BRADFORD Council, in conjunction with their partners Bradford Bulls and Keighley Cougars, are today submitting a bid to stage matches in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

Although Odsal Stadium and Lawkholme Lane have both staged men's matches in past World Cups, their online bid for the RLWC2021 will this time focus on hosting women's matches.

The tournament in three years' time will also have wheelchair matches, as well as men's and women's games.

Ken Jones, a strategic and commercial consultant with the Bulls, said: "The competition promises to be the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup in history.

"We thought that there was little chance of staging men's matches as we would be up against places such as the Etihad Stadium in Manchester and St James' Park in Newcastle, so instead the City of Bradford will be bidding to host a group stage of the women's competition.

"That is fitting being as Bradford Bulls are the current Women's Super League champions and Challenge Cup holders, and if successful we will provide an awesome event of which the city can be proud.

"We have a wonderful legacy of top-class rugby league in the city, with the Bulls, the Bulls women, Odsal Stadium and, not forgetting, Keighley Cougars and Cougar Park, with the Cougars playing a large part in helping to create a hotbed of rugby league for the community."

Jones added: "The aim is also to provide a sustainable legacy, especially for girls and women competing in what is a wonderful sport, but also boys.

"The focus will therefore be on engagement with local schools and community groups to encourage both boys and girls to participate in rugby league events, and we also want to get into the South Asian community, where we feel that there is untapped talent."

Another string to Bradford's bid is that the National Rugby League Museum is due to open within Bradford City Hall in 2020.

Jones said: "There will potentially be lots of activity in 2021 around the National Rugby League Museum, and on Saturday, August 11 this year there will be a special event at City Hall, where rugby league's iconic trophies from the past will be on view at the same place at the same time for the first time ever.

"There will be the Rugby League Championship trophy, the Yorkshire and Lancashire cups, the Regal Trophy and the BBC Floodlit Trophy, plus a selection of international trophies."

The bid team of Phil Barker and Andy Ross from Bradford Council, Jones and Russ McFarlane from Bradford Bulls and Neil Cullen from Keighley Cougars expect to hear within a month to six weeks if their World Cup bid has been successful.

Odsal has hosted men's Rugby League World Cup matches before, notably Great Britain v New Zealand and Great Britain v Australia in 1960, the latter won by GB 10-3 in what was virtually a World Cup final between two unbeaten teams in a league system, and the thrilling Australia v France clash in November 1970, won 17-15 by France.

Lawkholme Lane has also played its part, staging the Fiji v South Africa match in October 1995, where the Fijians triumphed 52-6.