The 2025 Rugby League World Cup was originally set to be held in the United States and Canada in what would have been a huge leap for International Rugby League but unfortunately, this fell through.

However, the 17th instalment of the Rugby League World Cup will still be held in a nation other than Australia or England as the tournament returns home to France in 2025.

It was originally the French who put forth the idea of a Rugby League World Cup, with the European nation being awarded hosting rights for the first tournament in 1954 where they made the final.

The French Federation has now confirmed that the 2025 Rugby League World Cup will take place in France, as Prime Minister Jean Castex is set to make an announcement on Tuesday.

“The Prime Minister will announce the launch of the Rugby League World Cup, which will be organised by France in 2025,” stated the French Federation.

🇫🇷 C'est fait ! 💪 🎉https://t.co/YXrgAf2E34

— Fédération Française de Rugby XIII (@FFRXIII) January 7, 2022

“This international event, which has not been organised in France for more than 50 years, will help promote the influence of French sport and is intended to incorporate the entire territory, by being organised in around 40 towns.”

France’s impact on the International game and Rugby League itself has often gone unappreciated in the modern era, with Les Bleus often being seen as an afterthought and the nation’s creation of the Rugby League World Cup often being forgotten.

We will now see this nation return to the forefront of Rugby League in 2025, as they host their third standalone Rugby League World Cup tournament.

Rugby League is gearing up for this year’s World Cup tournament for now, as the 2021 instalment was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, 16 nations will battle it out to determine Rugby League’s best, as Jamaica and Greece make their tournament debut and countries such as Samoa and Tonga prove genuine contenders to heavyweights Australia and New Zealand.

For now, we prepare for what may be the closest Rugby League World Cup of all time, and then we will prepare for a historic instalment of the tournament.