RLWC 2026 Confirmed

[Dave T]

It's interesting to note that the organisers talked about growth in the Pacific. Genuine question - is there much money to be had in this territory?

[Damien]

4 minutes ago, Dave T said:

It's interesting to note that the organisers talked about growth in the Pacific. Genuine question - is there much money to be had in this territory?

Again this statement seems very NRL centric. The growth will be in terms of player supply to the NRL and the growth of the NRL brand in the Pacific. Internationally we've wasted what could have been huge growth in the Pacific since 2017, and indeed let RU fight back in the process, when it was ripe for the taking.

Any growth for the NRL is all very good and with spin offs for the international game as a by product, if they are ever allowed to play internationals. However the World Cup should be bigger than that. As you allude to any growth in the Pacific, and we know by that they really just mean Oceania, will be very limited. We aren't talking about Japan, Indonesia and the Phillipines here.

[Dave T]

13 minutes ago, Damien said:

Again this statement seems very NRL centric. The growth will be in terms of player supply to the NRL and the growth of the NRL brand in the Pacific. Internationally we've wasted what could have been huge growth in the Pacific since 2017, and indeed let RU fight back in the process, when it was ripe for the taking.

Any growth for the NRL is all very good and with spin offs for the international game as a by product, if they are ever allowed to play internationals. However the World Cup should be bigger than that. As you allude to any growth in the Pacific, and we know by that they really just mean Oceania, will be very limited. We aren't talking about Japan, Indonesia and the Phillipines here.

Yup, that was my interpretation too. It really could have been a copy and paste from the Pacific Cup that they sort of pay lip service to each year. Has that even been confirmed yet this year?

[corkonian77]

27 minutes ago, Dave T said:

It's interesting to note that the organisers talked about growth in the Pacific. Genuine question - is there much money to be had in this territory?

While  the region is a massive  resource  for player talent there isn't  much money there.

Most of the countries  and territories are low population developing countries. 

[Gomersall]

25 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Yup, that was my interpretation too. It really could have been a copy and paste from the Pacific Cup that they sort of pay lip service to each year. Has that even been confirmed yet this year?

It wouldn’t surprise me to see it binned off or drastically reduced so they can focus on Vegas.

[gogledd]

I was just thinking of this thread today and how France have missed out on a huge opportunity by not hosting the World Cup. Recently France have hosted the RU World Cup, and are now at the start of the Olympic Games. The announcement has been made today that France will host the Winter Olympic Games...so such a shame the Rugby League World Cup fell through, but perhaps shows where Rugby League features on the sporting radar in France.

Also announced today is that France will hose the European rounds of the RLWC qualifiers in October 2024....so Serbia will play Wales and France will play Ukraine in Carcassonne on 22nd October and the two winners will play in Perpignan on  26th October for the one place available to go into the World Series on 2025 to select the final two places to join the 8 2022 quaterfinalists to make up the 10 RLWC places for 2026...

I've booked my flights for Carcassonne this morning!

https://europeanrugbyleague.com/articles/2429/mens-european-world-cup-qualifying-detai...

Edited July 25 by gogledd

[eal]

Rugby League features nowhere on the sporting radar in France, them hosting the RLWC was always the stuff of fantasy. I imagine 2026 will mostly be done on the cheap, most of the international teams can just bus their players into Parramatta from other Sydney suburbs, only a handful of NZers, PNG, and England will need to fly anyone from anywhere.

[Hopie]

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

I do get that and largely agree, but I also have some frustrations with the overall strategy on World Cups, that we have to an extent tried to run before we could walk. 

That said, I don't think there was any justification for stripping back to 10 clubs, which is an awful number. 

10 NRL clubs? don't give them any ideas.

Anyway, as well as losing our place in the cycle by moving from odd to even years, they announced this on the day the Olympics "started". There is clearly no interest in using the World cup as a shop window for the world, this is a NRL event to serve the NRL interests. 

 

[Dave T]

7 hours ago, corkonian77 said:

While  the region is a massive  resource  for player talent there isn't  much money there.

Most of the countries  and territories are low population developing countries. 

Yep, this is my understanding too. We should be developing these nations to create credible, exciting international comps and player development, but we can't ignore the money point. 

[corkonian77]

20 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Yep, this is my understanding too. We should be developing these nations to create credible, exciting international comps and player development, but we can't ignore the money point. 

It can't.

That's why the push for Vegas I suppose

Edited July 25 by corkonian77

[Balmainboy]

Disappointing that ten teams is confirmed. Surely 12 had to be the number…. One of France and wales not qualifying is proper mad. 
 

all we can hope for is the event is a success and helps motivate the nrl to put more time and effort into international. 
 

on the question of is there money to be made in the pacific. Yes, no doubt but much of it will be via those demographics living in New Zealand and Australia. Fiji has 1m people and PNG could be a huge game changer in 20/30 years so worth pursuing imo. 
 

in terms of pure cash though, other markets offer way more potential in theory but are at least 20 years away from being even a remote possibility of profitability. 

[Jim from Oz]

22 hours ago, Dave T said:

I think this is one of those instances where the RFL deserve praise for the ambition, as they have always pushed the growth of this tournament (1995, then 2000, then 2013 and 2022 all saw increases in team numbers) - it should be noted that the Aussies have never pushed for growing the tournament - the best they did was maintain 14 in 2017.

That they have returned to the 2008 number is telling, I think they'll be delighted if they deliver that tournament again, when in reality we've moved on from then. 

Where the RFL deserve criticism is that whilst growing the number of teams is admirable, when you are doing it based on either shaky or non-existent foundations, it leaves us open to this kind of move. 

If we absolutely had to move the numbers down, surely 12 would have been far better and led to a more balanced comp?

12 is an excellent number for the RLWC for now … You can have three groups  of four, and then also have quarter-finals, semifinals and finals… Having 12 teams would also mean both Wales and France would likely qualify, it is absolutely ridiculous that one of those two teams will not for 2026.

Having 10 teams is just total meh.

What also peeves me off is the fact that we have moved our four-year RLWC schedule from 2025, 2029 etc. – when we had no competition with any major sporting event –  to 2026, 2030 etc… so in the same cycle of  the biggest sporting event on earth, the FIFA World Cup. 

Even worse, in 2034, the FIFA World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, and so most likely played in November… Which will be a direct clash with the RLWC !!! I mean, FFS !!! 

Plus, for years we were told that having the RLWC with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair together provided such a unique experience, promotion etc. Etc. – only for it to be all separated after RLWC  2026 !!!

it is all so very rugby league! 

Edited July 26 by Jim from Oz

[Jim from Oz]

22 hours ago, Dave T said:

Yup, that was my interpretation too. It really could have been a copy and paste from the Pacific Cup that they sort of pay lip service to each year. Has that even been confirmed yet this year?

Zero confirmation about the Pacific cup this year as yet

[Damien]

9 minutes ago, Jim from Oz said:

12 is an excellent number for the RLWC for now … You can have three groups  of four, and then also have quarter-finals, semifinals and finals… Having 12 teams would also mean both Wales and France would likely qualify, it is absolutely ridiculous that one of those two teams will not for 2026.

Having 10 teams is just total meh.

What also peeves me off is the fact that we have moved our four-year RLWC schedule from 2025, 2029 etc. – when we had no competition with any major sporting event –  to 2026, 2030 etc… so in the same cycle of  the biggest sporting event on earth, the FIFA World Cup. 

Even worse, in 2034, the FIFA World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, and so most likely played in November… Which will be a direct clash with the RLWC !!! I mean, FFS !!! 

Plus, for years we were told that having the RLWC with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair together provided such a unique experience, promotion etc. Etc. – only for it to be all separated after RLWC  2026 !!!

it is all so very rugby league! 

The cycle was chosen for very specific reason, as you say, and to avoid other major competition cycles. Again this was widely spoke of when we decided that the next world cup after 2008 would be in 2013.

Its another part of a 16 year strategy that the NRL have torn up for no reason .

[Jim from Oz]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/07/25/world-cup-26-will-be-most-competitive-ever-meninga/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEQZcFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHes2I8eKg7ZVxdtEElAw_K3oJEo75zxZvcoxtH6VMP5N1mTG4G_XzpZcCw_aem_2nXcUR13g3geBT_kxO0X3g
 

 

[Jim from Oz]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/07/25/massive-shift-world-cup-set-to-take-womens-game-to-next-level/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEQZclleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYuPBcTbFp2v_6kfwYoHjSmKgJDO9hHUQX5nho0QTLtUdloUnAhKIjAJ2g_aem_-Pa19Hoc26OLYM1fW-VcRQ

[Jim from Oz]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/07/25/world-cup-to-be-defining-moment-for-wheelchair-game/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEQZd1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYBfpi3dzphziySynQHB5RQurbhsl52NRaaC3Lz-eG2eWQnbrftfYJWfzQ_aem_bXhFTS1vMzqc8gIav6nsDA

[gogledd]

22 hours ago, Jim from Oz said:

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/07/25/world-cup-to-be-defining-moment-for-wheelchair-game/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEQZd1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYBfpi3dzphziySynQHB5RQurbhsl52NRaaC3Lz-eG2eWQnbrftfYJWfzQ_aem_bXhFTS1vMzqc8gIav6nsDA

The article doesn't clarify that 4 teams have already got their places - Australia, England, France and Wales are already qualified as they were all semifinalists in 2022. Also Wales Wheelchair RL are currently 3rd in the world rankings..they moved above Australia as they played (and won) in USA last year.

 

EDIT: I'm told the new world rankings place Wales Wheelchair team in 5th place. Apologies for old information!

Edited July 27 by gogledd

[mrfranco]

On 25/07/2024 at 13:01, Dave T said:

I think this is one of those instances where the RFL deserve praise for the ambition, as they have always pushed the growth of this tournament (1995, then 2000, then 2013 and 2022 all saw increases in team numbers) - it should be noted that the Aussies have never pushed for growing the tournament - the best they did was maintain 14 in 2017.

That they have returned to the 2008 number is telling, I think they'll be delighted if they deliver that tournament again, when in reality we've moved on from then. 

Where the RFL deserve criticism is that whilst growing the number of teams is admirable, when you are doing it based on either shaky or non-existent foundations, it leaves us open to this kind of move. 

If we absolutely had to move the numbers down, surely 12 would have been far better and led to a more balanced comp?

I think two groups of 5, then semis could make for a very good comp... but of course we won't get that, it'll be a supergroup of 4, 3 going through, plus two groups of 3 with a playoff between the winners for the last semi spot... or something like that!

[Mathius Hellwege]

It is already clear by the number of games how it will work out, none of your horror scenarios 

[Mathius Hellwege]

On 26/07/2024 at 15:46, mrfranco said:

I think two groups of 5, then semis could make for a very good comp... but of course we won't get that, it'll be a supergroup of 4, 3 going through, plus two groups of 3 with a playoff between the winners for the last semi spot... or something like that!

 

On 26/07/2024 at 13:21, Jim from Oz said:

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/07/25/world-cup-26-will-be-most-competitive-ever-meninga/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEQZcFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHes2I8eKg7ZVxdtEElAw_K3oJEo75zxZvcoxtH6VMP5N1mTG4G_XzpZcCw_aem_2nXcUR13g3geBT_kxO0X3g
 

 

NRL pushing the RLWC, good news 

[Mathius Hellwege]

On 26/07/2024 at 12:34, Jim from Oz said:

12 is an excellent number for the RLWC for now … You can have three groups  of four, and then also have quarter-finals, semifinals and finals… Having 12 teams would also mean both Wales and France would likely qualify, it is absolutely ridiculous that one of those two teams will not for 2026.

Having 10 teams is just total meh.

What also peeves me off is the fact that we have moved our four-year RLWC schedule from 2025, 2029 etc. – when we had no competition with any major sporting event –  to 2026, 2030 etc… so in the same cycle of  the biggest sporting event on earth, the FIFA World Cup. 

Even worse, in 2034, the FIFA World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, and so most likely played in November… Which will be a direct clash with the RLWC !!! I mean, FFS !!! 

Plus, for years we were told that having the RLWC with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair together provided such a unique experience, promotion etc. Etc. – only for it to be all separated after RLWC  2026 !!!

it is all so very rugby league! 

Why should Wales qualify who have not played since the last RLWC and have one League1 club within their frontiers?

[sam4731]

15 minutes ago, Mathius Hellwege said:

Why should Wales qualify who have not played since the last RLWC and have one League1 club within their frontiers?

They're players are predominantly actually from the country they play for, something that not a lot of countries can boast.

[eal]

I wouldn't worry about the RLWC four-year cycle now clashing with the FIFA World Cup. Rugby League won't be able to stick to any plan regarding international play for that long. After 2026 who knows when the next World Cup will be? Could be 5 years, 7 years, 3 years - anything is possible really.

[langpark]

12 hours ago, eal said:

I wouldn't worry about the RLWC four-year cycle now clashing with the FIFA World Cup. Rugby League won't be able to stick to any plan regarding international play for that long. After 2026 who knows when the next World Cup will be? Could be 5 years, 7 years, 3 years - anything is possible really.

Not really a clash when they are 4 months apart.