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A postponed version of the men’s Rugby League World Cup will be staged in the southern hemisphere in 2026 after France bailed as host of the scheduled 2025 tournament.
It was among a host of decisions the International Rugby League settled on during a board meeting in Singapore, with the governing body also revealing the 2026 tournament will reduce to comprise 10 men’s, eight women’s and eight wheelchair teams, addressing the gulfs in ability.
A change has also been made to the men’s RLWC cycle with a 2030 tournament following the event of 2026.
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The women’s version will be staged as a stand-alone tournament from 2028.
More international tours are also on the way with the return of the Ashes in 2025, when the England men’s and women’s teams will travel to Australia.
The Kiwis and Kangaroos will tour England in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
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The changes feature on the IRL’s calendar to 2030, which aims to capitalise on the growth of international rugby league.
“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 international calendar respects player workloads and importantly also reduces the impact on professional clubs.
“The standards have improved dramatically in recent years regarding player welfare and player workload issues, and they were key considerations in the calendar design.”
Making the women’s version a separate event follows the success of the stand-alone FIFA Women’s World Cup underway in Australia and New Zealand.
The growth of the women’s game and Pacific Island nations were paramount to the IRL as it set out its calendar.
“After we secure the future of international rugby league, our calendar will help rejuvenate and allow the game to grow globally, recognising the elite in our game and providing pathways for development of the game across all levels,” Grant added.
“The Ashes return, with England men’s and women’s teams to tour Australia in 2025, while international tours are back, with Tonga heading to England in 2023 in an historic start to the new era.”
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