2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup qualification
The 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup qualification was announced on December. It will feature four confederation qualification tournaments for each of the four International Rugby League confederations (Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Middle East-Africa). The two group winners of Europe will directly qualify, while the playoff winner of the two runners up will face the winners of other three tournaments in the 2025 World Series for the final two spots in the 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup.[1][2]
Qualification is open to all full and affiliate member nations who did not qualify via the 2021 World Cup.
Qualified teams[edit]
| Team | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Total times qualified |
Last time qualified |
Current consecutive appearances |
Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 England
|
2021 Group A winners | 5 November 2022 | 4[a] | 2021 | 4 | Semi-finals (2008, 2013, 2017, 2021) |
 Papua New Guinea
|
2021 Group A runners-up | 5 November 2022 | 2 | 2021 | 2 | Semi-finals (2021) |
 Australia
|
2021 Group B winners | 6 November 2022 | 6 | 2021 | 6 | Winners (2013, 2017, 2021) |
 New Zealand
|
2021 Group B runners-up | 6 November 2022 | 6 | 2021 | 6 | Winners (2000, 2003, 2008) |
| TBC | Asia-Pacific winner | 2024 | ||||
| TBC | Europe Group A winner | 2024 | ||||
| TBC | Europe Group B winner | 2024 | ||||
| TBC | World Series winners | 2025 |
Confederation tournaments[edit]
Asia-Pacific[edit]
Tournament details TBD: First place qualifies for the World Cup, second place qualifies for the 2025 World Series.
Americas[edit]
Grouping of these four teams will be based on IRL rank before the tournament, and will see a semi-final then final format, with the winner progressing to the 2025 World Series.
Seeding and group draws[edit]
The draw and schedule was announced 30 January 2024.[3] Teams were seeded based on their IRL ranking on the date of the draw with first playing fourth, and second playing third.
| Team | Ranking |
|---|---|
 Canada
|
7th |
 Brazil
|
11th |
 United States
|
16th |
 Jamaica
|
22nd |
Semi-finals[edit]
Third place playoff[edit]
Final[edit]
9 November 2024
|
| Semi-final 1 winner | v | Semi-final 2 winner |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Europe[edit]
Seven teams are entered into the competition. The two lowest ranked teams, Italy and the Netherlands, will play each other in a preliminary play-off match. The resulting six teams are split into two groups of three. The two group winning countries qualify for the World Cup, while the runners up in each group will play-off for a spot in the 2025 World Series.
Seeding and group draws[edit]
The draw for the groups was made on 17 January 2024, with fixtures confirmed on 7 February.[4][5] Teams were seeded in pairs (highest ranked with second ranked, third with fourth and fifth with sixth) based on their IRL ranking on the date of the draw with one team from each pair in each group.
| Group A | Group B | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Rank | Team | Rank |
 Wales |
8th |  France |
5th |
 Ireland |
9th |  Greece |
10th |
 Italy/ Netherlands |
16th/ 18th |
 Serbia |
12th |
Preliminary playoff[edit]
| Italy
|
6–56 | Netherlands
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Severgnini Goals: Antonia (1/1) |
report |
Tries: Gevers (3), Geerlings, Van Beukering, Berding, N. Kennedy (3), Blom, Van Diepen Goals: Berding (4/8), Schouw (0/1),Geerlings (1/1), Van der Zwan (1/1) |
| Italy | Position | Netherlands | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number | Number | Name | |
| Alessandra Menotti | 1 | FB | 1 | Nicole Kennedy |
| Rwan Hassnien | 2 | WG | 2 | Hiermons Monischa |
| Loide Agosta | 3 | CE | 3 | Lisa Berding |
| Camilla Giacomazzo | 4 | CE | 4 | Paige Schouw |
| Lillian Bremang | 5 | WG | 5 | Hannah Van Beukering |
| Martina Dall' Antonia | 6 | SO | 6 | Hiske Blom |
| Valentina Virgili | 7 | SH | 7 | Rixt Aerts |
| Giulia Iozzi | 8 | PR | 8 | Sele Steenkist |
| Camilla Vio | 9 | HK | 9 | Ver Van Der Zwan |
| Vanessa Bertini | 10 | PF | 10 | Lorraine Voorbach |
| Silvis Gai | 11 | SR | 11 | Linneke Gevers |
| Altea Forto | 12 | SR | 12 | Sylvie Moelee |
| Marvin Severgnini | 13 | LF | 13 | Kaylee Geerlings |
| Alissa Meinero | 14 | IN | 14 | Claire Kennedy |
| Alice Botiaro | 15 | IN | 15 | Dominique Velema |
| Ilenia Bollini | 16 | IN | 16 | Dana Burik |
| Fabiola Tosetii | 17 | IN | 17 | Stephanie Van Diepen |
| Alberto Suin | Coach | Matt Rigby | ||
Group stage[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wales
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 10 | +18 | 2 | Qualify for 2026 World Cup |
| 2 | Netherlands
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to World Series play-off |
| 3 | Ireland
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 28 | −18 | 0 |
| Wales
|
28–10 | Ireland
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Dainton (2), Taylor, Salter, Parker Goals: Salter (4/5) |
report |
Tries: Tutty, Molloy Goals: Cobain (1/3) |
| Wales | Position | Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number | Number | Name | |
| Brittony Price | 1 | FB | 1 | Cliodhna O'Sullivan, |
| Georgia Taylor | 2 | WG | 2 | Bettie Lambert |
| Ashlea Prescott | 3 | CE | 3 | Molly Young |
| Kathryn Salter | 4 | CE | 4 | Francessca Copley |
| Lucia Davies | 5 | WG | 5 | Grace Tutty |
| Shaunni Davies | 6 | SO | 6 | Holly O'Dwyer |
| Rhi Parker | 7 | SH | 7 | Alex McGuinness |
| Amy Price | 8 | PR | 8 | Mairead Quinn |
| Jasmine Gibbons | 9 | HK | 9 | Niamh Griffin |
| Sara Jones | 10 | PF | 10 | Rachel Morton |
| Hannah Jones | 11 | SR | 11 | Storm Cobain |
| Charlie Mundy | 12 | SR | 12 | Tricia Doyle |
| Bethan Dainton | 13 | LF | 13 | Clodagh Dunne |
| Agnes Wood | 14 | IN | 14 | Megan Preston |
| Katie Carr | 15 | IN | 15 | Caoimhe Molloy |
| Ffion Jenkins | 16 | IN | 16 | lydia Egan |
| Kim Boaler | 17 | IN | 17 | Lisa Callen |
| Tom Brindle | Coach | Matt Kennerson | ||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 0 | +58 | 2 | Qualify for 2026 World Cup |
| 2 | Serbia
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to World Series play-off |
| 3 | Greece
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58 | −58 | 0 |
| France
|
58–0 | Greece
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Song-Puche, Canal (4), Legout, Vilanove (3), Ramos, Himoudi (2) Goals: Pommier (5/12) |
report |
| France | Position | Greece | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number | Number | Name | |
| Manon Samarra | 1 | FB | 1 | Magdelini Stavrianou |
| Margot Canal | 2 | WG | 2 | Velissaria Koutsioumpa |
| Cristina Song-Puche | 3 | CE | 3 | Dimitra Papoutsi |
| Amael Vilanove | 4 | CE | 4 | Christina Macris |
| Chahrazad Himoudi | 5 | WG | 5 | Sofia Anagnostopoulou |
| Justine Roses | 6 | SO | 6 | Cleopatra Velmachou |
| Mahault Pommier | 7 | SH | 7 | Asimina Mastoraki |
| Salomé Ségala | 8 | PR | 8 | Marianna Chali, |
| Fanny Ramos | 9 | HK | 9 | Chrysi Lymperidi |
| Leila Bessahli | 10 | PF | 10 | Anna Limperi |
| Ines Legout | 11 | SR | 11 | Maria-Eleni Gkirlemi |
| Stecy Bessiere | 12 | SR | 12 | Myrsini Pappa |
| Dorine Samarra | 13 | LF | 13 | Ourania Koutsikou |
| Helene Leclerc | 14 | IN | 14 | Georgia-Fotini Koutsimpogeorgou |
| Pauline Noe | 15 | IN | 15 | Ekaterini Varypati |
| Nabila Zaghdoudi | 16 | IN | 16 | Maria-Anna Lamprou |
| Tallis Kuresa | 17 | IN | 17 | Sofia-Margarita Kitsaneli |
| Romain Maillot | Coach | Jim Minadakis | ||
World Series playoff[edit]
| Group A runner-up | v | Group B runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Middle East-Africa[edit]
Kenya will host Nigeria in a two match test series for a spot in the 2025 World Series.[6]
World Series[edit]
The 2025 World Series will be played by:
- Americas winner
- Asia-Pacific runner-up
- European group runners-up playoff winner
- Middle East-Africa winners
The winner will qualify for the World Cup.
Notes[edit]
- ^ Plus two as Great Britain
- ^ This match forms part of the qualification tournament but has no bearing on qualification for the 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup
References[edit]
- ^ "Rugby League World Cup 2026 women's qualifying process announced". Rugby League International Federation.
- ^ "2026 Rugby League World Cup: Women's qualification process announced, with four nations' places already secured". LoveRugbyLeague. December 15, 2023.
- ^ "Americas women's WC qualifiers announced". europeanrugbyleague.com. European Rugby League. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ "Celtic nations to face each otherin WC qualifying draw". European Rugby League. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Fixtures confirmed for women's WC European qualifiers". European Rugby League. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ "Details announced for MEA Women's World Cup qualifiers". europeanrugbyleague.com. European Rugby League. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
