Rugby League World Cup: Mal Meninga hopes international game grows

Australia head coach Mal Meninga has already named his team four days before their opening World Cup match against Fiji

Australia head coach Mal Meninga hopes the upcoming Rugby League World Cup will provide a "kick-start" to the growth of the international game.

The men's tournament, which starts on Saturday, is being widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive ever.

Meninga insisted he was "happy" that some players had elected to represent nations of their family heritage ahead of playing for Australia.

"I want to see the international game expand," said the Kangaroos coach.

The 62-year-old told BBC 5 Live's Rugby League podcast: "Some really great people talked with passion about their countries and trying to grow the game globally.

"I think rugby league is the greatest game of all and I want to see it prosper. If I can help in any way, that's part of my legacy piece.

"For us, I'm happy for the players who chose us and I'm happy for the ones who are playing for other nations."

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As well as the traditional "big three" of hosts England, New Zealand and defending champions Australia, teams such as Samoa, Tonga and Fiji are also being considered as contenders to lift the men's trophy at Old Trafford on 19 November.

Australia, who are aiming to win a third consecutive World Cup, have not played an international match since 2019.

An Ashes series in England scheduled for 2020 was postponed because of Covid-19, while the World Cup was pushed back by 12 months following withdrawals by Australia and New Zealand citing "player welfare and safety concerns" relating to the pandemic.

Speaking at the tournament launch in Manchester on Monday, Meninga said his passion to see the international game grow is shared by those in charge of Australian rugby league.

"I can't speak on behalf of other people but I know our leaders of our game are really excited about the World Cup," he said.

"It's a distant memory since we played an international game, mainly because of the global crisis and other things.

"There is a passion for the game and we feel that the new frontier for our game globally is the international space. We've nearly exhausted everything at home so we've got to find a new frontier."

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The men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments will run concurrently for the first time and Meninga, who coached Australia to World Cup victory on home soil in 2017, believes the increased profile and coverage of the delayed 2021 tournament can only be a positive for the sport.

Meninga, who also won the World Cup during his legendary playing career, continued: "I'm hoping this is the kick-start to the international space, and we get a lot of people who weren't fans prior to this tournament becoming fans of our game.

"Then obviously off the back of a successful World Cup in all three areas - men's, women's and wheelchair - we kick a bit further on so that next year when we play in the international space, we'll get a better following, better support and better ratings.

"I think it's fantastic that the BBC is taking all 61 games. I admire that and feel really good about it."

Grand Finalists rested for opener

Meninga has already named his line-up for the Kangaroos' opening Pool B match against Fiji on Saturday (19:30 BST).

The four players who featured in the NRL Grand Final on 2 October - Penrith trio Nathan Cleary, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo, plus Reagan Campbell-Gillard of Parramatta - will be rested at Headingley, but are expected to feature in their second group match against Scotland on 21 October.

Full-back James Tedesco, who played for Italy in the previous two World Cups, will captain an Australian team that contains seven debutants.

Players will be assigned squad numbers at the World Cup and Tedesco will wear Australia's number one jersey during the tournament, but the remaining Kangaroos squad members have been given numbers relating to the date of their first Australia appearance rather than by position.

The 13 debutants in Meninga's squad will wear numbers 12 to 24 inclusive, with those numbers being allocated by alphabetical order.

Australia team to play Fiji: Tedesco; Addo-Carr, Mitchell, Holmes, Taulagi; Munster, Cherry-Evans; Fa'asuamaleaui, Hunt, Trbojevic, Crichton, Nanai, Murray.

Interchanges: Grant, Cotter, Carrigan, Wighton.