Rugby league legend Jamie Peacock says the World Cup could have a major impact on the sport’s growth in England over the next few years.
Shaun Wane’s side have made a perfect start to the tournament, recording victories over Samoa and France in their opening two group games.
They remain behind Australia and New Zealand in the outright betting to lift the trophy, but will fancy their chances of success with home advantage on their side.
While England has previously hosted the tournament, the team’s inability to emerge victorious has limited the impact on the sport in general.
Peacock, who twice represented England at the World Cup in 2000 and 2008, believes things could be different this time around.
“I think it’ll be a good boost,” said Peacock. “The Super League has probably helped attract more casual viewers and helped the game grow at grassroots level.
“But I think if this tournament goes well, the game could strengthen through casual viewers becoming more hardened fans, which will then inspire the next generation.
“I think the people watching for the first time are going to see the most exciting team sport on the planet. It’s very simple to understand, but difficult to master with incredible athletes and great intensity.”
England have produced two impressive performances over the past week and are now well placed to enjoy a long run at the tournament.
Their route to the final is favourable as they have been drawn in the opposite half of the draw to Australia and New Zealand.
Australia have been crowned world champions on 11 previous occasions and are strongly fancied add another success to their tally this year.
They have produced two dominant displays against Fiji and Scotland, but will not find it easy if they clash with New Zealand in the knockout stage.
The two teams are on course to meet each other in the semi-finals in a fixture that is likely to take plenty of energy out of both sets of players.
A subsequent meeting with England at Old Trafford is on the agenda, with the host nation expected to progress to the final from their half of the draw.
Peacock thinks that reaching the final would be huge for rugby league in England, particularly given the level of media coverage the World Cup is receiving.
“We’ve seen in football with the European Championships that when a home nation goes deep into a tournament it brings everyone together,” he added.
“We’re not football, I get that, but we’re going to be on the BBC for a month. There’s time to build momentum, but that is generally only there when the home side is still there.
“The performance of England is huge in terms of how impactful the World Cup will be in this country.
“The aim for England has to be to make the final. If they do that, they’ll have momentum all the way through and that’s key.”