Rugby League World Cup organisers have issued an apology after a disastrous opening ceremony at St James' Park in Newcastle.
The big curtain-raiser ahead of the opening match between England and Samoa went wrong as the stadium PA completely cut out as the trophy was being paraded, leaving spectators and broadcasters confused and bemused.
The technical difficulties meant Kaiser Chiefs, who had just started performing a set, were left standing on stage waiting for an update amid the silence. Frontman Ricky Wilson was forced to keep the St James' Park crowd entertained by sprinting up and down the touchline to raise spirits as the pre-tournament show was brought to an abrupt end.
The hugely-anticipated opening match ended up kicking off over 10 minutes late as a result and former England international Jon Wilkin said on the BBC: "I wonder, at the Olympics would you chuck the opening ceremony before the 100m final? You can say it's funny but it's not."
Great Britain greats Kevin Sinfield and Jason Robinson were stood holding the World Cup trophy pitch-side when the sound cut out.
In a statement, the Rugby League World Cup said: "RLWC2021 would like to sincerely apologise for the disrupted tournament welcome, which was severely affected by technical failure. It wasn't the start we wanted but we would like to thank fans for their patience and for continuing to celebrate the teams and the tournament."
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