Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) has today launched its official online shop via a new ‘This is ReaL’ marketing campaign, which sees the first range of merchandise products available for fans.

The campaign puts rugby league fans at the centre of the tournament, using real supporters and players from across the game, including representatives from the charity Community Integrated Care, a partner of RLWC2021 and one of the most significant care providers in the UK.

Filmed at East Leeds Community and Sports Social Club, a beneficiary from the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme, the retail campaign celebrates the tournament’s values of authenticity and inclusivity.

Fans from across the world can now purchase official tournament merchandise, which includes items from Official Apparel Partner and world-class sportswear brand, Kappa.

A range of launch products are now available at rlwc2021.com/shop, allowing fans to experience ‘The Power of Together’ and show their support for RLWC2021, which will see the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments running concurrently for the first time ever.

RLWC2021 has worked with Kappa and Cube Partnership, the Official Retail and Merchandise Supplier, to deliver a wide range of high-quality merchandise for fans on the newly built online shop.

Jonathan Neill, RLWC2021 Commercial Director, said: “RLWC2021 is underpinned by our commitment to inclusivity and we wanted our merchandise and online shop launch to demonstrate that. Rugby League is also a sport built on authenticity and our ‘This is ReaL’ campaign shines a light on the wide range of people who are involved in and support the game.

“Merchandise will drive fan engagement in RLWC2021, and we hope fans are excited to view and purchase the initial products. We’re looking forward to developing this offering with more ranges over the coming months.”

Nicolas Jouvenne, Sports Marketing Executive at Kappa, added: “We are delighted to see the first product range from our partnership with RLWC2021 going live on the brand-new online shop. It was important for us to offer a range of world-class products for men, women and children that will allow fans to support and engage with the competition, and promote our shared value of inclusivity with RLWC2021.”

Andy Bough, Managing Director of Cube Partnership, added: “It is another significant milestone on our RLWC2021 journey to open the official online shop today. We look forward to feedback from rugby league fans around the world so we can further develop our plans for next year and the run up to the tournament.”

“We are committed to bringing the tournament to life using the distinctive brand identity of RLWC2021, to offer a comprehensive range of official merchandise, and to providing a state-of-the-art e-commerce experience for all our customers.”

Further products and ranges will continue to be added to the online shop in the coming months before the tournament itself which takes place between 23 October and 27 November next year.