The World Cup will return to the United Kingdom after a 13-year absence in 2013.

The Rugby League International Federation announced the host country for their flagship event this morning after a two-day meeting in Singapore.

Australia were thought to be interested again after an impressive tournament Down Under last year but the Rugby Football League's business plan proved successful.

Richard Lewis, the deputy chairman of the RLIF and executive chairman of the RFL, said: "It is a great boost for rugby league in the northern hemisphere to secure the World Cup in 2013.

"I thought that the 2008 tournament was an outstanding success and our goal is to build on that success and to deliver a profitable tournament that further enhances the international prestige of rugby league."

The World Cup was last held in the UK in 2000 but the tournament, hampered by bad weather, proved a financial disaster and left the RFL in debt.

It also led to the tournament being mothballed for eight years but the event in Australia last autumn proved a resounding commercial success and re-established its credibility.

It attracted combined crowds of 290,000 and a global television audience of 19.2million, making it the most widely broadcast event in the game's history.

The RLIF considered 2012 for the next instalment but, as expected, opted for 2013 to avoid a clash with the London Olympics.

Plans have also been made to broaden the base of the international game.

It has been confirmed the winners of this autumn's Pacific Cup between Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea will be awarded a place in the 2010 Four Nations.

The Four Nations, which this season includes France alongside England, Australia and New Zealand and will be played in Europe, takes place Down Under in 2010.

The European Nations Cup, which will involve France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, will also be developed.

Further Four Nations tournaments have been confirmed for England in 2011 and Australia in 2014, with no event in 2012 to ease workload on players ahead of a World Cup year.