Rugby League Ireland will run out in Barlow Park, Cairns for their first Rugby League World Cup match wearing their new jersey designed by O’Neills. The World Cup kicks off in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in late October and Ireland have three group games with a real chance of qualifying for the Quarter finals stage.
Rugby League Ireland fly out to the Southern Hemisphere towards the end of October to take part in the Rugby League World Cup which is being staged in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Head Coach Mark Aston is putting together the final touches of his squad. Rugby League Ireland have high hopes of making it through the initial group games and through to the latter stages of the competition. If they can achieve that it would be a massive boost for the game here.
Aston expressed his delight at the new kit arrangement with O’Neills: “Once Rugby League Ireland were made aware of O’Neill’s International Sportswear’s interest it was an easy decision for us as an organisation to make.
“RLI is proud of its Irish heritage and to be able to work with another Irish based partner is something that is important to us and I am sure we will be the only nation taking part in the World Cup who can say their Kit has been made at home”.
Ireland will face stiff competition from opponents Italy and Wales who they will play in Australia. They also face a difficult trip to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea where they will take on the PNG Kumals who are never easy beat on home territory especially with the temperature expected to be around the 95 degree mark.
Rugby League Ireland played its first competitive international matches in 1995. The game had sprung up in Ireland as an outlet for players to stay fit during the summer and since then it has undergone steady growth. Current SKY GAA presenter Brian Carney is a former Rugby League Ireland player, and the team has also featured the likes of Shaun Edwards, Phil Cantillon who is one of the games leading try scorers as well as Munster’s Ian Dowling.
The World Cup squad will contain players from Rugby League Clubs in Ireland, Britain and Australia. O’Neills is proud to partner another Irish International team competing on the global stage in a World Cup.
Rugby League Ireland - 3 Group Games
Game 1
29th October 2017
Ireland V Italy
Barlow Park – Cairns, Australia
Game 2
5th November 2017
Ireland V Papua New Guinea
National Football Stadium – Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Game 3
12th November 2017
Ireland V Wales
Perth Rectangular Stadium – Perth, Australia
Quarter Finals to be played on 17th, 18th and 19th November 2017
Semi Finals to be played on 24th and 25th November 2017
Final to be played in Brisbane on 2nd December 2017
