2021 Men’s Rugby League World Cup final: date, UK time, TV channel & tickets

The 2021 Men’s Rugby League World Cup got underway last month and is now set to come to its conclusion this weekend as Samoa and Australia face off in the grand finale. The tournament was originally due to kick off on 23 October 2021 but the COVID-19 pandemic meant Australia and New Zealand were forced to be withdraw, resulting in the whole competition being postponed.

This year’s edition featured an increased number of teams to 16 and also ran alongside the women’s and wheelchair tournaments for the first time, with all participants being paid the same. While England played hosts for the seventh time, Shaun Wane’s side were unable to deliver despite being in touching distance of this weekend’s final - suffering a 26-27 defeat to Samoa in last week’s semi-final. The defeat came only weeks after England thrashed Samoa 60-6 in the group stage. Samoa will now aim to win their first ever men’s Rugby League World Cup, while Australia will be confident of making it a ninth victory from a possible ten.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2021 Men’s Rugby League World Cup final...

When is the Rugby League World Cup final?

The Rugby League World Cup final between Australia and Samoa will take place tomorrow (Saturday 19 November), scheduled to begin at 4pm GMT. Australia’s Ashley Klein has been confirmed as the referee, having previously officiated the 2008 final between Australia and New Zealand, with the latter taking the victory.

Where is the Rugby League World Cup final?

Manchester’s Old Trafford stadium will host the final on Saturday afternoon. The tournament has been played in grounds across England, however this is the first match featured at Manchester United’s home.

Other matches have been played at St. James’ Park (Newcastle), Eco-Power Stadium (Doncaster), University of Bolton Stadium (Bolton), Bramall Lane (Sheffield), Halliwell Jones Stadium (Warrington), Headingley Stadium (Leeds), Kingston Park (Newcastle), Coventry Building Society Arena (Coventry), Totally Wicked Stadium (St Helens), MKM Stadium (Hull), Leigh Sports Village (Leigh) Headingley Rugby Stadium (Leeds), Riverside Stadium (Middlesbrough), John Smith’s Stadium (Huddersfield), DW Stadium (Wigan) and Emirates Stadium (London).

How to watch Rugby League World Cup final on TV

The entire Rugby League World Cup tournament has been broadcast live on BBC - including the women’s and wheelchair events. The men’s final will be shown on BBC One on Saturday afternoon and will start at 3:30pm, following on from the women’s final coverage which begins as 12:45pm. The wheelchair final will be shown from 7pm on BBC Two.

The matches can also be streamed via BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app. You can also listen to live commentary via BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Are tickets still available?

History is set to be made this weekend, with tickets available for the men’s and women’s double header - with both finals set to go back-to-back at Old Trafford. There are still a handful of tickets available via the RLWC2021 official website, with standard prices ranging from £150 (Category A) to £45 (Category E) for adults.