ENGLAND remain third in both the men’s and women’s world rankings released by International Rugby League following this autumn’s action.
Australia continue to lead the way in both standings ahead of next year’s home World Cup, after the men earned an Ashes series whitewash in England and the women retained the Pacific Cup.
Second place in each goes to New Zealand, after they won the men’s Pacific Cup and finished runners-up in the women’s competition.
Shaun Wane’s England have held on to third spot despite losing all three of their matches this year to the Kangaroos.
The women’s team, led by Stuart Barrow, followed March’s emphatic defeat to Australia in Las Vegas with an away victory over Wales in August, but had no games at the end of the domestic season.
England’s wheelchair team, meanwhile, continue to top those rankings after winning both ties in their two-match Ashes series in Australia.
The only movement in the top eight of the men’s list is Samoa climbing above Tonga, into fourth, on the back of reaching the Pacific Cup final.
Papua New Guinea, who won the Pacific Bowl for a third straight year, stay sixth, Fiji are seventh, while France and Cook Islands come eighth and ninth (the latter climbing a spot) after successfully qualifying for the World Cup.
Serbia, meanwhile, climb into the top ten after winning the Euro D title.
Wales have slipped a place to 13th and Ireland have moved up four sports to 14th, after the pair won one game each of a two-match series. Inactive Scotland have fallen further, to 28th.
In the women’s rankings, Samoa were significant movers despite losing both of their Pacific Cup games, rising from 12th to fifth, knocking Papua New Guinea (to sixth) and Wales (seventh) down a position.
Ireland remain eighth despite missing out on a World Cup spot with defeat to Nigeria (who are 12th) in the World Series. Fiji, who won the tournament, have risen to tenth.
England head France, who haven’t played this year, in the wheelchair rankings.
Ireland, who backed up spring’s Celtic Cup triumph with an autumn victory against Scotland, have narrowly held on to third place from Australia. Wales are fifth and Scotland sixth.
Men:
1 Australia
2 New Zealand
3 England
4 Samoa
5 Tonga
6 Papua New Guinea
7 Fiji
8 France
9 Cook Islands
10 Serbia
11 Netherlands
12 Ukraine
13 Wales
14 Ireland
15 Greece
16 Malta
17 Italy
18 Jamaica
19 USA
20 Poland
Women:
1 Australia
2 New Zealand
3 England
4 France
5 Samoa
6 Papua New Guinea
7 Wales
8 Ireland
9 Cook Islands
10 Fiji
11 Canada
12 Nigeria
13 Greece
14 Tonga
15 Netherlands
16 USA
17 Serbia
18 Kenya
19 Scotland
20 Italy
Wheelchair:
1 England
2 France
3 Ireland
4 Australia
5 Wales
6 Scotland
7 Spain
8 USA
9 New Zealand
10 Italy