The 2021 Rugby League World Cup is coming to Leeds this month, and with eight games to be played between Saturday 15 October and Friday 11 November, there's going to be plenty to get involved in around the city.
From the headline games to how to buy tickets, here's what you need to know about the upcoming RLWC21 events across Leeds.
Fixtures in Leeds
The following Men's Rugby League World Cup games will be held in Leeds:
Australia v Fiji on Saturday 15 October, 7.30pm @ Headingley Stadium
Jamaica v Ireland on Sunday 16 October, 5pm @ Headingley Stadium
New Zealand v Ireland on Friday 28 October, 7.30pm @ Headingley Stadium
Semi Final on Friday 11 November, 7.45pm @ Elland Road
Image: Rugby World Cup 2021
The following Women's Rugby League World Cup games will be held in Leeds:
England v Brazil on Tuesday 1 November, 2.30pm @ Headingley Stadium
Papua New Guinea v Canada on Tuesday 1 November, 5pm @ Headingley Stadium
Canada v Brazil on Wednesday 9 November, 5pm @ Headingley Stadium
England v Papua New Guinea on Wednesday 9 November @ Headingley Stadium
How to get tickets to the games
Tickets are available from just £10 for the Men's, Women's and Disabled tournaments, with tickets for under 16s coming in at just £2.21 each.
Leeds city council warned that the inaugural Leeds game Australia v Fiji on Saturday 15 October, 7.30pm at Headingley Stadium is almost sold out, so those looking to grab tickets to the event are advised to act quickly before the tickets sell out completely.
All tickets can be purchased on the RLWC21 website here.
Leeds Rhinos
Image: Rugby League World Cup 2021
The matches will affect Leeds Rhinos matches as a result. The club has put out the following statement regarding the RLWC21:
"Only five RLWC2021 fixtures (four match-days) have been affected during the rescheduling of 61 matches staged at 21 iconic venues, across 18 host towns and cities. These changes involve the switching of two fixtures between existing venues in Leeds and Hull and the relocation of fixtures from Anfield Stadium and M&S Bank Arena."
Leeds Rhinos v New Zealand- Bartercard International Challenge
The Bartercard International Challenge will see Leeds Rhinos play the New Zealand game ahead of the World Cup matches later this month.
The highly anticipated match will take place on Saturday 8 October 2022 from 6pm at Headingley Stadium.
The club has announced that Rob Burrow will be the guest of honour at the game, Leeds Rhinos have commented that "the game will have special significance for Burrow as his greatest achievement on the international stage came against New Zealand when he was Man of the Series for Great Britain against the Kiwis in 2007."
Image: Leeds Rhinos
You can grab tickets for the Bartercard International Challenge here.
Kevin Sinfield's Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge
In the past year, the Leeds Rhinos player has completed a 101 mile run in 24 hours; ran 10k with Rob Burrow and in 2020, the sportsman ran seven marathons in seven days, raising over £2.7 million for charity. Now Sinfield has announced that he plans to run from Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh to Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, spanning across seven days during the Rugby World Cup.
The ‘Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge’ will see the former Leeds Rhinos captain to run over 60 km each day in order to reach the destination in time, and will travel through Melrose, Newcastle, York, Bradford, Middlesborough and Leeds before arriving in Manchester.
Image: Leicester Tigers
The idea is that Sinfield will reach Old Trafford at half-time during the men’s rugby league World Cup final on Saturday 19 November, having set off six days prior on Sunday 13 November 2022.
An independent matcha stand in Leeds has been forced to closed due to council concerns.
You may remember back in August when the whole of Leeds rallied to save Sips Matcha over in Headingley.
The front garden matcha spot has become a firm favourite for students and locals alike over the past year, gaining more than 12,000 followers on Instagram.
The self-proclaimed 'tiniest matcha stand in Leeds' is located in the residential area of Little Woodhouse and is run by the lovely Matt and Julia.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
However, in August their retroactive planning application was rejected by the council and they were given 28 days to remove the shed.
In a published document via Leeds City Council website, multiple reasons were listed for the decision to refuse planning permission for the bright-green matcha shed.
The electronic letter signed by Martin Elliot, Chief Planning Officer, listed spoiling the property's character, increased footfall, and a failure to comply with numerous development and design policies.
In response, Matt and Julia launched a petition urging people to save Sips Matcha, labelling the painted wooden shed-turned-coffee shop as a 'Community Stand'.
Despite over 3,000 signatures, Sips Matcha have announced on their social media today that the shed must be removed by the end of November.
The statement reads: "our retrospective planning was declined, we appealed, and the appeal was dismissed. then the dreaded email arrived: the shed has to come down by the end of november.
"we don’t have all the answers yet, but we’re working out what happens next. over 3,000 of you signed the petition and it meant the world. thank you for every sip, share and signature. come say hi while we’re still here."
We're absolutely gutted for them, so make sure you pop by for a matcha before the end of November to give them a proper farewell.
Here are six of the most exciting new restaurants and cafes coming to Leeds this year
Clementine Hall
The year is almost coming to an end, but Leeds is still bursting at the seams with plenty of new openings.
We love talking about food here at The Hoot, so allow us to indulge and let you know what foodie spots are opening in the city over the next couple of months.
Recently we've had everything from rotisserie chicken shops to Miami-inspired bodegas open up, and it seems like 2026 is the gift that keeps on giving...
It's been a long time coming but we hope you haven’t forgotten that viral matcha and acai spot Acai and the Tribe is coming to Vicar Lane very soon.
Known for its colourful acai bowls, smoothies and coffee, the brand already has locations across the UK, and now its setting up shop in Leeds.
Joe & the Juice
1 Trinity St, LS1 6AP
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Girlies grab your Stanley cups and book that pilates class, because Joe and the Juice is finally coming to Leeds. It's been open across the pond in Manchester for just over a year now, and we've been waiting with bated breath to see when they'd make the triumphant step to LS1. Well, the time has come…get ready for all the matcha, juices, coffees and, of course, their iconic Tunacado sandwich.
This much loved breakfast spot do one thing and one thing very well...egg sandwiches.
And it may be a familiar name to some of you lot, as Egg & Co recently opened up on bustling Deansgate in Manchester as well as inside Cambridge Street Collective in Sheffield.
This will be their first site in Leeds, though, and we're very 'egg-cited' about it...sorry.
The Manchester-based burger chain is known by many for its incredible smash patties, funky branding, and quick, reliable service. Their concept is simple: good burgers made with quality ingredients and cooked fresh to order.
After opening in Meanwood just a few weeks ago they're now coming to the city centre, get in.
If you're a fan of thick, chewy noodles, then you're going to like this one.
And that's because The Merrion Centre in Leeds is set to welcome Lano Noodles, an authentic hand-pulled noodle spot. Specialising in freshly made noodles, authentic Lanzhou-style beef noodle soup and traditional Chinese snacks, the independent restaurant will be unlike anything you can currently find in the city.
Sophie Smith -
5th October 2022 
