This year’s Rugby League World Cup has already generated record profits of more than £2 million, according to the chairman of the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF).
Colin Love told UK newspaper, The Guardian, that despite England’s poor performance , leading to lower than expected attendances for England's last pool game against the Kiwis and both semi-finals, the RLIF’s safety-first policy of pre-booking tickets is working.
"This tournament was always a starting point for bigger things in the years ahead," said Love. "The foundations laid give the World Cup the capacity to grow enormously."
The 17 matches played so far have attracted an aggregate attendance of 243,349 with an average of 14,315. This will be boosted above 15,000 after the final, while sponsorship, television audiences and merchandise sales have also been well up on previous years.
The money will be reinvested into the development of the game in less wealthy nations such as Fiji.
Printer-friendly version