Preston has formally begun its bid to become a training camp for the Rugby League World Cup.

The tournament is being hosted in England during 2021 and the city wants once again to be a base for one of the international sides.

The city is one of 40 team base applications submitted to the RLWC2021 board.

A total of 16 team training facilities are needed but Preston City Council feel they are in a strong position having hosted international teams before for previous rugby league events.

Cabinet member for culture and leisure at the city council councillor Peter Kelly said: “Our application to be a part of the Rugby League World Cup in 2021 has been submitted. It would be an amazing opportunity for Preston to a part of this well-known event and promote our city on the world’s stage.

“I look forward to welcoming the organisers to Preston and showing them our vast cultural offer before waiting to hear if we have been successful early next year.”

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Organisers say they have seen more than 40 venue applications submitted from stadiums across the country, although Preston is not bidding to host any matches.

Who else is bidding?

Chief executive of RLWC2021 Jon Dutton said: “This is another significant milestone in our journey ahead of what will be the biggest and best ever RLWC in history. We’ve been delighted with not just the quantity but the quality of the applications we have received.

“It’s been great to see the various public “Back the Bid” campaigns across the country which has shown what it means to various communities to be a host at RLWC2021. The next stage is for us go through each and every bid in detail to allow us to make the best possible decisions for the tournament – this journey will include site visits and further conversations in the next few months before we reveal the outcomes early next year.”

The UCLan connection

In 2013 the city hosted the Ireland rugby league side for the World Cup and they used the UCLan Sports Arena to train and stayed at the Marriott Hotel in Broughton.

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Acting head of the school of sport and wellbeing at UCLan Leona Trimble said when the bid was first announced in June: “UCLan made a great success of being a host training venue for the last Rugby League World Cup on home soil, welcoming both Ireland and Fiji.

“Working with Preston City Council and the Marriott Hotel, we aim to once again play an integral part in this international sporting event and bring the very best of rugby league to the heart of Lancashire. We want the local community to really feel part of the tournament and hopefully by becoming a host venue, we can help to promote the sport within local schools, colleges and clubs.

“UCLan has a strong history of welcoming international sports team to use our outstanding facilities and we hope to continue this by hosting some top-class athletes as they prepare for the World Cup in 2021.”

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