Today marks 200 days to go until the world’s greatest rugby league players take to the Millennium Stadium pitch to kick off Rugby League World Cup 2013.

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Cardiff’s iconic venue will stage the official Opening Ceremony of the RLWC2013 show on Saturday 26 October, with co-hosts England playing Australia and Wales taking on Italy in back-to-back fixtures.

As the countdown continues for the pinnacle of the Rugby League calendar, RLWC2013 organisers have confirmed that interest has been great for the showpiece event in Cardiff – with ticket prices from £10 (£5 concessions) at www.rlwc2013.com

The home of Welsh rugby first hosted a World Cup of the Rugby League variety in November 2000 when Wales lost out to tournament runners-up New Zealand. The venue also changed codes for the Challenge Cup between 2003 and 2005 and has three times played host to the specular Millennium Magic for the inaugural event in 2007, again in 2008 and 2011.

As preparations for the RLWC2013 are underway, management at the Millennium Stadium continue to work with organisers to bring another spectacular weekend of sport and entertainment to Wales’ capital city.

A spokesperson from the WRU, which owns and operates the Millennium Stadium, said: “Since the Rugby League World Cup 2013 was announced for Cardiff early last year, we’ve been working closely with the organisers and Welsh Government to ensure the Opening Ceremony is a hugely successful event for everyone involved.

“In that time, the Millennium Stadium has also attracted the attention of sports fans all over the globe with some fantastic Olympic football and a thrilling Six Nations win for Wales and I’m sure the fans with RLWC2013 tickets won’t be disappointed with what’s on offer in Cardiff on Saturday 26 October.”

Upwards of half a million people are expected to watch the 28 RLWC2013 matches live over a six-week period in the autumn with a further 20 million viewers from 120 countries tuning in around the world.

RLWC2013 General Manager, Sally Bolton said, “There’s 200 days to go today to the Opening Ceremony at Millennium Stadium. Fans in Cardiff will be getting excited at seeing some of the best players in the world at their ground.

“It’s not long until the stars of the international game will be here in the UK. The buzz is building around all our host towns and cities and we’re sure that will also attract some new fans to our extraordinary sport.”