From adversity to triumph – how resilience, positivity and courage helped us win the Rugby League World Cup on and off the pitch

As the dust settles after the euphoria of the three RLWC2021 Finals, I am finally able to step back and start to take stock of what we achieved.

Having navigated a pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, some of the most challenging moments were still to come in the first few weeks of the tournament, as we were criticised for having some empty seats in the early games and for some of the decisions we had made along the way.

Despite this, we finished exceptionally well, breaking records and with a fantastic victory for England winning the wheelchair tournament and standout performances by the Kangaroo and Jillaroo champions.

Although it will take a while for me personally to take it all in, I wanted to share my immediate learnings.

Actions speak louder than words

When we put together our vision back in 2015-16, it looked great on a piece of paper and might have sounded easy as an ambition, but we have backed it up at every step of the way. From setting best practice standards to equal treatment of athletes, nothing we have done has been tokenistic. Success is not an accident.

We faced criticism in the media over the ticket pricing strategy and experienced some disappointing public criticism in the first two weeks of the tournament.

I still stand by our overarching pricing strategy – with all tickets available for every game when we relaunched last November for ￡25 or less. If we had our chance again, we would change some of the price categories, but fundamentally not mass discounting, which is a behaviour that the sport collectively needs to address.

After a difficult start, the excitement of the wheelchair and women’s events thankfully took over. We achieved some significant milestones in the latter stages, which took some of the focus away and the narrative changed to something far more positive.

Have courage in conviction

We all knew that wheelchair was going to stand out. An inclusive sport that is easy to engage with, is compelling, offers amazing storytelling opportunities and is fast, skilful, and high impact.

It was really striking that the USA almost made the semi-finals. With their access to talent and commercial / broadcast opportunities, I am convinced that this form of the sport has the most growth opportunity. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that a country who is not yet internationally playing the wheelchair game such as Brazil or Nigeria could one day lift the trophy. It will play well to many government agendas and the inclusive nature removes some of the barriers that many traditional sports face.

?We had the courage and belief to showcase the sport to a global audience, with the athletes playing in major arenas like the Copper Box and with equal importance as the men’s and women’s tournaments.

One of the most iconic moments was captured in a wonderful photo at the final, with the three winning teams all standing together: the wheelchair, men’s and women’s teams. It was so good to have that inclusive feel in Manchester.

A Guardian article the following week praised our decision to play the three World Cups at the same time as the men’s tournament, saying the critics had been proved wrong and calling wheelchair rugby “the modern game”.

I am so glad we stuck to our convictions to hold a truly inclusive World Cup as it has trailblazed Rugby League in so many ways.

Positivity can come from small things

From a mental wellbeing perspective, those first two weeks of the tournament were really tough. When you are tired from working long hours and on the road for sixty consecutive days, it can feel relentless.

It was particularly hard to be away from home and surrounded by negativity and challenge – we are all vulnerable human beings and there were times when I felt like I was in a 12-round boxing match.

During this period, I relied on my resilience and focused on finding something to be positive about every day – even if that was something small like getting to sleep in my own bed that night!

There is no hiding place

When you are responsible for a high-profile event and are on a massive stage as we were, there is no hiding when things do not go to plan. Whether that’s empty seats in a stadium or a technical hitch cutting the PA in front of a global audience, the most important thing is to remain calm and not to panic.

We have seen some exceptional dedication and effort from many of our teammates who have never experienced this environment before. ?I am proud of the way our teammates have behaved and responded throughout - no matter what was thrown at them!

Purpose is central to everything

The tournament has been transformational in so many ways; from the new facilities and pitches we have been able to provide and the mental fitness programme we rolled out, to the life-changing opportunities and experiences our volunteers have experienced.

It was wonderful to be able to introduce the Princess of Wales to many of the people who have been involved in our social impact programme when we hosted her at the tournament.

The legacy we have started will be handed over to the RFL so that the good work can continue.

Humanity prevails

Another incredible memory for me was when former Rhino’s captain and England star Kevin Sinfield came on the pitch halfway through the men’s final between Australia and Samoa. He was greeted with a standing ovation as he talked about friendship and why he ran seven ultra-marathons in aid of motor neurone disease (MND) causes.?

I had joined Kevin for some of his journey, running twelve miles together, so it was an amazing moment and a privilege to watch him being given such a compassionate welcome by the crowd.

The whole experience is what counts

There were only three nations who went away having lifted World Cup Trophies, but all the athletes had incredible life experiences during their time with us.

For many, it was their first time being away and staying in the North of England. By all accounts, the Australian men’s team loved Manchester and did not want to leave!

Postponing the tournament in 2021 had a huge impact on decisions people were making around life, career and even family planning, so it was wonderful to be able to give them that unique experience 12 months later.

Broadcast reach over revenue

The deal we made with the BBC in 2017 has enabled incredible terrestrial reach and profile, with cumulative average BBC viewing figures of thirty million for the tournament across digital and linear channels as well as many more via our oversees broadcasters.

This will have intrinsic benefits beyond the rights fee. Domestically, it offers more opportunities for the sport to connect with people who may not have been exposed before. We have had lots of anecdotal feedback from people having their first experience of Rugby League through the wheelchair tournament, which presents a wonderful opportunity for the sport to engage in a way that has not been done before.

On an international level, there are exponential growth opportunities for Rugby League to expand its reach now. We had nations such as Greece, Brazil, Jamaica, and the USA wheelchair team making their Rugby League World Cup debuts.

The world is changing

The world has changed significantly in the past 12 months; it was already changing when we started out on our journey, the pandemic super charged this and now the cost-of-living crisis and inflation has added further complexity.

It would have been impossible not to be acutely affected by the impact of the socio-economic and geo-political environment and it has been a lesson for others who follow in our footsteps.

We knew it was going to be hard, but at times it has been absolutely brutal. I do not think any of us anticipated just how hard it would be.

I have previously said that without challenge there is no achievement, and this could not have been more apt. If you really believe in something then, no matter how hard it gets, if you truly believe you can succeed then that’s a reason to keep going.

The feeling myself and the team experienced as we watched the three winners standing side by side on the night of the final game was everything we had dreamed of.?In that moment, we felt a mix of emotions; elated, proud and jubilant but also vindicated.

Driving forward

Seeing the three nations lift the trophies and the fireworks go off was the culmination of seven years planning, and I watched on with immense pride and satisfaction.

Such moments rely on great teamwork so thank you to everyone who played their part, from those who were in World Cup uniform on the final day at Old Trafford to all those teammates who have made their mark along the way. But also, thanks to our incredible network of supporters and partners. We could not have achieved the success we did without the commitment from UK Government, our host towns, cities and venues, our commercial partners, everyone who got involved in the social impact programme and of course, everyone who bought a ticket or watched Rugby League from home for the first time.

Let us hope this event can help the sport to grow at home and abroad.?