Prince Harry commits to Rugby League World Cup 2021 draw announcement

The Duke and Duchess of Susse. Photo / Getty

Prince Harry is expected to bring his star power to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup draw next week amid the high drama of his decision to step away from royal life.

There were early speculative reports the The Duke of Sussex's bombshell announcement to step away as "senior" member of the royal family would see him miss the event at Buckingham Palace on January 16.

However, World Cup 2021 organisers have now said they have had no communication from the royal family to suggest Harry will not host the glamorous affair.

Just hours before Harry and former Hollywood actor wife Meghan Markle announced their plans to seek further separation from their royal duties, World Cup officials announced Harry would conduct the draw.

While that was thrown into uncertainty by the shock statement from Harry and Meghan, World Cup officials have had no contact with the royal couple other than the pair's original statement, which claimed: "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages".

Harry's return to public life at the rugby league event has the potential to cause a media circus while news of his announcement continues to overshadow Australia's Bushfires and the threat of war in the Middle East across the world's media organisations.

The World Cup draw will also be broadcast live across The Royal Family's official Twitter and Facebook accounts as Harry places rugby league heavyweight nations Australia, New Zealand, England and Tonga into their pools for next year's showpiece, which will be held in the United Kingdom.

The draws will see 16 men's, eight women's and eight wheelchair nations drawn into their respective groups for the event, which kicks off with the men's opening ceremony in October 2021 at St James' Park, Newcastle.

Chief Executive of the 2021 World Cup, Jon Dutton said in a statement: "We are delighted and honoured that The Duke of Sussex will be hosting the draws from one of the most famous landmarks in the world.

"His achievements in driving inclusivity in sport with the Invictus Games and his wider projects within rugby league makes him the perfect fit for the draw.

"I am looking forward to seeing who the nations are drawn against, which will really spark the countdown. There's one thing that's certain, we're going to be treated to some world-class rugby league across all three tournaments."

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Buckingham Palace reacted to Harry and Meghan's announcement via a public statement before it was revealed that the announcement was made before the couple even consulted the Queen or her senior staff.

"Discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through."

Former palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter said the move was "unprecedented" and a "breakdown in the royal family".

"Harry was an absolute bonus to the royal family. He had a tremendous attitude to his work. He brought a lot of joy to a lot of people," Mr Arbiter said.

"It is a breakdown in the royal family. Something has gone wrong."