ST James’ Park will still play host to the opening match of the delayed Rugby League World Cup, it has been confirmed.

The tournament has been pushed back by a year, after Australia and New Zealand pulled out of the competition due to Covid safety concerns.

Rescheduled dates have now been revealed by the World Cup’s organisers and they confirmed Newcastle has been retained as host city for the opening fixture on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

As well as the curtain-raiser between England and Samoa at St James’ that was set to kick off on October 23 this year, three further group stage games were due to be held at the Newcastle Falcons’ Kingston Park ground in the original schedule.

It is not yet known how many fixtures will be played in Newcastle during the new 2022 dates, with tournament bosses saying they hope to have a full revised schedule released by the end of the year.

John-Paul Stephenson, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for public health and culture, said he was delighted by the news that St James’ Park will still hold the tournament’s opening match and that it was a “real chance to show off our beautiful city”.

The tournament was expected to generate a £15m boost for Tyneside’s economy and was touted as a crucial element of the recovery from Covid-19 for the city’s hospitality industry.

Jon Dutton, Rugby League World Cup 2021 chief executive, added: “I am delighted that we have been able to announce the revised dates and can now look forward.”