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International Rugby League (IRL), the global governing body for the sport, has laid out the pathway to the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, confirming that the recently announced World Series will be the final qualifer for the main tournament.
The World Series will feature the best four non-qualified teams from around the world, with one per confederation, who will then play off with the top two progressing to the tournament proper.
The quarter finalists from the last World Cup – Australia, New Zealand, England, Samoa, Tonga, PNG, Fiji and Lebanon – are already through, but with the tournament streamlined from 16 to ten, that leaves eight to dispute the final two places.
In practice, it means only one of 2022 qualifiers France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and Greece can make the World Cup, as they all fall under the European confederation.
France have played at every Rugby League World Cup going back to the first, which they hosted in 1954, and were slated to host in 2025 before financial issues caused the tournament to be delayed by a year and moved to the Southern Hemisphere.
Wales have also competed at every tournament for which they were eligible – previously they have been included as part of Great Britain – and Ireland and Scotland have also played every tournament since 2000.
The Cook Islands, as the sole non-qualified nation from Asia-Pacific, will automatically advance to the World Series, along with qualifers from the Americas region and Middle East/Africa.
On top of the World Series announcement, it was revealed that eligibility will be limited to full members only for the Men’s World Cup and and full and affiliate members for the Women’s and Wheelchair World Cups.
In practice, that means that several of last year’s qualifiers need to improve their standing with the IRL by March 31, 2024 to have a chance at making the tournament.
Canada, Brazil, Chile and the United States are all affiliate members, meaning Jamaica – the only full member in the Americas confederation – would be able to make the World Series as it currently stands.
Currently, only Lebanon, who have already qualified, and South Africa have full member status from Middle East/Africa, ensuring that South Africa will advance to the World Series should no other nations gain full membership.
Greece are the only European nation from 2022 not to be full members and thus currently exempt from World Cup qualification.
The Wheelchair World Cup schedule has also been finalised, with the next to accompany the Men’s and Women’s in 2026 before splitting to find its own place on the international calendar, with a quadrennial tournament cycle beginning in 2029.
The IRL expressed a desire to allow all three World Cups to have equal standing within the organisation, which was best achieved by hosting in different years. It had already been announced that the Women’s World Cup will have a similar trajectory, being hosted as a standalone from 2028.
Tenders to host the post-2026 tournaments are to open next week, with the 2028 Women’s, 2029 Wheelchair and 2030 Men’s set to welcome bids.
“Now that we have a clear view of the International Calendar until 2030, it is important to start the ITT (invitation to tenderr) process so that the IRL has plenty of time to secure long term hosts and sponsorships for the game’s pinnacle event,” said IRL Chair Troy Grant.
“The qualification path is also becoming clearer for RLWC2026, and the development of the Regional Championships and World Series will be broadened, and better understood, after consultation with all of our member nations in the confederations.
“The Regional Qualifiers and World Series construct is key for the longer term, so that we have genuine engaged pathways for all nations to realise their ambitions.”