Behind the scenes in pictures at the Rugby League World Cup 2021

Delayed due to the pandemic, the 16th edition of the Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) 2021, which is being hosted in England, will see three competitions played out in parallel for the first time with the best men’s, women’s and wheelchair nations all battling it out for the biggest prizes in the sport.

After kicking off Saturday 15 October with England versus Samoa in the men’s tournament, the host broadcast duties for RLWC are being shared by BBC Sport, which is working with EMG, and Whisper, which is being supported by Timeline TV, with the former doing 16 of the 61 matches, including both the men’s and women’s finals.

The BBC is also the domestic rights holder for the tournament and will show all of the games live in the UK, with some on the main network channels, and some streamed.

Read more On-pitch RF cameras and flash interviews added as BBC Sport aims to bring Rugby League World Cup viewers closer to the action

Read more More than a game: Whisper to showcase the social impact of Rugby League World Cup as part of host broadcast coverage

In the picture gallery below you can see the various production teams and crew in action.

This EMG handheld RF camera was covering the player arrivals at the University of Bolton stadium

EMG handheld RF camera on the pitch pre-match in Bolton with BBC Sport analyst Robbie Hunter-Paul to capture the England ‘players to watch’

An EMG handheld RF camera moves behind the posts in Bolton to capture the try conversion

An EMG handheld corner camera in Bolton aimed at capturing tries

An EMG handheld RF camera operator in Bolton getting some on-pitch access after an England try at the Rugby League World Cup

A Timeline TV OB unit at the Leigh Sports Village, supporting remotely produced coverage of Lebanon versus Ireland

At the Rugby League World Cup, a Timeline RF camera capturing the pre-match warm up in Leigh

High-behind Timeline camera for the Lebanon versus Ireland match in Leigh for the Rugby League World Cup

An EMG OB unit outside the Bolton stadium for England versus France

An NEP Connect uplink truck supporting EMG at the Bolton stadium for England versus France

The Rugby League World Cup 2021 takes place in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. All 61 games from the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup tournaments will be broadcast live on BBC platforms.