Rugby League World Cup breaks records

This year’s Rugby League World Cup held in England has become the most watched tournament in the sport’s history.

Broadcast figures at the time of SportsNation going to press show that the event had attracted a cumulative match average of more than 18.7 million. 

Records have also been broken at the venues hosting the games. 

The DW Stadium in Wigan broke the all-time record for a Rugby League World Cup quarter-final match, as 23,179 people were in attendance to see England men beat Papua New Guinea 46-6 and advance to the semi-finals. 

England women’s game against Canada also broke the attendance record for a women’s rugby league game with 8,621 people in the stands. 

Meanwhile, the tournament has had a huge impact in promoting the sport of wheelchair rugby to larger audiences. 

At London’s Copper Box Arena, the world record for attendance was broken twice within a week. 

The record is now 3,268 people, who watched England’s Wheelchair team defeat Spain, increasing the record which was set just a few days earlier in the opening double header on Thursday 3 November.