The tournaments were scheduled to take place this autumn but were  postponed after reigning champions men's and women's champions Australia, as well as New Zealand, pulled out due to COVID-19 restrictions, meaning they would not travel to England.

Competition will now fall between the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the football World Cup in Qatar.

The FIFA World Cup begins two days after RLWC2021 is set to conclude.

"I am delighted that we have been able to announce the revised dates today and can now look forward to the biggest and best Rugby League World Cup ever in the autumn of 2022," RLWC2021 chief executive Jon Dutton said.

"The continuing conversations with all our supportive hosts and venues have been hugely positive. 

"We are confident that we can deliver a similar tournament schedule, which will be communicated as soon as possible.

"Obviously, we are disappointed the tournament will not be happening as originally planned but we are determined to make next year a celebration of sport, unity, people, place and civic pride."

As originally planned, the opening match will be played at St James' Park in Newcastle, while the women's and men's back-to-back finals will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Troy Grant, International Rugby League chairman said: "The Rugby League World Cup is the international pinnacle of our sport, and I am delighted that the new dates have been agreed meaning we can now push forward towards autumn 2022.

"Jon Dutton and the entire RLWC2021 team have worked tirelessly following the postponement being announced and I have total confidence that the 2022 incarnation of the tournament will be the best we have ever seen both on and off the field of play."

RWLC2021 reserved special thanks for Super League Europe and member clubs, who it said have been "extremely accommodating".

In a joint statement, the Australian Rugby League Commission and New Zealand Rugby League cited "the risk of COVID-19 infection in the United Kingdom", rising case numbers in Australia and the length of time "players will spend away from home under strict biosecurity conditions prior to the World Cup" for withdrawing in July.

The English Rugby Football League chairman Simon Johnson called it a "selfish, parochial and cowardly decision".

"I think the British public would want to know why they have made that decision now about a tournament in October when they have athletes currently in Tokyo participating in the Olympics, when their rugby union team is planning to come to Wales in October and when the New Zealand cricket team have been here already to participate," Johnson told BBC Radio 4.

"So there is something that the rugby league authorities believe is insurmountable where other sports have no problem."

However, the event was ultimately postponed until 2022.

Men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments are all due to be played at the same time for the first time.