Cash strapped NZRL to skip Commonwealth ChampionshipsGETTY IMAGES There will be no New Zealand rugby league team performing a haka at the Commonwealth Championships. New Zealand Rugby League can't afford to send a team to next year's Commonwealth Championships, because of the financial hit from the upcoming World Cup. The Rugby League International Federation announced on Friday the nations that will be competing in the Commonwealth Championships next February in Moreton Bay, Queensland. The Commonwealth Championships will be a nines tournament and although it's not part of the official Commonwealth Games, which takes place in the Gold Coast in April, the tournament is part of the RLIF's push to have nines included in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England. Although the NZRL can't afford to enter teams, the likes of Cook Islands, Wales, Canada Tonga and Samoa will be at it.

Source: Stuff September 15, 2017 00:00 UTC