A NZ Herald article.
New Zealand Rugby league chief executive Greg Peters said “real concerns” for safety was the driving force behind the withdrawal of New Zealand teams from the Rugby League World Cup, while some players being hesitant to be vaccinated also factored into their decision.
New Zealand and Australia, ranked No 1 and 2 in the world, announced they would not be attending the tournament in England in October, citing safety concerns of travelling to and taking part in a tournament in a country that is still recording upwards of 40,000 positive Covid-19 tests on a daily basis.