England are expected to head Down Under for the next Ashes Series against Australia in 2028, according to a report from the Southern Hemisphere.
This autumn saw the Rugby League Ashes return for the first time in 22 years, with the historic rivalry in the sport between England and Australia reunited.
The series had initially been planned for 2020 over in Australia, but the COVID-19 Pandemic put a stop to it.
Accordingly, at least one generation of players had missed out entirely on the opportunity to represent their country in an Ashes Series.
But now, the powers that be at the top of the international game are moving quickly to ensure that isn’t the case again.
When next Rugby League Ashes Series will take place as international chief confirms plans
This autumn’s three-game series took place on English soil and ended in a 3-0 whitewash win for the Kangaroos – who won the opening Test 26-6 at Wembley, the second Test 14-4 at Everton FC’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and the third Test 30-8 at Headingley.
Both England and Australia will compete in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup next year, with England then expected to host New Zealand in a three-Test series in 2027 with the Baskerville Shield on the line.
But come 2028, a report in The Daily Telegraph suggests that England will head over to Australia and take on the Kangaroos in the next Ashes Series.
International Rugby League chairman Troy Grant didn’t go as far as confirming that the Ashes will take place in 2028 as he provided comment in The Daily Telegraph’s article, but did laud the success of this year’s series.
Grant said: “We want to reintroduce a beloved rugby league tradition, being the Kangaroos tour and the Ashes.
“Our hopes with the construction of an international calendar to reintroduce the Ashes has been so successful that we can give fans what they want by confirming the Kangaroo tour for the Ashes will feature as an ongoing regular tour every four years.
“It will rebuild a rugby league narrative that was lost for two decades.
“We want to keep it in a cycle with our rugby league World Cups so fans have regularity and can plan for tours, and it also helps the travelling crowd of supporters.
“The Kangaroos have hosted open training sessions, met with fans and done all they can to raise the profile of both the series and the sport.
“They have promoted the game at every opportunity and have breathed life back into a beloved part of our sport.
“England has been crying out for this level of competition that they haven’t previously had in their own hemisphere.
“The commitment by Australia this year has only helped raise that level of competition in preparation for next year’s World Cup, which is due to be the most competitive World Cup in history.”
