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.
We're basically half way through the year, so let's see what else we've got to look forward to...spoiler alert, it's a lot.
So far we've had everything from ice bath cafes to listening bars open up in Leeds, and it seems like 2026 is the gift that keeps on giving.
Allow us to get you excited about what's coming to the city...
Dishoom
68–78 Vicar Lane, LS1 7JH
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This one is a biggun' as the ever so popular Indian restaurant is set to open on Friday 14 August in a beautiful Grade-II listed building on Vicar Lane which was formerly Flannels.
First opening in London, Dishoom now has restaurants dotted all over the UK including a huge site in Manchester. The group is famed for its lavish and grand interiors, as well as its home-style curries, grills and breakfasts including its legendary bacon naans.
Acai and the Tribe
88 Vicar Lane
Image: The Manc Group
Acai and the Tribe first opened four years ago in Manchester, and ever since then it's only gone from strength to strength opening up three other locations across the country.
Next stop? Leeds. And we couldn't be happier about it.
So, what can we expect from this aesthetically-pleasing and ultra trendy female-owned business? Well, loaded acai bowls that look almost too good to eat, superfood smoothies, coffees, matcha and savoury options like avocado toast.
This Japanese restaurant serves a menu full of sushi as well as grilled meats on sticks, sharing sides and build-your-own hand rolls. All of this is wrapped up in the most gorgeous interior, which you can see from their jaw dropping new Manchester site.
Occupying the Grade II-listed space on Vicar Lane, the three-storey building will include a 220-cover dining room, 30-cover terrace and an upstairs bar.
Introducing Moods - a new all-day cafe, bar and events venue that will open to the public at First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate on Friday 31 July.
Created by husband-and-wife founders Will and Hayley Moody, the team behind Buzz Club Tattoo, Moods will occupy the ground floor of the Grade II* listed building.
Alfonso's
Horsforth
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Famed for it’s toasted Cuban sandwiches, stacked subs and loaded breakfast bagels - Alfonsos Deli has made a name for itself for serving some of the best sandwiches around the city.
Such a good reputation in fact, that they’ve just announced a second location over in the leafy suburb of Horsforth. Get in.
Leeds rallies around independent wine bar after thieves smash windows to steal… an empty bottle
Clementine Hall
An independent wine bar in Leeds city centre was broken into over the weekend.
And do you know what the sneaky thief stole? An empty bottle.
Latitude Wine Bar on The Calls issued a statement about the break in over the weekend, they said: "Some unscrupulous ______________ (insert expletives in the comments) decided to smash our window last night to grab a magnum of chartreuse out of our window.
"Obviously it was a dummy bottle, so more fool them, but it also makes this criminal damage more pointless. DON'T THEY KNOW HOW MUCH GLASS COSTS!?
"Well, this puts a real dampener on the month so if any one feels like popping in to buy a bottle in the shop or a glass in the bar or heading online to place an order this weekend it would really help to support an independent wine merchant and bar.
Images: Latitude Wine Bar
"Thank you to one of our customers who found the abandoned dummy bottle and returned it to us today. Legend! Santé and happy Friyay!"
So not only did the thief smash the window to steal an empty bottle, but they didn't even take it home with them.
In classic Leeds fashion, fellow indies flocked to the comments to support Latitude with many promising to pop in over the weekend for a glass or two.
One comment read: "Do you need a sign in your window saying “this is a dummy bottle you dummy”" whilst another said "Damned spit buckets! I’m sure we’ll be in soon, keep your chins up fam."
So if you've been meaning to pop in for a glass of the good stuff, there's no better time than the present.
Sophie Smith -
5th October 2022 
