We sit down with Simon Johnson, Chair of the Rugby Football League, about Manchester’s upcoming role as the host of the world cup final.
As Manchester prepares to host the Rugby League World Cup Final for the Men’s, Women’s, and Wheelchair tournaments – the first time in the sport’s history that such an event has occurred – we caught up with Simon Johnson to discuss the momentous occasion. Simon has an impressive resumé as the Chair of the Rugby Football League (RFL), Chair of the Sports Information Service, past Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council and previous COO of England 2018. Here he explains how Old Trafford was chosen as the location for
the final: “Rugby League has had a long connection with Manchester. The Super League grand finals have been played at Old Trafford for 25 years, and the city is right in the traditional heart of Rugby League. The RFL has just moved its headquarters into Etihad campus in Manchester. We have a good relationship with both the city and the stadium.”
This year marks the first year that the Men’s, Women’s, and Wheelchair Tournaments will be taking place at the same time: “This is unique in world sport actually,” Simon explains. “It’s something worth pointing out because nobody else does this. We are a sport that is committed to inclusion, accessibility, and widening opportunities for everybody. We thought that the best way to do that was to run three world cups at the same time. I think it’s something that will continue, and it’s something that shows the inclusion and diversity of our sport and allows that to be showcased to the world.”
With the Lionesses’ recent win at the 2022 UEFA European Women’s Football Championship drawing so much attention towomen’s football, Simon is hopeful that the same might happen for women’s rugby: “We have a really enticing and exciting women’s game which we’re developing. We’re some years behind football in its development. We don’t have the same level of international competition and we don’t have that level of domestic competitiveness yet. But what we do have is a number of teams within each country increasing their capacity, widening their accessibility, and widening opportunities for the talented women and girls, and playing at a higher and higher level. This tournament gives us the opportunity to showcase our women’s game. We have, particularly among our England women’s squad, some tremendous representatives for women and girl’s sport.”
The Jewish community has had a long history within Rugby League, a history which continues to this day, and which Simon is proud to be a part of: “At the start of Rugby League and its history, right the way through until the Second World War, there was a strong Jewish involvement in the sport. There were Jewish players who would come from different countries (such as South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) as well as the UK, to play. Some of them playing with great distinction. There was a high level of involvement from the Jewish community and there are still a couple of Jewish directors of Leeds Rhinos. And obviously, I’m a Mancunian and Chair of the governing body, so I play a small part in that history.”
