The Rugby League World Cup, won Sunday by Australia, has made about NZ$6M ($4.9M) for the Rugby League Int'l Federation, according to David Long of FAIRFAX NZ NEWS. It is "the only income stream" for the sport's int'l governing body and Chair Scott Carter said that "they have big plans for it."
The RLIF does not "have any staff, but it has been agreed by the member nations to establish an executive to run the game and employ a full-time chief executive and other staff; and establish offices."
Some of the money from this World Cup will go toward establishing that, although the New Zealand, Australian and English rugby league bodies "will also contribute extra money" toward the project.
Carter said that "they intend to invest in the grass roots of the game to help make it a more global sport." He said,
"Money by itself doesn't achieve anything, it's what you do with it that really matters." Rugby League World Cup 2013 matches "were watched by more than 450,000 people and saw sell-out crowds at a wide range of venues, including Huddersfield, Warrington, Rochdale, Halifax, Perpignan, Toulouse and Old Trafford." The 74,468 crowd for the final "was the best-attended international rugby league match of all time and took place just a week after 67,545 people packed Wembley Stadium for the 'Big Hit' semi-finals between New Zealand and England, and Australia and Fiji" (FAIRFAX NZ NEWS, 12/2).
