tournament by drawing large crowds for games without the host’s participation, something he has already proven. firsthand when attending group stage matches held in his hometown of Leigh.

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Highlights of the test match between England Women and France Women in June

He was also present at the opening match between England and Austria in Manchester and has collaborated with his colleagues on the Euro 2022 organizing committee to see what lessons can be applied in the construction of the Ball Cup. world oval

“It’s like a festival – it’s like a celebration,” Dutton said of his experience at Euro 2022. “It was a big party at Old Trafford; we walked from the tram stop at Old Trafford. and seeing people lined up outside the turnstile getting ready for the gate to open and that was just a really important moment for me.

“I think inside the venues we saw a family atmosphere. We saw a celebration. Obviously it’s different when England play compared to games, but other games. was actually attended with some foreign audience, but mostly locals and I think that’s quite similar to what we’re going to experience.

“As for what we can learn from the organizers, we’ve been very close to them all the way as they have obviously postponed the tournament as well.

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England captain Emily Rudge previews the World Cup ahead of the competition in November

“I think what we’re going to learn from them is especially about the ticketing habits of what they’ve been through the first day, but then the benefit of having that visibility later from media perspective, but also broadcasting.”

The decision of defending world champion Australia and 2008 World Cup winner New Zealand not to travel to the UK last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic caused the tournament to be postponed to this October and November.

Instead of being able to own the space as is the case in 2021, the tournament now falls in the year in which England will host the Commonwealth Games alongside the women’s Euros, but Dutton isn’t concerned that means RLWC2021 will be lost. drowning in everything else going on.

“We won’t have this in ’21,” Dutton said. “I said we’re proud to be who we are in ’21, but when that happens, we’re happy to be in the midst of other events in ’22 and see the positivity, optimistic as well as seeing a real family audience.

“I think it’s one of the things that, again, we link back to the sport of rugby.”