Speaking to insidethegames today, Dutton said the upcoming tournament could improve diversity, as well as bring more to the table for the North of England.

An estimated 85 per cent of the matches will take place in the north, where rugby league is a large part of the culture.

For the first time, the men's, women's and wheelchair World Cups will all be hosted at the same time.

"This is not about a tournament over five weeks, this is a tournament we've been working on for five years and looking to make an impact on local communities," said Dutton to insidethegames.

"It's about integration, it's about making a positive impact and one of the things we're keen to do is measure the success of this and then pass that knowledge on.

"A lot of sporting events have been measured in quantitative ways, especially from an economic impact perspective. 

"We're interested in measuring memories.

"We want to be the trailblazer and try and measure positive experience in areas like heritage and culture.

"Hopefully people will stop talking about legacy and look at the social impact that events like this provide."

Funding is planned for local facilities to improve infrastructure, but England rugby legend Jason Robinson believes the World Cup will do so much more than improve standards for training.

Robinson is one of the best English players in history, having had a distinguished career in rugby league and rugby union.

The right wing scored his country's only try in the 20-17 victory over Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.

"If you can play in a home World Cup for the English fans, the great thing is you don't have to go far to watch international rugby league and it's priced really well so there's no excuse to not go and see it," said Robinson.

Tickets for the tournament start at just £2.21 ($2.84/€2.42), while tickets for the Finals start at £30 ($38.50/€32.87), with the aim of appealing to local communities. 

"You'd struggle to get a coffee for £2.21 and I think one of the biggest barriers for people watching sports is price," added Robinson.

"These events don't come around very often.

"I came from a deprived area and in years gone by I wouldn't have been able to see these teams play. 

"Forget the coffee, you can see the world's best teams just a bus journey away."

Around 8,000 volunteers have expressed their interest to be part of the event, with World Cup organisers aiming to give those with intellectual learning disabilities a chance.

Robinson added that the pride in hosting the events will galvanise communities in northern towns and cities, who he believes will be hospitable to foreign guests.

Dutton confirmed there would be a 100 per cent refund policy on tickets if the tournament does not go ahead as expected.

Tickets will also be available in instalments, interest free, to incentivise the working class. 

The men's Rugby League World Cup 2021, featuring 16 teams, is due to run from October 23 to November 27 next year.

The eight-team women's tournament is scheduled for November 13 to 27, with the wheelchair event running alongside both competitions.

A total of 61 matches are set to be played across 21 venues in England. 

Priority sale tickets have been available for more than a week and will close tomorrow.