April 22 – Liverpool’s Anfield stadium will host the final of the Four Nations Rugby League tournament November 20, while the London (and by the West Ham’s Olympic Stadium) will host the final group game of the tournament between England and Australia.
Rugby League’s Four Nations Championship takes place every two years between the world’s top three teams – Australia, New Zealand and England – and a fourth team qualified either from the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. Scotland as 2014 European Champions qualified for the 2016 event.
The sport is no stranger to football grounds, especially in the North of England, and the 2016 tournament will also see games played at Coventry’s 32,609-seat Ricoh Arena which is also home to Rugby Union’s Wasps. In a double header on November 5 England will play Scotland and Australia will play New Zealand.
Rugby League has traditionally played its Super League Grand Final at Manchester United’s Old Trafford, which has also hosted many England fixtures. The ground will not host any fixture in this tournament.
Liverpool is currently in the closing stages of rebuilding Anfield’s Main Stand that will add about 8,500 to the stadium capacity taking it to 54,000. This will make it England’s fourth largest club ground behind Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City, putting it just ahead of Newcastle United. The rugby league international will be the first major non-football sporting event to be held at the increased capacity stadium.
Rugby League has been played at Anfield before when almost 20 years ago St Helens and Castleford clashed in a Super League fixture. In 1991 Anfield hosted Wigan’s World Club Challenge match against the Penrith Panthers. But this is the first full international fixture.
Liverpool sits at the western end of the M62 motorway and as such is on the edge of Rugby League’s traditional Rugby League heartland – usually defined as the M62 corridor which runs East to West across the country. Leading Super League clubs St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves and Widnes Vikings are all less than 20 miles from Anfield, putting the stadium within easy reach of Rugby League fans.
Andrew Parkinson, Operations Director, Liverpool FC said: “We are delighted to be able to host such a prestigious match in the Rugby League calendar – we hope our increased capacity stadium will be the perfect backdrop. Anfield has played host to many landmark matches in its time and I’m sure the Four Nations final will be no different.”
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