Rugby League World Cup Reveals Draw, Defends Decision To Shun NSW

Organizers have defended "shunning" New South Wales when allocating next year’s Rugby League World Cup matches, "saying it came down to state government willingness to pay," according to the AAP. Only two of the 28 matches will be played in "league heartland NSW," both pool games featuring "minnows" Lebanon in Sydney. Christchurch, Wellington, Melbourne and even Darwin will host quarterfinals before semifinals move to Brisbane and Auckland. Brisbane will host the Dec. 2 World Cup final. Unveiling the draw, World Cup 2017 CEO Michael Brown said that the NSW government simply did not "come to the party" when the organizing committee was finalizing the draw. Brown: "It is about the involvement of each of the governments willing to host matches and sadly that didn’t happen in NSW." Six NSW venues were used for nine games during the 2008 World Cup -- the last to be played in the country (AAP, 7/19).