Tickets have today gone on sale for rugby league’s first Ashes series in 17 years. The three-match series kicks off at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday 31 October (KO 2.30pm), with the second match being staged at Elland Road a week later (Saturday 7 November, 2.30pm). And the sport will break new ground by playing the third and final game at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday 14 November (5.30pm). All three games will be broadcast live by the BBC. The 2020 series will be the 40th Rugby League Ashes series since the term was first used in 1908, and will take place 50 years since the Ashes were last won by an England or Great Britain side back in 1970. This will be the Kangaroos’ first visit to these shores since 2016’s Four Nations series, won by Australia who defeated England 36-18 at London’s Olympic Stadium. And the Bolton match will be the first between the two countries since the 2017 World Cup Final – a titanic battle in Brisbane which Australia edged 6-0 to reclaim their ‘World Champions’ tag. Since then England have defeated New Zealand on neutral ground in Denver, USA, and were triumphant at home against the same opposition in 2018, winning the three-match series 2-1. RFL Chief Executive, Ralph Rimmer, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Australia back to this country for the first time since 2016. International Rugby League is the pinnacle of our game and some of the best rugby players on the planet will be involved. “We hope the venues we have chosen, with a split between Lancashire, Yorkshire and London, will be popular both with regular Rugby League supporters and also the broader sporting public. The University of Bolton Stadium and Elland Road have both staged successful Rugby League events in recent years, and it’s exciting for us to be taking a first fixture to the stunning Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. “England were just an ankle tap away from taking the 2017 World Cup Final against Australia into extra time and last year’s success against New Zealand suggests that this will be a series not to be missed.”