North America has been given the go-ahead to host the 2025 Rugby League World Cup. The Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) has endorsed the recommendation of its own board to take the 17th World Cup outside rugby leagues traditional heartland for the first time.The RLIF directors suggested the USA and Canada host the 2025 tournament after overlooking them for the 2021 World Cup in favour of England. RLIF chairman Nigel Wood, who is also chief executive of the Rugby Football League, said: The award of the 2025 World Cup to North America is a historic moment in the global development of rugby league.The USA and Canada provides world class stadia allied to a significant multi cultural population which made the bid so persuasive.It is exciting that our sport is expanding into a new destination for our premier event the World Cup and we will work with our members in the USA and Canada and Moore Sports International to expand the presence of our sport in these countries during the lead in to the 2025 World Cup.The board will now work with Moore Sports International to complete the due diligence and exchange of contracts to complete the award. The Rugby League World Cup will be staged in England in 2021 The decision was made at the RLIF annual meeting in Liverpool, where Wood and Australias John Grant were re-elected as chairman and deputy chairman respectively for the next two years.The next step of the Federation is to complete the international calendar from 2018 onwards, with a crucial decision to be made on the future of the Four Nations Series.RLIF chief executive David Collier said: The decisions arising from our meetings in Liverpool have given fresh impetus to the global expansion of the sport and we look forward to an exciting year in 2017 with the World Cup less than a year away and tickets now on sale for the matches in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Also See: Super League fixtures Super League table Rugby League on Sky Follow us @SkySportsRL Clearance Soccer Jerseys . 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Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. WASHINGTON -- Philadelphia pitcher Alec Asher, 24, had a 9.31 ERA last season and served an 80-game suspension this year after a drug suspension.But despite those challenges, the Phillies, who are out of the playoff race, would like to see what the young right-hander can do so he will start on Thursday in Washington against the Nationals.Asher got his butt handed to him last year, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told philly.com last month. He goes down to Triple-A; he never threw the two-seam fastball. He started throwing it. Every report Ive gotten was that its nasty. He actually had success with it.So thats why it was disappointing what happened to him happened because it seemed to be a game-changer for him. We never got to see it. Thats why Id like to see it, added Mackanin, who was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1968.Asher served an 80-game drug suspension that ended Sept. 4. He was allowed to pitch in the Gulf Coast League last month for a Phillies farm team.Last year, Asher had a 9.31 ERA -- the highest mark ever in a season for a Philadelphia pitcher who made at least seven starts.Asher, who is from Lakeland, Fla., has a very small track record against Washington hitters.Daniel Murphy, who seems to hit everyone, is 1-for-1 with a homer and three RBI against Asher and backup catcher Jose Lobaton is also 1-for-1 against Asher. Murphy had three hits on Wednesday for the second day in a row.Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon are 1-for-3 against Asher and Clint Robinson is 1-for-2.Asher was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 2012 draft and traded to the Phillies in July 2015.He was 0-6 with a 9.31 ERA in seven starts last season as he made his major league debut.Washington will also throw a young right-hander from Florida on Thursday, as A.J. Cole is scheduled to make the start.Cole, also 24, made his big league debut in three games, with one start, last year with the Nationals and was 0-0 with a 5.79 ERA.A fourth-round pick in 2010 by the Natiionals, he spent most of this year at Triple-A Syracuse of the International League.ddddddddddddCole is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three starts for Washington this year and has seemed much more poised on the big league mound this year.The Nationals rotation appeared to get a lift Wednesday as right-hander Stephen Strasburg came off the 15-day disabled list.We dont really know what his endurance level is, manager Dusty Baker said before the game. Nobody knows better than the pitcher. I know he is a competitor.But then Strasburg was removed from the game in the top of the third after throwing just 42 pitches.Strasburg was not available to the media after the game and he is slated to have an MRI on Thursday, according to Baker.He felt a pinch in the back of his elbow. That was a long walk, Baker said of his trip to the mound in the top of the third to take him out. So I am hoping he is OK. We will find out more tomorrow. He is frustrated and upset. I told you guys earlier ... he said he felt fine (before the game). You dont know until you get into action.Strasburg was a Tommy John surgery patient and so was Lucas Giolito, a rookie right-hander. Baker doesnt think the Wednesday injury is the same area of his elbow that put him on the disabled list last month.I am just hoping Stras is OK, said Giolito, who gave up two runs in 3 1/3 innings as the second reliever to follow Strasburg. It is definitely not the best thing to look at. It is definitely a tough thing.Washington also activated infielder Stephen Drew off the 15-day disabled list after he suffered from vertigo. He came off the bench on Wednesday and was 1-for-1 with a walk.We are glad to have him back. We are not sure what capacity we are going to use him, Baker said. That is a dangerous game out there that we play. Hitting is probably the easiest part right now. Fortunately, we do have enough players. ' ' '