BBC to show live coverage of 2013 Rugby League World Cup

BBC Sport will show live coverage of the 2013 and 2017 Rugby League World Cups and the 2014 and 2016 Four Nations tournaments.

For this year's tournament, there will be live TV and radio coverage of all England's group games, plus a quarter-final, a semi-final and the final.

The tournament starts with two games at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 26 October, including England v Australia.

The final is at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground on 30 November.

New Zealand are the current World Cup holders, having shocked Australia in the 2008 decider to win the tournament for the first time.

In addition to live coverage, there will also be regular TV highlights programmes throughout the tournament and extensive coverage on BBC Radio, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app.

BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said: "It's very exciting to cap our rugby league portfolio with the top international tournaments, enabling us to offer audiences the pinnacle events of the sport each year.

"These add to our already comprehensive coverage, which gives the full narrative of the season. This is a great opportunity to bring rugby league to a wide audience and showcase the best players in the world through the BBC's multi-platform coverage."