The crown jewels of international rugby league are set to return, with The Ashes, plus Kangaroos and Kiwis tours, back on the agenda as part of the new global calendar published today, which also included the announcement that the next Rugby League World Cup will be moved back to 2026.
International Rugby League (IRL) confirmed the return of some of the most celebrated competitions in the history of the sport, with England Men and Women to tour Australia in 2025 for an Ashes tour, before New Zealand travel north in 2027 and Australia in 2028.
Additionally, a Tri or Four Nations tournament is guaranteed every year in both hemispheres featuring sides that do not tour.
Alongside being pushed back to 2026, the Men’s World Cup will be reduced to ten teams but the Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments retained alongside it, before the Women’s World Cup splits into a standalone competition in 2028.
2026 will be hosted in the Southern Hemisphere, with bidding set to open to host the Women in 2028, then the Men in 2030.
With the reduction to ten teams in the Men’s tournament, a secondary tournament – known as the World Series – will come in for those that do not qualify.
All quarter-finalists from the previous tournament are confirmed for 2026, with two more to win their way through qualifying.
Crucially, that means that France, one of the game’s historic powerhouses, will have to qualify, as will the likes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Cook Islands.
“It is no secret that the Achilles heel for international rugby league for far too long has been the absence of an International Calendar,” said IRL Chair Troy Grant.
“The ad hoc nature of tournaments and international matches, and the absence of any clarity for nations, players and fans to plan their seasons, is over.
The return of The Ashes is a headline move, with rugby league’s traditional contest between England and Australia having lain dormant since 2003, when Great Britain/England chose to host tournaments that also included New Zealand.
A Kangaroo Tour had been scheduled for 2020, but was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Grant assured media that the IRL had the backing of NRL clubs, who employ the bulk of the players, as well as the Rugby League Player’s Association.
Those two parties are currently locked in an industrial dispute in Australia, which had previously delayed the announcement of the international calendar.
“The International Calendar respects player workloads and importantly also reduces the impact on professional clubs,” said Grant.
“The standards have improved dramatically in recent years regarding player welfare and player workload issues, and they were key considerations in the calendar design.”
Julius
Roar Rookie
please do. Anyway, there’s 10 international rugby union games on this weekend, with 19 countries playing. You can judge whether or not they play quality football. I’m sure you’ll be surprised by some of them. Samoa v Tonga NZ vs Australia Japan v Fiji Scotland v France Wales v England Romania v USA Ireland v Italy Argentina v South Africa Uruguay v Namibia Chile v Argentina XV
sheek
Roar Guru
Julius, Far from being ignorant, my comment stands. Australia is a top 10 rugby nation & they play rubbish rugby. I could continue...
Julius
Roar Rookie
"Rugby union try to play the numbers game against soccer, suggesting over 120 countries play their game. But in all seriousness, only about 10 to a dozen play rugby with any competency." I'm sorry but this is a fairly ignorant comment. Take the 25 highest ranked nations in Union: Ireland, New Zealand, France, South Africa, Scotland, England, Argentina, Australia, Wales, Fiji, Georgia, Japan, Samoa, Italy, Tonga, Portugal, Uruguay, USA, Romania, Spain, Namibia, Chile, Canada, Hong Kong and Russia. All of them can boast teams made vastly of home grown / based players, all have at least one professional rugby team and many have professional domestic competitions, all can draw good crowds to watch them play locally. Sure, rugby is not the No.1 sport in most of these countries, but they have credible domestic presence, clear pathways and almost all of them have qualified for a World Cup based on merit, representing every continent on the planet. Union is nowhere near Football in terms of its international appeal and presence, but it is a very credible international sport.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Joey Leilua. Tex Hoy. Adam Clune. Sharon Woods. Give em all a go.
Horses for Courses
Roar Rookie
Yes I am sure calling a bunch of fringe international teams fake is a much better promotion for the game. Maybe for the next marketing campaign we can run some ads in Wales or France telling them how trash their teams are.
Maddi Davis
Roar Rookie
Yea but Netball is a legitimate International sport
sheek
Roar Guru
I agree with this, providing the IRLF follow through. I would much prefer a smaller world cup of 10 genuine RL nations rather than the joke world cup we had last year with so many pretend nations. Rugby League should concentrate on being the best it can be, & stop playing the numbers game that so many sports love. Rugby union try to play the numbers game against soccer, suggesting over 120 countries play their game. But in all seriousness, only about 10 to a dozen play rugby with any competency. Just stop the BS. Ultimately the fans will see through fake, & having so many fake international teams does nothing to promote rugby league. A return of the Ashes tours is also welcome. It has always been the most important pat of past RL series, especially between Australia & Great Britain, or Australia & England.
sheek
Roar Guru
Maddi Davis, It's not the size of your pie that counts, but the quality of the ingredients. When I first started following rugby league as a kid in the late 1960s, there were only 4 countries - Australia, France, Great Britain & New Zealand - & between 1967 & 1971 they all beat each other at least twice! In 1970 world cup for example, GB was unbeaten in the pool rounds while Australia, France & NZ had one win each. Australia made the final on a better for & against, & beat GB in the final. It doesn't get any bette than that! I would much prefer a smaller RL world cup of 10 genuine nations rather than the joke world cup we had last year with so many pretend nations participating.
RayinSydney
Roar Rookie
Netball World Cup has more teams in it than Leagues WC
Maddi Davis
Roar Rookie
You're even on here Amsterdam Jim haha You're everywhere spouting your agenda
JimCam73
Roar Rookie
Good news we have a schedule. Let's hope it comes to pass. Especially looking forward to an Ashes series like the good old days.
Maddi Davis
Roar Rookie
In a time where all sports are growing and World Cups are expanding both men and women the poor old Rugby League World Cup keeps getting smaller and smaller.. if that was even possible
Rellum
Roar Guru
I assume we are not seeing a 3 match series in the middle of the season. I treat this with extreme skeptisim.
Arnab Bhattacharya
Roar Guru
What about international Hastings at HB for England?
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Anything to bring more international Dufty I am 100% in support of.
Redcap
Roar Guru
Hmm, encouraging news to be sure. The cynic in me thinks this is kicking the can down the road and that there's still a fair chance we might not actually see any of this. But for now, hope abounds. :happy:
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
10 teams... Pease don't tell me we're returning to the Super Pool and crossover games bs of previous editions!
Birdy
Roar Rookie
I don’t have any idea how this will all work but bring it on. Go the green and gold.