RLWC 50 DAYS TO GO - MEET THE NATIONS

A look at the teams set to play at Kingston Park Stadium this autumn

The countdown to the biggest, best and most inclusive rugby league world cup is entering the final stages, with just 50 days to go until it all kicks off with England men’s v Samoa men’s at St James’ Park on October 15.

For Kingston Park Stadium, that milestone comes as Thunder face Barrow Raiders in the Betfred Championship, with August 27 marking 50 days until Kingston Park Stadium host the first of its three matches in the competition.

Fiji, Italy and Scotland are the three nations whose World Cup destiny will be shaped by action at the north east’s premier rugby venue, in what is expected to be an intense battle to qualify from group B alongside reigning champions Australia.

Take a look at the profiles of the teams to play on Thunder’s patch before picking your side and booking your tickets!

Fiji (Nickname – The Fiji Bati)

Matches:

v Italy, Saturday, October 22 (KO 2:30pm) – Buy tickets here 

v Scotland, Saturday, October 29 (KO 5:00pm) – Buy tickets here 

Fiji have been participating as a men’s rugby league team since 1992 and are the most successful Pacific-based nation, having reached the semi-finals of the Rugby League World Cup on three different occasions.

Fiji has produced some of the finest rugby league players in the world. Notable examples include?Lote Tuqiri and?Petero Civoniceva and a host of modern Fijian players now litter the upper echelons of the domestic competitions in Australia and the UK. 

Rugby League is in a period of sustained growth within Fiji where the current domestic competition consists of 12 teams, split between the islands.

The national team had a fantastic tournament last time in 2017, topping their group and beating the top-ranked IRL team, New Zealand, in the quarter-finals before losing out to eventual winners Australia in the last four.

The ‘Fiji Bati’ are going to be an exciting team to watch at the RLWC2021 with two opportunities to do so at Kingston Park Stadium.

Italy (Nickname – The Azzuri)

Matches

v Scotland, Sunday October 16 (KO 2:30pm) – Buy tickets here 

v Fiji, Saturday, October 22 (KO 2:30pm) – Buy tickets here 

Famous for many sports, rugby league was established prior to 1950 with the first official match of the Italian Rugby League national team played against France in 1951.

Since then, Italy Rugby League have played 63 matches to date winning just over half and come into the tournament as the lowest ranked team in group B (currently 17^th in the world)

Italy are a team more than capable of causing an upset as shown in 2013 with a shock 15-14 win against England in a World Cup warm-up fixture in Salford before beating Wales and drawing with Scotland during the group stages.

There is a very diverse Italian squad preparing for the RLWC2021, Italy’s third consecutive tournament, with a mix of Australian-born NRL stars, homegrown talent and union converts in the ranks.

Former Thunder men Brendan Santi and Gioele Celerino have featured for the Azzuri in recent fixtures and could well be included in this year’s to-be-announced squad.

Scotland (Nickname – The Bravehearts)

Matches

v Italy, Sunday, October 16 (KO 2:30pm) Buy tickets here

v Fiji, Saturday, October 29 (KO 5:00pm) – Buy tickets here 

Though its foundations may date back to as early as 1904, the Scotland national rugby league team formally began in 1995, making them the newest international rugby league team in Great Britain.

Playing in a World Cup for the first time in 2008, the 2013 edition of the tournament was their most successful so far with group stage wins over Tonga and the USA, alongside a draw against Italy advancing them into the quarter-finals for the first time.

Qualifying for RLWC2021 in a comfortable fashion, Scotland demolished Serbia 86-0 and overcame Greece 42-24, before playing out an entertaining 30-all draw against Jamaica in their only game of 2021.

Former Thunder favourite and local lad Sam Luckley has become a regular feature of Braveheart squads in recent seasons and will be hoping to add to his five current caps on his home turf after another successful season at Salford Red Devils.