their withdrawal led to this response from the rfl.organisers had been bending over backwards for many months to accommodate all of the concerns raised by the australians and the key and we believed that they were in a situation into place where they were willing to come, so this decision has come as a huge blow, and i'm sorry to say that i have no choice but to call this a selfish parochial and cowardly decision. they are now going to have to turn around to their players, their men, their women and their disability athletes and say to them that because of their decision, they are not able to participate in a world cup that should be the pinnacle of their career. i think that is going to be very difficult. the players want to come, and i think leadership of our sport in those countries has taken that away from them. there's a lot to unpack here, ben croucherjoins me now. australia and new zealand have serious concerns about the coronavirus situation and protocols in england, and back at home. in a sporting sense though, how big a blow

the rugby football league have hit back, calling it a selfish and cowardly decision, and rfl presidentby league has decided to withdraw from the biggest tournament that has ever been staged in rugby league. actually, we could wait a couple of months, and if they still felt that badly, then let's look at it closer to the time, but it seems very odd timing, and i think there is still quite a lot of work going on to try to repair that situation and find a solution because particularly for the women's game, it's devastating. well, the former new zealand rugby league international robbie hunter paul told us how let down he felt from a player's perpsective. from a playing point of view, i think it is even more disappointing. now all the information is starting to flow to the surface, saying that this decision was made without impact from the players. you've got to think that, actually, as stakeholders, they are pretty important to the overall value of the game. the olympics officially starts in tokyo tomorrow with the opening ceremony, but the show director kentaro kobayashi has been sacked,

, i am the chief executive of the rfl, i am the president but i have no power, just an honorary role,but it's not the same. to put the question out _ happen but it's not the same. to put the question out wide, _ happen but it's not the same. to put the question out wide, and - happen but it's not the same. to put the question out wide, and there - happen but it's not the same. to put the question out wide, and there is i the question out wide, and there is obvious frustration, it is politics and covid and you will see with the olympics, that we've seen in the last two weeks with the prime minister of new zealand saying, words to the effect that we do not agree with the way in the uk is dealing with a pandemic and also australia, scientists saying they don't agree and it has filtered down in the same way to the olympics. i agree with you and maybe that is why it's a bigger card to say we are pulling out of the world cup than saying the touring teams are still coming. even the all blacks are coming. even the all blacks are coming and you think if that is going ahead, i don't understand.

and rfl president — clare balding — says it's devastating news.on, because particularly for the women's game, this is devastating. the olympics officially starts in tokyo tomorrow, with the opening ceremony, but the show director kentaro kobayashi has been sacked after a comedy sketch from 1998 emerged in which he referenced the holocaust. organisers are still deciding what form the ceremony will take. we do know that two gold medallists from rio will be leading out team gb. sailor hannah mills — on the left here — says she's overwhelmed to be chosen as a flag bearer, alongside rower moe sbihi. in a break from tradition, each nation has been allowed to nominate one female and one male representative. mills and sibihi were selected from a group of athletes put forward by their sports, as exemplifying the olympic and team gb values. i got super emotional. i think i was told in front of the 16 other sailors, which was a really cool moment, and then we had to rush out the door and go sailing and i had 30 seconds on my own and it all bubbled up seconds