The future of the Rugby League World Cup in England is now in doubt after Australia and New Zealand pulled out of the tournament over Britain's handling of the Covid pandemic - as organisers branded them 'selfish, cowardly and parochial'.
The countries' governing bodies gave organisers just four minutes' notice before they released a statement to say they would no longer participate in the event scheduled for October, with a senior official saying it was 'simply too unsafe' because of the prevalence of Covid in the UK.
It remains to be seen whether the tournament can now go ahead in 2021 without Australia, who have won the tournament a record 11 times, and 2008 champions New Zealand.
The organisers face three unpalatable options — cancelling the tournament, postponing for 12 months or proceeding without the two biggest nations who have won every tournament since 1972. All three options would result in significant financial losses, with cancellation likely to cost the sport tens of millions of pounds.
The extraordinary development and subsequent feuding between the northern and southern hemispheres leaves the World Cup in crisis. World Cup bosses will continue to pressure Australia and New Zealand to change their minds and have already enlisted the Government to help, with Boris Johnson lobbying to his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
On Thursday, Simon Johnson, chairman of the Rugby Football League, pulled no punches as he hit back after the devastating announcement.
'This selfish, parochial and cowardly decision is one that need not have been taken because the Rugby League World Cup organisers have bent over backwards to offer every assurance to the Australians and Kiwis,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Troy Grant, chair of the International Rugby League, the World Cup's main organiser, also blasted the move in a similarly strong-worded intervention.
'The obvious question being asked of us is why rugby league players are not able to make the same sacrifices as players from other sports?' he said. 'Sadly, players are telling me they haven't had the opportunity to make that decision for themselves.'
The decision coincides with Prime Minister Morrison apologising for a stuttering vaccination programme that puts Australia at the bottom of the OECD leaderboard, with just 14.98% of over-15s jabbed. Half the country is in lockdown despite a stringent border shutdown and cases are rising - although its outbreak, like New Zealand's, still remains tiny in comparison to Britain's.
It also comes as pictures emerged of Aussie rugby league WAGs sharing marshmallows and ice lollies across balconies while staying in a Queensland quarantine hotel, in what appears to be a breach of rules to stay in a Covid bubble.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) poses with the Rugby League World Cup trophy last week as excitement grew during the build-up to the tournament
Half Australia is in lockdown despite a stringent border shutdown and cases are rising - although they still remain far below the numbers seen in the UK. New Zealand has also seen very few Covid cases
Simon Johnson
Today, Simon Johnson, chairman of the Rugby Football League, pulled no punches as he hit back after the devastating announcement. Below are comments he made to the Press Association.
'The World Cup organisers have bent over backwards and turned double somersaults to meet every single requirement that was asked of them, by the Australians particularly.
'To have those assurances completely dismissed, I am angry about this. This is a selfish, parochial and cowardly decision which has been taken by the Australian and New Zealand leadership.
'I would have some sympathy for them were I not aware that right now Australian athletes are in Tokyo for the Olympics, that New Zealand men's cricketers have played in England this summer and that the rugby union team from Australia will be coming for a series of internationals in October.
'So, if their sports' governing bodies are comfortable with the arrangements that are made, why are the rugby league authorities not satisfied with that? I think the impact, particularly for women's rugby league and wheelchair rugby league will be particularly devastating.
'And I cannot escape the irony of a country which only yesterday was awarded the Olympic Games for 2032 and which promotes the itself as the home of sport, has taken a decision that might well cause a fatal blow to the development of women's rugby league and wheelchair rugby league.
'Hidden in their letter is a paragraph that talks about clubs not wanting their players to have to quarantine at the end of the tournament. They've known about this for months and months and months.
'I think what has happened here is that the Australian rugby league leadership has not been prepared to face down the parochial interests of the clubs.
'They need to face them down and I think they will because there have been a lot of communication from players about how much they want to play in the World Cup.
'The Australian leadership has got to look those players in the eyes and justify their decision to snatch away their chance to participate at the pinnacle of the international game.
'I believe when the players realise the implication of this, there might come pressure on the clubs from the Australian leaders and that they face them down. We will not take this lying down.'
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The organisers have been insistent that they can host a safe tournament, pointing to the use of charter flights and quarantine arrangements.
The view of the Rugby Football League is that Australia, in particular, is trying to protect their lucrative domestic game, with clubs fearing that players having to quarantine on return for 14 days will miss pre-season. However, a number of leading Australian stars said on Thursday that they wanted to take part.
But New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters cited 'stark differences' between the management of the pandemic in the UK and Australasia and insisted it was 'simply too unsafe' for the teams to take part in the tournament.
He said: 'There are stark differences between how the pandemic is being managed in the UK compared to Australasia and recent developments have highlighted how quickly things can change.
'The tournament organisers have moved heaven and earth to make this work, so it is not an easy decision, but the Covid-19 situation in the UK shows no sign of improving, and it's simply too unsafe to send teams and staff over.'
The decision comes a week after the Australian rugby league team relocated its competition to Queensland following fresh Covid outbreaks in New South Wales and Victoria but Rugby Football League chair Simon Johnson said the rugby league authorities are bucking a worldwide trend.
'I would have some sympathy for them were I not aware that right now Australian athletes are in Tokyo for the Olympics, that New Zealand men's cricketers have played in England this summer and that the rugby union team from Australia will be coming for a series of internationals in October,' he said.
'So, if their sports' governing bodies are comfortable with the arrangements that are made, why are the rugby league authorities not satisfied with that? I think the impact, particularly for women's rugby league and wheelchair rugby league will be particularly devastating.
'And I cannot escape the irony of a country which only yesterday was awarded the Olympic Games for 2032 and which promotes the itself as the home of sport, has taken a decision that might well cause a fatal blow to the development of women's rugby league and wheelchair rugby league.'
He added: 'We are not prepared to take it lying down.'
A joint statement from the two nations read: 'The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) and New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) today informed the International Rugby League (IRL) and Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) organisers that Australia and New Zealand will not compete in a 2021 World Cup because of player welfare and safety concerns.
'The ARLC and NZRL have again requested the RLWC2021 be postponed until 2022 to minimise risk of players contracting COVID-19 and ensure the best outcome for player well-being.
'The ARLC and NZRL have resolved, that in the present environment the risks to athletes and officials travelling to the UK to participate in the tournament this year are too great, and it is unable to endorse Australia and New Zealand participating in the RLWC in 2021.'
ARLC chairman Peter V'landys AM reiterated his New Zealand counterpart's concerns and issued a renewed appeal for the tournament to be rescheduled for next year.
'In the current environment, the risks to the safety, health and well-being of the players and officials travelling from Australia to participate in the tournament this year are insurmountable,' he said.
The Rugby League World Cup tournament organisers said the decision to withdraw at short notice as 'disappointing' - as it was claimed they were told about it just four minutes before the announcement.
Australian rugby league star James Tedesco (left) and the Kiwis' Benji Marshall are among the players who will not be taking part in this year's tournament after their countries' sporting authorities pulled out
Reigning champions Australia (pictured) and New Zealand have withdrawn from this autmun's Rugby League World Cup in England over coronavirus fears
'RLWC2021 note the disappointing statement made by the ARLC and NZRL which may have wide ranging implications for international Rugby League,' a statement read. 'RLWC2021 were informed at very short notice and will continue discussions with all stakeholders to agree on the best way forward. A further statement will be made in due course.'
Troy Grant, chair of the International Rugby League, the World Cup's main organiser, said: 'Late this afternoon I received a call from Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V'landys AM informing me that the commission had met and voted not to sign the participation agreements for Rugby League World Cup 2021 and would not be supplying Australian players for the three competitions. I appreciate Peter calling me to explain the rationale behind the ARLC's decision and, whilst I can appreciate the ARLC's intent to ensure player safety and welfare, I find it difficult to find the words that adequately describe my disappointment with that decision.
'Every sporting organisation, every industry, government and family globally have been impacted by this pandemic. RLWC2021 and IRL only recently stated that we fully appreciated the challenges facing us to run a successful Rugby League World Cup with player and officials safety our priority and we have met every request regarding this issue made of us by ARLC, New Zealand Rugby Leauge and the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA). All designed to mitigate potential risks and satisfy the demands of ARLC and NZRL.'
Mr Grant said extensive work has been carried out to ensure the tournament was safe.
He added: 'The obvious question being asked of us is why rugby league players are not able to make the same sacrifices as players from other sports? Sadly, players are telling me they haven't had the opportunity to make that decision for themselves.'
The announcement comes just days after UK Prime Minister Johnson posed with the trophy outside No 10 Downing Street, where he was joined by tournament ambassadors and executives. Australia and New Zealand both signed participation agreements to compete in the World Cup but could now face huge financial penalties after withdrawing from the tournament at short notice.
Sportsmail learned earlier this month that the contracts contain significant financial penalties for any nation that withdraws at late notice.
The World Cup is projected to generate around £40million so cancellation would have disastrous financial implications.
In addition, postponing it by 12 months could result in a series of costly knock-on effects. A one-year delay would clash with the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar. It is feared it would create the possibility the BBC could withdraw some live coverage.
Johnson admitted that cancellation was a distinct possibility, due to the likelihood that the prevalence of Covid-19 will remain high in 2022.
Johnson added: 'I don't think postponing is a real option. If we don't do it in 2021 there's a chance it may not happen at all. I'm not sure from a Covid perspective what's going to be different in 2022 that isn't here in autumn 2021.
'By that time Australia will have played a whole rugby union Test series here, the Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games will have happened, we'll have full stadiums at football.
'We have been bending over backwards for many months to accommodate their concerns. I'm sorry, but I have no choice other than to call this a selfish, parochial and cowardly decision.'
Sportsmail also reported this month that Australia were threatening to undermine the credibility of the tournament by sending a reserve team.
There was resistance from National Rugby League (NRL) clubs in Australia, who called for the competition to be postponed until next year because Covid-19 quarantine rules mean players would only return to their clubs two weeks before trial games begin for the 2022 season.
With Australia's borders currently closed, anyone returning to the country from overseas would have to spend 14 days in government-managed quarantine.
Players must take a mandatory six-week rest break after quarantine, that would have impacted the new campaign by essentially wiping out pre-season.
But now, the competition has taken a massive hit with two of the tournament's biggest teams pulling the plug just months before it kicks off in Britain.
The 16-team men's World Cup gets underway on October 23 with the final at Old Trafford in Manchester on November 27.
