The 2013 World Cup will be held in the United Kingdom, the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) confirmed on Tuesday.

A decision was rubber-stamped at a meeting of the RLIF to discuss the future of the international calendar.

Australia had been interested in hosting the event again after the success of the 2008 tournament but it will now return to the UK, which last staged it in 2000.

Richard Lewis, the deputy chairman of the RLIF and executive chairman of the Rugby Football League, said: "It is a great boost for rugby league in the northern hemisphere to secure the World Cup in 2013.

"I thought that the 2008 tournament was an outstanding success and our goal is to build on that success and to deliver a profitable tournament that further enhances the international prestige of rugby league."

The decision to play the tournament in 2013 as opposed to 2012 was made to ensure the tournament is played outside an Olympic year in the future.

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