New World Cup format confirmed for 2026

[Copa]

Interesting 

https://www.intrl.sport/news/new-look-world-cup-to-be-staged-in-southern-hemisphere-in-2026/

KEY POINTS

Rugby League World Cup moved to 2026 in the Southern Hemisphere.
 

RLWC2026 to comprise 10 men’s, eight women’s and eight wheelchair teams.
 

Reducing size of tournaments makes RLWC2026 more elite.
 

Designing of rejuvenated Regional Championships to aid qualifying process, including a new World Series.
 

Full Member Status nations eligible for Men's World Cup qualification.
 

International Rankings to determine qualifiers for future World Cups.
 

Women’s World Cups to be staged as stand-alone tournaments from 2028.
 

Change to World Cup cycle, with the following Men’s World Cup after RLWC 2026 to be staged in 2030.    

Edited August 3, 2023 by Copa

[Spidey]

If they have a super group like 2008 that’s me done 

 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

Full international calendar announced here

Ashes tour to Australia in 2025, I’m going, who else is coming?

 

[Barley Mow]

So beyond the 8 quarter finalists from last year, only 2 additional places for qualifiers in 2026.

Edited August 3, 2023 by Barley Mow

[Henson Park Old Firm]

So wait, you can play 2 games in 3 years against  weaker sides, and as long as you make the Top 10 Rugby League Countdown you qualify for the World Cup...

 

 

 

[Spidey]

4 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

So beyond the 8 quarter finalists from last year, only 2 additional places for qualifiers in 2026.

With such a reduction in teams only probably just the top 4 should have had automatic qualification

[Spidey]

9 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Full international calendar announced here

Ashes tour to Australia in 2025, I’m going, who else is coming?

 

We’ll go over there, then when it’s their turn to reciprocate they’ll pull out. Like they usually do

[Barley Mow]

3 minutes ago, Spidey said:

With such a reduction in teams only probably just the top 4 should have had automatic qualification

Possibly. Having already announced that the 8 would qualify for the next world cup, that might have been difficult to change though.

It's more the reduction to 10 teams that I find disappointing.

Edited August 3, 2023 by Barley Mow

[Spidey]

Just now, Barley Mow said:

Possibly. Having already announced that the 8 would qualify for the next world cup, that might have been difficult to change though.

So have it at 12.14.16 teams. 10 teams is a joke and a major step backwards 

[Henson Park Old Firm]

1 minute ago, Barley Mow said:

Possibly. Having already announced that the 8 would qualify for the next world cup, that might have been difficult to change though.

Not really, all they have to do is update their website (which they rarely ever do)

[Barley Mow]

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

So have it at 12.14.16 teams. 10 teams is a joke and a major step backwards 

Yes, agreed - I actually edited my post to say something similar while you were replying.

[HawkMan]

10 is fine , 16 was simply too many with too many blowouts.

I'd have two groups of 5, four games each, top two to semi finals then final.

[Tommygilf]

Ah well

[Spidey]

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

We’ll go over there, then when it’s their turn to reciprocate they’ll pull out. Like they usually do

On this point, looking like it won’t be until 2027 when Australia will leave their country to play a game. Anybody seriously thinks they’ll stick to that? 4 years on the bounce at home - they’ll want to keep it that way

[Toby Chopra]

2 minutes ago, Spidey said:

With such a reduction in teams only probably just the top 4 should have had automatic qualification

I don't think it's a big deal. Other than Lebanon, the other 7 are shoo-ins that are clearly the best international rugby league teams, made up almost entirely of NRL/SL players. I don't see the point of forcing Tonga, Fiji and PNG though a qualification process against mush weaker teams out of principle. The final two teams that make it through will have the best shot of keeping up.    

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

1 minute ago, HawkMan said:

10 is fine , 16 was simply too many with too many blowouts.

I'd have two groups of 5, four games each, top two to semi finals then final.

If they are going with 10 teams, then I think that's the best way to do it

[Copa]

19 minutes ago, Copa said:

International Rankings to determine qualifiers for future World Cups.

This bit is interesting. Does it mean that teams that rely on mostly ancestral players will find it harder to qualify over teams that put in the hard yards and play more games? Ancestry teams seem to only get the NRL, SL players during crunch qualification matches.

[Spidey]

2 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

10 is fine , 16 was simply too many with too many blowouts.

I'd have two groups of 5, four games each, top two to semi finals then final.

10 was fine in 2008 getting the tournament back up and running after 2000

Now it’s admitting defeat and they’re doing the absolute minimum 

[Copa]

I really like the standalone women’s World Cup that will give us a World Cup every 2 years to enjoy.

[RP London]

4 minutes ago, Spidey said:

So have it at 12.14.16 teams. 10 teams is a joke and a major step backwards 

I think 12 would have been an understandable step backwards 10 seems a little bit of a jump. 

But 2 groups of 5 may work and it will give a world cup feel to it and does allow for "smaller" nations who are growing but they really need to be strict on who is able to qualify and not allow for teams that have no work being done in the home nation IMHO. 

International rankings are a little arbitrary when you think there isnt really enough international RL being played to make it work properly but at least it may incentivise this a little? its also hard, not being a world wide sport, to do it continent by continent so maybe that is ok, it works in other sports to do it that way, and in reality its only going to be spots 6-10 (if that) that are going to be really decided by that, the top 6 are, at the moment, always going to be the top 6 really. 

The rest all seems ok but it has to be held to and sadly history means I dont have confidence, just hope.

[Spidey]

Just now, RP London said:

I think 12 would have been an understandable step backwards 10 seems a little bit of a jump. 

But 2 groups of 5 may work and it will give a world cup feel to it and does allow for "smaller" nations who are growing but they really need to be strict on who is able to qualify and not allow for teams that have no work being done in the home nation IMHO. 

International rankings are a little arbitrary when you think there isnt really enough international RL being played to make it work properly but at least it may incentivise this a little? its also hard, not being a world wide sport, to do it continent by continent so maybe that is ok, it works in other sports to do it that way, and in reality its only going to be spots 6-10 (if that) that are going to be really decided by that, the top 6 are, at the moment, always going to be the top 6 really. 

The rest all seems ok but it has to be held to and sadly history means I dont have confidence, just hope.

If it’s 2x5 that may be palatable- the only evidence of a previous 10 team included a super group

[Barley Mow]

Having withdrawn as hosts, are France now in serious danger of not being one of the two qualifiers?

[Whippet13]

21 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Full international calendar announced here

Ashes tour to Australia in 2025, I’m going, who else is coming?

 

I'll be going, always been on my RL bucket list and a nice little 3 week trip. Interesting it's England and not GB, which is sensible as a build up to the WC. 

[Toby Chopra]

6 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

10 is fine , 16 was simply too many with too many blowouts.

I'd have two groups of 5, four games each, top two to semi finals then final.

Agreed. I don't think the blowouts were healthy for the teams or the tournament.

And more crucially, the games between the top teams are the ones that effectively subsidise everything else. Given the choice of reducing the men's tournament or cutting the women's and wheelchair, they've made totally the right choice. 12 would have been nice in the men's, but we can't always have everything.     

 

[RP London]

2 minutes ago, Spidey said:

If it’s 2x5 that may be palatable- the only evidence of a previous 10 team included a super group

yep and I agree i really dont want that back! 

groups of (based on current world rankings):

A

Australia

Samoa

Tonga

Fiji

France

B

New Zealand

England

PNG

Lebanon

Serbia

Could throw up some great matches at all levels...