David Collier, chief executive of the Rugby League International Federation, says the governing body will help out New Zealand Rugby League with its cash problems.

The Rugby League International Federation will come to the rescue of New Zealand Rugby League to help it out financially.

The NZRL has been struggling to keep its head above water in recent years, which has resulted in some savage cost cutting measures.

Until the Kiwis are able to play more tests in New Zealand that situation is unlikely to change.

New Zealand Rugby League is in a unique position in that while it is one of the big three nations, it doesn't have a professional domestic competition to generate revenue from. As the Kiwis will go two years without playing a home test, that restricts its opportunities to secure sponsors and broadcasting deals.

RLIF chief executive David Collier said the federation understood the situation and was willing to help the NZRL out.

"We've identified we want to support New Zealand in terms of financial stability," he said.

"They're growing and there is a commitment now to play additional international matches in New Zealand and that will make a big difference to New Zealand Rugby League.

"But they do need some help and support over the next four to six years.

"It's making sure they're kept stable, because they've done so well on the field and we want to support the growth off the field.

"Growth in participation and obviously of the game across both islands. We want to keep the strong, strong."

The RLIF plans to set in place from 2017 an eight-year calendar of events, which will take in World Cups, plus a tournament in between each four-year cycle.

Discussions were still going on about what this other event will be, Collier said.

"We'll test out whether the second event is going to be an Intercontinental Cup of 13s or nines," he said.

"There is a view that it should still be 13s, but it might still be nines.

"The second event will depend on discussions with the broadcasters as well as some of the key sponsors as to where they see that fitting.

"The Intercontinental Cup has the advantage of having four to six teams play against each other to qualify for a final six-team event, where they'd join New Zealand, England and Australia at that stage."

While Australia have bought into the plan to have more test footy, it's unlikely they'll play as much as other nations outside the World Cup and whatever the new tournament is, because of the importance they place in State of Origin.

Collier said the federation would expand the World Cup from a 14 to 16 nation competition from 2021 and early next year would look for expressions of interest from countries interested in hosting it.

The RLIF is ambitious in its plans to grow the game globally and wants to target a couple of countries to invest significantly in.

"USA and Canada are two obvious countries," Collier said. "France and the Pacific Islands, for different reasons.

"Russia is expanding quite rapidly at the moment and are wanting to go to the next tier. So that's where we see the primary focus."

Next year there will be a Four Nations tournament in the UK, featuring England, Australia, Scotland and New Zealand.

This is run by the countries themselves, rather than the RLIF and it may be that this will be the last ever Four Nations.

However, there could be more three-test series played between New Zealand and England in the years between tournaments and the NZRL is keen to play more tests against Pacific Island nations.