The boss of the rugby league World Cup has defended the decision to snub Wigan’s DW Stadium as a venue.
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy described it as an “inexplicable decision” that the council’s bid – backed by the Warriors – was overlooked
Nearby St Helens, Warrington and Leigh will host three games each, while Bolton will also be venue for one match.
Jon Dutton, chief executive of Rugby League World Cup 2021, said: “We’ve had some really tough decisions to make. If you look at the proliferation of venues we’ve selected across the north west, someone unfortunately had to miss out. “It was really tough when we had such great bids.
“If you look at the borough of Wigan, we had Leigh and we’re going to Bolton, which is around the corner but I think offers an opportunity with a different audience.
“For a rugby league fan, whether you live in Wigan, Warrington or Widnes, you can get to all those games and enjoy watching those teams.”
The 2021 World Cup will be almost exclusively based in the north of England, with just two of the 31 matches taking place south of Sheffield.
Wembley has been ignored but the Emirates Stadium in London will host rugby league for the first time, with the home of Arsenal handed one of the semi-finals, while Coventry will stage a group match at the Ricoh Arena.
The rest of the matches will take place deep in rugby league’s traditional heartland, with occasional forays into the north-east, as organisers comfortably meet a Government target of holding at least 80% of the tournament in the Northern Powerhouse.
It is a far cry from 2013, the last time the Rugby Football League organised the World Cup, when matches were staged in such far-flung places as Limerick, Neath, Bristol and Avignon.
The draw will take place on November 27, two years out from the final, and venues are:
Group matches - Bolton, St Helens 3, Warrington 3, Leigh 3, Coventry, Doncaster 3, Workington 3, Leeds (Headingley) 3, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Hull (KCOM), Sheffield (Bramall Lane).
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