Rugby League World Cup 2013 celebrated the ‘one year to go’ mark today, Friday October 26 2012, with a truly international mediaconference.

Players from all 14 competing nations were available to the press on the day that also marked the date that tickets for the tournament went on general sale.

Eight players from across the globe, representing Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, France, Italy, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the USA answered questions from the media about their preparations for RLWC2013 via a specially created Google+ Hangout.

Players from hosts England and Wales, as well as Ireland, Scotland, Samoa and Tonga were present at the press conference in MediaCityUK, the home of RLWC2013.

RLWC2013 General Manager Sally Bolton said: “We wanted a special event to mark this very significant milestone for the tournament. The one year to go date was too good an opportunity to miss and gave us a great way to launch our tickets going on general sale.

“Early tickets sales to the fans of the Rugby League clubs and those who pre-registered have been overwhelming. We’ve found that there is huge interest in the big games of the tournament, the opening double header at Cardiff and the semi-finals at Wembley in particular.

“Sales for the Rugby League World Cup final at Old Trafford however have really exceeded our expectations, currently out-stripping the other venues by five to one. I’d urge anyone therefore to buy tickets for the final now to avoid missing out.

“We think that offering 55 per cent of our tickets at £20 or less to see the best players in the world represents fantastic value. This is the pinnacle of Rugby League, a global sport which delivers extraordinary speed, power and athleticism to the spectator.

“To gather players from all of the nations who will ultimately be responsible for making RLWC2013 the best Rugby League World Cup ever was a great way for us to kick off ticket sales”.

RLWC2013 kicks off on October 26 2013 with both hosts playing at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. Home side Wales take on tournament newcomers Italy and England face the old enemy Australia.

Tickets for all games are now available for purchase individually or with various special package options at www.rlwc2013.com.

Twitter: #rlwc2013 @rlwc2013   Facebook: /rugbyleagueworldcup

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