Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) has announced a commercial partnership with NuArca which will see the launch of a non-fungible token (NFT) fan experience and marketplace for the tournament – the first official NFT marketplace in the history of Rugby League.

Rugby League World Cup 2021 will be the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup ever held. Staged at 21 iconic sporting venues across England, it will create history with the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair competitions being held simultaneously for the first time at a major sporting event.

Jon Dutton, Chief Executive at RLWC2021, said: “NFTs has been a fast-developing sector for the sports industry in 2021 and our announcement with NuArca aligns with our desire to embrace innovation alongside the opportunity to bring RLWC2021 to the widest possible audience.”

Todd Cooper, CEO & Co-Founder at NuArca, said: “Becoming the official NFT partner for RLWC2021 is a great opportunity for NuArca to bring Rugby League fans from all over the world together, and we are looking forward to introducing our NFT fan engagement programme to them.

“NuArca Labs’ white label NFT fan engagement platform is a unique and low-friction way for brands to bring their full fan base into NFT participation ensuring maximum impact. We are bringing NFTs out of the world of crypto and into the mainstream on a global basis.”

Within the RLWC2021 NFT platform, fans will be able to participate in quests, earn experiences and collect a range of NFT drops with digital collectibles celebrating the history, heroes, nations, milestones and achievements of the second oldest World Cup in sporting history.

The NFT collections will champion the inclusivity and diversity of the tournament next year with over 600 players representing 21 nations and participating in 61 matches.

Jonathan Neill, Commercial Director at RLWC2021, said: “We believe the launch of our NFT partnership is a first for the sport of Rugby League. RLWC2021 NFTs will provide fans with an opportunity to show their passion and loyalty for the sport, and alongside collectors, give them the chance to own a piece of Rugby League history.”

William Lai, Managing Director at NuArca, said: “We are honoured to be working with RLWC2021 to provide unique and fantastic new experiences through NFTs, winning fans over one NFT at a time.”

Launch timings and NFT pack price points for the marketplace are to be confirmed, with fans encouraged to register at rlwc2021.com/signup to ensure they receive updates moving forward.

NuArca becomes the thirteenth sponsor of RLWC2021, joining Principal Sponsor Cazoo, Eversheds Sutherland, Deloitte, Manchester Metropolitan University, Kappa, Kuehne+Nagel, Assura, New Era, The National Lottery, Pepsi MAX, Gatorade and Selco Builders Warehouse.