The first British & Irish Lions tour in "more than a decade" will take place in '19, the Rugby League Int'l Federation confirmed, according to the BBC. After this year's World Cup, the Lions will travel to the southern hemisphere between tours of Europe by New Zealand in '18 and Australia in '20. There will be no Four Nations -- with England, Australia, New Zealand and a fourth side -- until "at least" '22. The Kangaroos tour in '20 will "feature at least three Test matches against England and one Test against France." RLIF Chair Nigel Wood said, "I am sure supporters will welcome the reintroduction of Lions, Kangaroos and Kiwi tours in particular but the calendar provides new opportunities for all our members and embraces the expansion of Nines, providing an exciting future for players, supporters and members alike" (BBC, 5/9). The London TELEGRAPH reported the four-year cycle also includes an Emerging Nations Championship in '18 leading up the 2021 World Cup which will be hosted by the Rugby Football League in the U.K. The RLIF board announced World Cup qualification "will be concluded two years in advance," with the lineup for '21 to be completed by Dec. '19. The int'l governing body also pledged to "support the development of tier-two nations," those outside the big three, by working with continental federations to "strengthen existing regional competitions" in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas and Middle East/Africa. A dedicated mid-season int'l weekend will be created, "giving nations an opportunity to build on the success of this year's Pacific Test Series in Sydney" (TELEGRAPH, 5/9).
