PRINCE Harry will conduct the draw for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup live from Buckingham Palace.

The Duke of Sussex, who presented the Challenge Cup to Warrington Wolves after they beat St Helens in the Wembley Stadium final last August, will host the draws for the men's, women's and wheelchair competitions on Thursday, January 16.

The Halliwell Jones Stadium has already been confirmed to host three group stage matches in the men's competition, which gets underway on October 23, 2021.

“We are delighted and honoured that The Duke of Sussex will be hosting the draws from one of the most famous landmarks in the world," RLWC2021 chief executive Jon Dutton said.

"His achievements in driving inclusivity in sport with the Invictus Games and his wider projects within rugby league makes him the perfect fit for the draw.

"I am looking forward to seeing who the nations are drawn against, which will really spark the countdown.

"There’s one thing that’s certain, we’re going to be treated to some world-class rugby league across all three tournaments.”

Hosts England will be in Group A with Australia, New Zealand and Tonga in groups B, C and D respectively.

The remaining 12 teams have been split into the following pots, with one from each drawn into each group.

Pot 1 - Fiji, Lebanon, Papua New Guinea, Samoa

Pot 2 – France, Jamaica, Scotland,Wales

Pot 3 – Cook Islands, Greece, Ireland, Italy

Tournament organisers and the International Rugby League agreed that each group should represent the rugby league playing world and, as such, will contain at least one nation from the Pacific region and at least one nation under the jurisdiction of the Rugby League European Federation.

That means that Lebanon will not be included in the draw for Group A and will be reintroduced after either Fiji, Papua New Guinea or Samoa is selected.

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