Rugby League World Cup

International rugby league football tournament

Not to be confused with Rugby World Cup.

This article is about the Men's Rugby League World Cup. For the women's, see Women's Rugby League World Cup. For other world cups for rugby, see World cup of rugby.

Rugby League World CupUpcoming tournament
2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup

Sport| Rugby league
Instituted| 1954; 71 years ago (1954)
Number of teams| 10 (from 2026 finals)
Region| International (IRL)
Holders|  Australia (12th title)
Most titles|  Australia (12 titles)
Website| rlwc2021.com
Related competition| Women's World Cup
Wheelchair World Cup
World Cup 9s
Tournaments

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1988
* 1992
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~
* 2026
* 2030

The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by senior men's national teams who each represent member nations of the International Rugby League who run and administer the tournament.

The tournament has been held with varying frequencies and formats throughout history, however is currently played every four years with a group and knockout structure in line with most other major sports competitions.[1] The inaugural tournament was held in France in 1954, and was the first Rugby World Cup held for any form of rugby football.[2] The idea of the tournament was first proposed in France in the 1930s with the intent to hold a tournament in 1931. A second failed attempt came in 1951.[3]

The winners are awarded the Paul Barrière Trophy, named after Paul Barrière, the French Rugby League President of the 1940s and 1950s. Australia are the most successful team in the competition's history, winning the Paul Barrière Trophy twelve times, and appearing in every final bar 1954. Great Britain have the second highest number of titles with three, and New Zealand have also won the tournament once.

The latest edition of World Cup was the 2021 tournament held England and played in 2022 after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Australia are the tournament's current champions.

## History

[edit]

Main article: History of the Rugby League World Cup

### Pre–1994: Original round robin World Cup

[edit]

#### 1935–1960: Establishment and triennial competitions

[edit]

New Zealand (TL), France (TR), Great Britain (BL), and Australia (BR) shirts from the inaugural 1954 tournament. They were the four nations to compete in the competition until the 1980s.

The Rugby League World Cup was an initiative of the French who had been campaigning for a competition since 1935. The idea was raised in 1951 by Paul Barrière, the President of the French Rugby League. In 1952, Rugby Football League secretary Bill Fallowfield persuaded the Rugby League Council to support the concept.[4] At a meeting in Blackpool, England in 1953, the International Board accepted Paul Barrière's proposal that France should be the nation to host[4] the first tournament to be officially known as the "Rugby World Cup".[5] In addition to the hosts, the tournament featured teams from Britain, Australia and New Zealand.[6] The 1954 Rugby League World Cup was won by Great Britain who defeated France in Paris on 13 November to claim the title.

Following the success of the maiden World Cup three years later another tournament was held in Australia, marking 50 years of rugby league in the country. Unlike the previous tournament, teams played each other in a league format. It was then decided that the team that finished first in the league would be declared the winner. Australia proved victorious on their home ground.

Another three years would pass until the next World Cup in 1960, this time held in England. It would be the second time Great Britain won the competition. Despite a home nation victory the World Cup suffered from poor crowds due to the live broadcast of games for the first time.

#### 1960–1977: Sporadic competitions

[edit]

After a disappointing attendances in 1960, the World Cup would not be played for another eight years. The competition had been scheduled to be held in France in 1965, this time with the inclusion of the South African team.[7] However, after an unsuccessful tour of Australia, the French withdrew, effectively postponing the tournament until 1968, when Australia and New Zealand hosted and the World Cup final made a return.

The World Cup found more success in the 70s with four tournaments being played. The first, the 1972 World Cup where the final was contested between Great Britain and Australia ended 10–10, and the title was awarded to Great Britain by virtue of their superior record in the qualifiers. Great Britain were captained by Welshman Clive Sullivan who was the first black player to captain any British national sports team. The final at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon witnessed what is (as of 2021) the last British team to win the Rugby League World Cup.[8]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Rugby League World Cup" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

In 1975, the competition underwent a radical overhaul with the tournament being held across multiple confederations. Great Britain was split into England and Wales due to Wales wanting to showcase the high level of talent they had on offer that year (no Scottish or Irish players made the original Great Britain squad). This resulted in the tournament increasing from four teams to five for the first time. There was not a final held to decide the champions of the 1975 tournament and so Australia won by virtue of topping the group standings. As Australia had not beaten England in that tournament a final challenge match was hastily arranged which Australia would win 25–0.

In 1977, Great Britain competed again as a single entity. Although the final between Australia and Great Britain was a closely fought affair, public interest in the tournament waned due to the continuing tinkering with the format and it was not held again until the mid-1980s.

#### 1982–1994: No host nation

[edit]

From 1985 to 1988, each nation played each other a number of times on a home and away basis with a number of these games also being considered part of various international tours that took place during the years in which these world cups were being played. At the end of that period, Australia met New Zealand at Eden Park. The match was a physical encounter, and Australian captain Wally Lewis played part of the match with a broken arm. The Kangaroos won the competition 25–12 in front of a capacity crowd of nearly 48,000 spectators.

This format was repeated from 1989 to 1992 (with games once again also being part of tours) and Australia won again, defeating Great Britain 10–6 at Wembley Stadium in front of 73,361 people. This crowd remained a Rugby League World Cup record (and a record for any rugby league international match) until beaten by the 74,468 crowd which attended the 2013 World Cup final at Old Trafford.[9] The fifth nation to compete in these two tournaments was Papua New Guinea, where rugby league is the national, and most popular, sport.

### 1995–present: The modern World Cup

[edit]

#### 1995: Birth of the modern World Cup

[edit]

Main article: 1995 Rugby League World Cup

In 1995, the competition was held in England and Wales. It was again restructured, returning to the traditional "host / co-host" format, and intended (like in 1954) to be a triennial competition. The tournament expanded to ten teams with Fiji, Samoa, South Africa, and Tonga making their world cup deputes. Great Britain had also split permanently into England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, although only England and Wales qualified. Unlike previous tournaments where the top two teams in the table played in the final, a knockout stage was added, with quarter and semi-finals. Due to the Super League war, players aligned with the Super League competition were not selected by the ARL to represent Australia, which meant the absence of many star players. The tournament, which was also held to celebrate the centenary of the sport, saw over 250,000 people attending the group stages and over 66,000 people attending the final, in which Australia defeated England 16–8.

#### 2000: Super League delay, financial issues, and hiatus

[edit]

Main article: 2000 Rugby League World Cup

See also: Super League war

Intended for 1998, the next World Cup was delayed for two years due to the Super League war and the subsequent re-structuring of rugby league's international governing bodies meant that the proposed 1998 World Cup was postponed.[10]

In 2000, the World Cup was held in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France, and expanded the field further, with sixteen teams entering. This tournament included a New Zealand Maori representative team, the only time this team has taken part, as well as debuts for the Cook Islands, Ireland, Russia, and Scotland. Australia won the tournament by beating New Zealand 40–12 in the final at Old Trafford, Manchester. In the same year, the first Women's Rugby League World Cup was held, with New Zealand defeating Great Britain in the final.

Numerous issues, including poor organization and blown-out scorelines, meant that this tournament was seen as highly unsuccessful with an average attendance just half that of the previous tournament. Due to these problems the competition was put on indefinite hiatus and replaced with the Rugby League Tri-Nations.

#### 2008: Re-establishment and regular competitions

[edit]

Main article: 2008 Rugby League World Cup

New Zealand lifting the Paul Barrière Trophy after winning the 2008 tournament

After the failure of the 2000 World Cup, no plans were made for another tournament until 2008 with the competition reverting to a 10-team format. The tournament also moved from every three to every four years inline with most other major international sports competitions. Australia hosted the tournament and New Zealand were crowned champions for the first time by beating the host nation at Lang Park, Brisbane. The tournament was once again seen as a success with a 91% average attendance increase on the previous competition. New Zealand became only the third team to win the world cup and the first other than Australia since 1972.

#### 2013: Olympic delay and tournament growth

[edit]

Matches of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup at the DW Stadium and Headingley.

Main article: 2013 Rugby League World Cup

2013 saw England and Wales host the tournament and expanded to 14 teams. The tournament, originally scheduled for 2012, was moved very early in its organisation to 2013 due to the United Kingdom hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics.[11] The competition was considered the most successful competition since 1995 in terms of attendances, exposure and financial output. The tournament saw Italy and the United States play in their first world cup. Australia took the title again after defeating New Zealand in the final by a score of 34–2. The final attendance became the record international rugby league attendance at 74,468.[12]

#### 2017: Continued growth

[edit]

Main article: 2017 Rugby League World Cup

2017 Rugby League World Cup taking place in Australia, New Zealand and for the first time in Papua New Guinea. While Australia would claim the title once again and for an eleventh time, the tournament was considered highly successful in terms of competitiveness. The tournament would see Tonga beat New Zealand in the group stages with a score of 28–22 to top the group, the first time a team from outside the top 3 had beaten a top 3 nation in over two decades. New Zealand went on to play Fiji in the quarter-finals and lost once again with a score of just 4–2, knocking New Zealand out in the quarter-finals, the first time a tier 1 nation had exited the tournament at this early stage. Tonga played England in the semi-finals and while conceding 20 unanswered points, they would score 3 tries in just the last seven minutes to pull the score back to 20–18, eventually losing by this close margin. The final was contested between Australia and England at Lang Park, Brisbane and Australia won by just 6–0, the lowest score in world cup final history.[13]

#### 2021: Further growth despite COVID-19 impact

[edit]

Australia lifting the Paul Barrière Trophy after winning the 2021 tournament

Main article: 2021 Men's Rugby League World Cup

See also: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rugby league

England were chosen to host the 2021 tournament which was postponed to 2022 due to Australia and New Zealand withdrawing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14][15][16][17] with organisers expressing a desire to see a total of one million fans attend games. This tournament saw the number of teams increased to 16 once again, with Greece and Jamaica debuting in the competition.[18] In 2021, the women's and wheelchair competitions were given equal prominence with the men's tournament, as a result all three competition were run simultaneously for the first time.[19][20] Australia again won the competition, beating final debutants Samoa 30–10.[21][22] The 2021 tournament was the most watched rugby league world cup in history,[23] and was regarded as a sporting, commercial, and social success by the IRL.[24]

#### 2025/26: Hosting issues

[edit]

Main articles: 2025 Men's Rugby League World Cup and 2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup

A proposal was put forward in 2016 to hold the 2025 Rugby League World Cup in the United States and Canada,[25][26][27] but in December 2018 plans for the tournament to be held in North America were scrapped due to financial concerns.[28]

On 11 January 2022, it was announced France would host the tournament in 2025,[29][30][31][32] however on 15 May 2023 France pulled out of hosting the tournament after a newly elected French government withdrew financial support.[33][34][35][36][37] A day later, New Zealand announced they were considering a bid, but would possibly require a delay to 2026.[38]

On 3 August, the IRL announced that the tournament would be postponed to 2026 and held in the southern hemisphere with only 10 teams taking part.[39][40][41][42][43] It was later confirmed on 24 July 2024 that Australia would host the tournament with a number of games co-hosted by Papua New Guinea.[44][45][46][47]

#### 2030

[edit]

Main article: 2030 Men's Rugby League World Cup

With the announcement of the 2025 World Cup being moved to 2026 came confirmation that the following competition would be held in 2030. In the announcement International Rugby League confirmed that the tournament would be held once again as a stand alone competition with the women's and wheelchair tournaments held separately in 2028 and 2029 respectfully, all on a four-year cycle.[39][43]

## Trophy

[edit]

Main article: Paul Barrière Trophy

The Paul Barrière Trophy first awarded in the 1954 inaugural contest.

The World Cup trophy was commissioned by French Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII president Paul Barrière at a cost of eight million francs, and then donated to the International Rugby League Board to be used for the inaugural competition in 1954.[48] This trophy was used and presented to the winning nation for the first four tournaments, before being stolen in 1970. After its recovery, the trophy was reinstated for the 2000 tournament.

## Format

[edit]

### Qualification

[edit]

Main article: Rugby League World Cup qualification

Qualifying rounds were first introduced for the 2000 World Cup. Hosts and teams reaching the knockout rounds of the previous tournament automatically qualify for the next. The remaining spots are achieved through regional qualification tournaments, split between the four International Rugby League confederation Asia-Pacific, Americas, Europe, and Middle East-Africa. Because of a changing number of teams making the finals and entering the qualifiers, and the unpredictability of the geographic spread of teams automatically qualifying, the format of the qualification tournament has changed with each edition of the tournament.

### Finals

[edit]

For details, see History of the Rugby League World Cup § Evolution of the format.

The Rugby League World Cup has followed a varied range of formats throughout its history as the number of teams participating has increased.

The current format has been in use since the 2021 tournament, in addition to the 2000 tournament. This format features 16 teams split into four groups of four playing a single round robin. Each team is awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw. The top two teams from each group qualify for the knockout stage.

The eight teams in the quarter-finals play each other with the four winners progressing to the semi-finals before the World Cup final. If the teams are level after 80 minutes extra time will be played and if the two teams are still level after extra time, a golden point will be played.

This will be temporary altered for the 2026 tournament due to its late rescheduling, the exact format to be used remains unknown.

## Hosts

[edit]

Main article: Rugby League World Cup hosts

Due to the early World Cups being contested between Australia, England, France and New Zealand and the fact rugby league is most popular in these regions they have regularly hosted the World Cup between themselves. World Cups in 1985–88 and 1989–92 were all jointly hosted by the four founding nations.

New Zealand has never solely hosted a World Cup but they have co-hosted with Australia on three occasions with 2017 also jointly co-hosted with Papua New Guinea. England have co-hosted once with Wales in 2013 although the 2000 World Cup was played across the UK as well as some games in Ireland and France.

France hosted the first World Cup in 1954 and again in 1972 as well as hosting games at the 2000 and 2013 World Cups.

Despite the World Cup mainly being hosted by England, Australia, France and New Zealand, countries such as UAE, South Africa and the United States and Canada have applied to host the tournament in the past.

Total of World Cup competitions hosted by each confederation (1954–2026)
Confederation and year in bold has an upcoming competition. Confederation  | Total  | Hosts

|
|

Asia-Pacific | 6  | 1957:
Australia
1968:
Australia,  New Zealand
1975:
Australia,  New Zealand*
1977:
Australia,  New Zealand
2008:
Australia
2017:
Australia,  New Zealand,  Papua New Guinea
2026:
Australia
Europe | 9  | 1954:
France
1960:
Great Britain
1970:
Great Britain
1972:
France,
1975:
France,  Great Britain*
1995:
England,  Wales
2000:
England,  France,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Wales
2013:
England,  Wales
2021:
England
Middle East-Africa  | 0  |
Americas  | 0  |

* Co-hosted between confederation

NB: As Great Britain was the IRL nation until 1995, the United Kingdom is used to refer to host nations before this time regardless of the number of home nations which actually hosted the tournament.

### Stadiums

[edit]

Main article: Rugby League World Cup venues

In total, 81 stadiums have hosted world cup games over the 14 tournaments. Headingley Stadium in Leeds has hosted the tournament the most times, having had games in eight world cups with Central Park, Wigan and Lang Park, Brisbane having hosted six tournaments. 52 stadiums have hosted matches in just one tournament. The most stadiums used in a tournament was in 2000 when 26 stadiums were used; the stadium capacity was the highest ever at 704,400. However, the occupancy was also the lowest ever at just 37.46%.

The largest stadium in terms of capacity ever used was Wembley Stadium, London with a seating capacity of 90,000; the stadium was used in the 2013 tournament as the venue for the semi-final double-header. The smallest stadium ever used was also in 2013 when The Gnoll, Neath, with a capacity of 5,000 hosted a game between Wales and Cook Islands. Despite this, it was not the lowest attended game; this was in the 2000 World Cup when just 1,497 attended the game between Wales and Lebanon at Stradey Park, Llanelli.

The cities with the most stadiums used are Sydney and London with 4 each. Hull and Auckland are the cities with the next highest number with 3 each.

Rank | Country | Stadiums

|
|

1  |  England | 33
2  |  Australia | 21
3  |  France | 13
4  |  Wales | 7
5  |  New Zealand | 6
6  |  Ireland | 3
7  |  Papua New Guinea | 2
Scotland | 2

## Results

[edit]

Further information: List of Rugby League World Cup finals

Ed  | Year  | Host  |  | Final  |  | Third / fourth place  |  | Number of teams

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Winners  | Score  | Runners-up  | Third place  | Fourth place
1  | 1954 |  France |
Great Britain | 16–12 |
France |
Australia |
New Zealand | 4
2  | 1957 |  Australia |
Australia | round-robin |
Great Britain |
New Zealand |
France | 4
3  | 1960 |  United Kingdom |
Great Britain | round-robin |
Australia |
New Zealand |
France | 4
4  | 1968 |  Australia
New Zealand |
Australia | 20–2 |
France |
Great Britain |
New Zealand | 4
5  | 1970 |  United Kingdom |
Australia | 12–7 |
Great Britain |
France |
New Zealand | 4
6  | 1972 |  France |
Great Britain | 10–10
(a.e.t.)[a] |
Australia |
France |
New Zealand | 4
7  | 1975 |  Australia
France
New Zealand
United Kingdom |
Australia | round-robin[b] |
England |
Wales |
New Zealand | 5[c]
8  | 1977 |  Australia
New Zealand |
Australia | 13–12 |
Great Britain |
New Zealand |
France | 4
9  | 1985–1988 | home-and-away basis  |
Australia | 25–12 |
New Zealand |
Great Britain |
Papua New Guinea | 5
10  | 1989–1992 |
Australia | 10–6 |
Great Britain |
France |
New Zealand | 5
Losing semi finalists[d]
11  | 1995 |  England
Wales |
Australia | 16–8 |
England |  New Zealand and  Wales | 10
12  | 2000 |  England
France
Ireland
Scotland
Wales |
Australia | 40–12 |
New Zealand |  England and  Wales | 16
13  | 2008 |  Australia |
New Zealand | 34–20 |
Australia |  England and  Fiji | 10
14  | 2013 |  England
Wales[e] |
Australia | 34–2 |
New Zealand |  England and  Fiji | 14
15  | 2017 |  Australia
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea[49] |
Australia | 6–0 |
England |  Fiji and  Tonga | 14
16  | 2021[f] |  England |
Australia | 30–10 |
Samoa |  England and  New Zealand | 16
17  | 2026 |  Australia[g] | TBD | – | TBD  | Future events | 10
18  | 2030 |  TBA  | Future events | Future events | 16

Notes;

1. ^ Despite the 1972 Final ending in a draw, Great Britain were awarded the World Cup having finished top in the group stage.
2. ^ Despite a game being played after the final Group game, this was not a Final as Australia had already been crowned Champions.
3. ^ the 1975 World Cup was expanded to 5 teams as England and Wales entered instead of Great Britain. No Scottish or Irish players made the original Great Britain squad.
4. ^ Until 1995 the world cup was a round robin system with the top two playing in the final. From 1995 the world cup changed to a groups and knockout format.
5. ^ Despite England and Wales were sole designated hosts, some matches were played in Ireland and France
6. ^ Postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
7. ^ Australia are the host nation but some games will be played in Papua New Guinea

### Summary

[edit]

In total, 21 teams have competed at the World Cup. Of these, only three have won the World Cup, with Australia being by far the most successful with 12 titles. Great Britain has won three titles, however since 1995 have competed separately as England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. New Zealand became only the third team to win the World Cup in 2008. England, France and Samoa are the only teams to have played in the final and not won. Wales' best result was third under the old format and have made the semi-finals twice while Fiji have appeared in three while Tonga have made the semi-finals just once. Papua New Guinea achieved fourth place under the old format and have made it to three quarter-finals. Four other teams; Ireland, Lebanon, Scotland and the USA have all made the quarter-finals bringing the total amount of teams to reach the knockout stage to 14.

Top four finishes  Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third / Fourth / Semi-finals | Top four total

|
|
|
|

Australia | 12 (1957, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2013, 2017, 2021)  | 3 (1960, 1972, 2008)  | 1 (1954)  | 16
Great Britain[a] | 3 (1954, 1960, 1972)  | 4 (1957, 1970, 1977, 1992)  | 2 (1968, 1988)  | 9
New Zealand | 1 (2008)  | 3 (1985–88, 2000, 2013)  | 11 (1954, 1957, 1960, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1992, 1995, 2021)  | 15
England |  | 3 (1975, 1995, 2017)  | 4 (2000, 2008, 2013, 2021)  | 7
France |  | 2 (1954, 1968)  | 6 (1957, 1960, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1992)  | 8
Samoa |  |

1 (2021)

|  | 1
Wales |  |  |

3 (1975, 1995, 2000)

| 3
Fiji |  |  |

3 (2008, 2013, 2017)

| 3
Papua New Guinea |  |  |

1 (1988)

| 1
Tonga |  |  |

1 (2017)

| 1

## Records

[edit]

Main article: Rugby League World Cup records

### Attendance

[edit]

Year  | Hosts  | Matches  | Avg.
attendance  | Total
attendance  | Highest attendances

|
|
|
|
|

Figure  | Venue  | Match(es)
1954 |  France | 7 | 19,761 | 138,329 | 37,471 | Stadium de Toulouse |  France 13–13  Great Britain
Group Stage
1957 |  Australia | 6 | 35,820 | 214,918 | 58,655 | Sydney Cricket Ground |  Australia 31–6  Great Britain
1960 |  United Kingdom | 6 | 18,376 | 110,200 | 33,023 | Odsal Stadium |  Great Britain 10–3  Australia
1968 |  Australia  New Zealand | 7 | 31,562 | 220,683 | 62,256 | Sydney Cricket Ground |  Australia 25–10  Great Britain
Group Stage
1970 |  United Kingdom | 7 | 9,816 | 68,710 | 18,775 | Headingley |  Great Britain 7–12  Australia
Final
1972 |  France | 7 | 8,922 | 62,456 | 20,748 | Stade Vélodrome |  France 20–9  New Zealand
Group Stage
1975 |  Australia  France  New Zealand  United Kingdom | 21 | 9,737 | 204,476 | 33,858 | Sydney Cricket Ground |  Australia 10–10  England
Group Stage
1977 |  Australia  New Zealand | 7 | 15,670 | 109,688 | 27,000 | Lang Park |  Australia 19–5  Great Britain
Group Stage
1985–88 | No fixed host | 18 | 12,125 | 218,246 | 47,363 | Eden Park |  New Zealand 12–25  Australia
Final
1989–92 | No fixed host | 21 | 14,289 | 300,059 | 73,631 | Old Wembley Stadium |  Great Britain 6–10  Australia
Final
1995 |  England | 15 | 17,707 | 265,609 | 66,540 | Old Wembley Stadium |  England 8–16  Australia
Final
2000 |  England  France Ireland
Scotland  Wales | 31 | 8,514 | 263,921 | 44,329 | Old Trafford |  Australia 40–12  New Zealand
Final
2008 |  Australia | 18 | 16,302 | 293,442 | 50,599 | Lang Park |  Australia 20–34  New Zealand
Final
2013 |  England  Wales | 28 | 16,374 | 458,483 | 74,468 | Old Trafford |  Australia 34–2  New Zealand
Final
2017 |  Australia  New Zealand
Papua New Guinea | 28 | 13,338 | 373,461 | 40,033 | Lang Park |  Australia 6–0  England
Final
2021 |  England | 31 | 13,667 | 423,689 | 67,502 | Old Trafford |  Australia 30–10  Samoa
Final
Total | — | 258 | 14,443 | 3,726,370 | 74,468 | Old Trafford |  Australia 34–2  New Zealand
2013 Final

### Match attendance

[edit]

Top 10 match attendances.
The breakdown of nations per appearance is: Australia (9), Great Britain (4), England (3), New Zealand (2), France (2), Fiji (1), Samoa (1).

Rank  | Attendance  | Stadium  | Year  | Stage

|
|
|
|

1  | 74,468  | Old Trafford | 2013 | Final
2  | 73,631  | Wembley Stadium (1923) | 1989–92 | Final
3  | 67,575  | Wembley Stadium | 2013 | Semi-final double header
4  | 67,502  | Old Trafford | 2021 | Final
5  | 66,540  | Wembley Stadium (1923) | 1995 | Final
6  | 62,256  | Sydney Cricket Ground | 1968 | Group stage
7  | 58,655  | Sydney Cricket Ground | 1957 | Group stage
8  | 54,290  | Sydney Cricket Ground | 1968 | Final
9  | 50,599  | Lang Park | 2008 | Final
10  | 50,077  | Sydney Cricket Ground | 1957 | Group stage

## See also

[edit]

* Sports portal

* Women's Rugby League World Cup
* Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup
* International Rugby League
* List of rugby league competitions
* Rugby League World Cup 9s
* Tertiary Student Rugby League World Cup

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Great Britain ceased to compete in the World Cup from 1995 onwards with independent governing bodies for Scotland and Wales affiliating themselves with the IRL in 1994 and 1995 respectfully

## References

[edit]

### Inline

[edit]

1. ^ McCann, Liam (2006). Rugby: Facts, Figures and Fun. UK: AAPPL Artists' and Photographers' Press. p. 80\. ISBN 9781904332541.
2. ^ Folkard, 2003: 337
3. ^ Richard William Cox; Wray Vamplew; Grant Jarvie (2000). Encyclopedia of British Sport. UK: ABC-CLIO. p. 426\. ISBN 9781851093441.
4. ^ a b Waddingham, Steve (2008-06-14). "Why this trophy for winning the rugby league World Cup?". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
5. ^ SPARC, 2009: 28
6. ^ AAP (1953-01-19). "World Cup Suggestion". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. p. 7. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
7. ^ AAP; Reuter (1962-08-15). "League Cup Year Fixed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Auckland. p. 18\. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
8. ^ "When Great Britain won the World Cup". BBC. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
9. ^ AAP (1 December 2013). "Record rugby league crowd for World Cup final". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
10. ^ John Coffey; Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 302\. ISBN 9781869693312.
11. ^ "RLWC2013 venues". 2013 rugby league world cup official website. Rugby League International Federation Ltd. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
12. ^ Lucas, Dan (2013-11-30). "Rugby League World Cup final: New Zealand v Australia – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
13. ^ "Australia 6 England 0". BBC Sport. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
14. ^ Walter, Brad (5 August 2021). "2021 World Cup officially postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic". nrl.com. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
15. ^ Heppenstall, Ross (2023-06-02). "Australia and New Zealand withdraw from Rugby League World Cup". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
16. ^ "Australia and NZ pull out of World Cup". BBC Sport. 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
17. ^ "Australia and New Zealand withdraw from Rugby League World Cup due to coronavirus concerns". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
18. ^ "Rugby League World Cup to feature 16 teams in 2021". Sky Sports. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
19. ^ Darbyshire, Drew (21 October 2019). "Women and wheelchair players to receive equal pay to men at 2021 World Cup". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
20. ^ Ed, Dixon (2 July 2020). "2021 Rugby League World Cup and IRL team up on broadcast production - SportsPro Media". www.sportspromedia.com. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
21. ^ "Rugby League World Cup 2021". www.rlwc2021.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
22. ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (19 November 2022). "Australia 30-10 Samoa: Kangaroos claim third consecutive World Cup with hard-fought victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
23. ^ "RLWC 2021 Becomes Most Watched Rugby League". 8 November 2022.
24. ^ "Rugby League World Cup 2021 delivers on its promise to be biggest, best and most inclusive in rugby league history".
25. ^ Fletcher, Paul (20 November 2016). "Rugby League World Cup: North America set to host 2025 tournament". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
26. ^ "Rugby League World Cup moves to North America in 2025". stuff sport. 20 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
27. ^ "North America to Host 2025 Rugby league World Cup". Canada Rugby League Association. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
28. ^ Adrian Proszenko (2018-12-04). "US World Cup hosting plans torpedoed by money trouble". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
29. ^ XIII, FFR (2022-01-07). "La France organisera la Coupe du Monde de Rugby à XIII en 2025". Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII (in French). Retrieved 2022-10-15.
30. ^ "France to host 2025 World Cup". National Rugby League. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
31. ^ "French Prime Minister Jean Castex's pride after securing Rugby League World Cup". YorkshireLive. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
32. ^ "France set to host the 2025 Rugby League World Cups". Asia Pacific Rugby League. 2022-01-11. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
33. ^ "France pulls out of hosting Rugby League World Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
34. ^ "France no longer able to host 2025 Rugby League World Cup". seriousaboutrl.com. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
35. ^ Bower, Aaron (15 May 2023). "2025 Rugby League World Cup in doubt after France pull out of staging event". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
36. ^ "France withdraw from hosting 2025 Rugby League World Cup over financial concerns". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
37. ^ "Confirmed: France will not host 2025 Rugby League World Cup". LoveRugbyLeague. 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
38. ^ Hytner, Mike (2023-05-16). "New Zealand makes bid to co-host 2025 Rugby League World Cup with Australia after France pulls out". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
39. ^ a b "Southern hemisphere to host 2026 World Cup". BBC Sport. August 3, 2023.
40. ^ "Reduced Rugby League World Cup to take place in 2026". The Guardian. 3 August 2023.
41. ^ "2026 Rugby League World Cup to be hosted in southern hemisphere". The Independent. August 3, 2023.
42. ^ "Rugby League World Cup 2025 to be delayed; full details announced for new look tournament". LoveRugbyLeague. August 3, 2023.
43. ^ a b "Rugby League World Cup: Southern hemisphere to host tournament in 2026 after France withdrawal".
44. ^ "Australia to host 2026 World Cup". BBC Sport. 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
45. ^ "ARLC welcomes Rugby League World Cup 2026 hosting rights". 24 July 2024.
46. ^ "Australia confirmed as host for three Rugby League World Cups in 2026".
47. ^ "Why Australia is staging 2026 World Cup with Papua New Guinea involvement revealed". 24 July 2024.
48. ^ RLIF. "Past Winners: 1954". Rugby League International Federation. Archived from the original on 2008-10-12. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
49. ^ "Papua New Guinea to co-host Rugby League World Cup in 2017". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Australian Associated Press. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.

### General

[edit]

* Folkard, Claire (2003). Guinness World Records 2003. Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553586367.
* McCann, Liam (2006). Rugby: Facts, Figures and Fun. AAPPL. ISBN 9781904332541.
* Independent Review Committee (February 2009). "Rugby League - Contributing to New Zealand's Future" (PDF). New Zealand: SPARC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-22. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
* Rleague.com (February 23, 2010). "20 TEAMS TO VIE FOR WORLD CUP GLORY IN 2013". [International Rugby League]. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rugby League World Cup.

* Official Rugby League World Cup Website
* Rugby League International Federation
* BBC website, History (1954–2000) retrieved 2 May 2006
* "RLIF Meeting", 2008 World Cup European Rugby League Federation, retrieved May 8, 2006
* "Kiwi hangover after the hype", 2013 World Cup retrieved 8 May 2006
* Rugby League World Cup at napit.co.uk

## Further reading

[edit]

* Andrews, Malcolm & Butcher, Tim (2009). The Rugby League World Cup. League Publications. ISBN 9781901347203.

* v
* t
* e

Men's Rugby League World Cup

| Tournaments|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~
* 2026
* 2030

|

Qualification|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~
* 2026

Finals|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~

Squads|

* 1954
* 1957
* 1960
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1975
* 1977
* 1985–88
* 1989–92
* 1995
* 2000
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* ~~2025~~

Related articles|

* Festival of World Cups
* 2008
* 2013
* 2017
* 2021
* 2025
* Women's World Cup
* Wheelchair World Cup
* Tertiary Student World Cup
* Emerging Nations World Championship
* 1995
* 2000
* 2018

* History
* Records
* Trophy
* Opening matches
* Hosts
* Venues
* Hat-tricks

* v
* t
* e

International Rugby League

Members|

| Full|

* Australia
* Cook Islands
* England
* Fiji
* France
* Jamaica
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Serbia
* South Africa
* Tonga
* Ukraine
* Wales

|

Affiliate|

* Brazil
* Cameroon
* Canada
* Czech Republic
* Germany
* Ghana
* Greece
* Ireland
* Italy
* Kenya
* Lebanon
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Nigeria
* Norway
* Russia
* Scotland
* Turkey
* United States

Observer|

* Albania
* Argentina
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Burundi
* Chile
* Colombia
* DR Congo
* Hungary
* Ivory Coast
* Japan
* Libya
* Montenegro
* Morocco
* North Macedonia
* Palestine
* Philippines
* Poland
* Sierra Leone
* Slovakia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Vanuatu

Former|

* Affiliate
* American Samoa
* Austria
* Estonia
* Latvia
* New Caledonia
* Tokelau
* Observer
* Belgium
* Denmark
* Egypt
* El Salvador
* Georgia
* Guyana
* Hong Kong
* India
* Mexico
* Namibia
* Niue
* Norfolk Island
* Pakistan
* Singapore
* Solomon Islands
* Thailand
* Trinidad and Tobago

National teams|

| Men|

* Albania
* American Samoa
* Austria
* Argentina
* Australia
* Belgium
* Bosnia
* Brazil
* Bulgaria
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Canada
* Chile
* Colombia
* Cook Islands
* Czech Republic
* DR Congo
* Denmark
* Egypt
* El Salvador
* England
* Estonia
* Fiji
* France
* Germany
* Georgia
* Ghana
* Greece
* Guyana
* Hong Kong
* Hungary
* India
* Ireland
* Italy
* Ivory Coast
* Jamaica
* Japan
* Kenya
* Latvia
* Lebanon
* Libya
* Malta
* Mexico
* Montenegro
* Morocco
* Namibia
* Netherlands
* New Caledonia
* New Zealand
* Nigeria
* Niue
* Norfolk Island
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Papua New Guinea
* Philippines
* Poland
* Portugal
* Russia
* Samoa
* Scotland
* Serbia
* Sierra Leone
* Singapore
* Slovakia
* Solomon Islands
* South Africa
* Spain
* Sweden
* Thailand
* Tokelau
* Tonga
* Trinidad and Tobago
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United States
* Vanuatu
* Wales

|

Women|

* Argentina
* Australia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Cook Islands
* England
* Fiji
* France
* Greece
* Ireland
* Italy
* Jamaica
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Niue
* Papua New Guinea
* Philippines
* Samoa
* Serbia
* Tonga
* Turkey
* United States
* Wales

International
competitions|

* Men's World Cup
* Women's World Cup
* Tertiary Student Rugby League World Cup
* Four Nations
* Anzac Test
* Men' Ashes
* Women's Ashes
* Asian Cup
* Baskerville Shield
* European Championship
* European Championship B
* European Championship C
* European Championship D
* Griffin Cup
* Mediterranean Cup
* MEA Championships
* Americas Championship
* Pacific Cup
* Pacific Championships
* Saint Patrick's Day Test
* Peter Leitch QSM Challenge Trophy
* Colonial Cup
* Nordic Cup
* Milan Kosanovic Cup
* Balkans Cup

Awards and rankings|

* RLIF Awards
* IRL Golden Boot Award
* World rankings
* men
* women
* wheelchair

* v
* t
* e

World cups

* List of world cups

Team|

* Association football
* men
* men's club
* women
* women's club
* ConIFA
* Athletics
* Continental
* Australian rules football
* Badminton
* men
* women
* mixed
* Baseball
* men
* women
* Basketball
* men
* women
* Beach soccer
* Boxing
* Bull riding
* Cricket
* Test
* men ODI
* men T20
* women ODI
* women T20
* indoor
* Darts
* PDC
* WDF
* Fencing
* Field hockey
* men
* women
* Futsal
* FIFA men
* FIFA women
* AMF men
* AMF women
* Golf
* men
* women
* Ice hockey
* Kabaddi
* Circle
* Standard
* Kho kho
* Lacrosse
* women
* Para ice hockey
* men
* women
* Pesäpallo
* Pitch and putt
* Pool (nine-ball)
* Quidditch/Quadball
* Roll ball
* Motorsport
* auto racing
* motocross
* quadcross
* speedway
* trial
* Roller derby
* men
* women
* Rowing
* Rugby league
* men
* women
* nines
* wheelchair
* Rugby union
* men
* women
* sevens
* Sepaktakraw
* Snooker
* Softball
* men
* women
* Taekwondo
* Tennis
* men
* women
* mixed
* Touch football
* Volleyball
* men
* women
* Water polo
* men
* women
* Wrestling
* teams
* clubs

Individual|

* Archery
* Bowling
* Ten-pin bowling
* Nine-pin bowling classic
* Canoe slalom
* Wildwater canoeing
* Chess
* Cyclo-cross
* Diving
* Equestrian dressage
* Fencing
* Gymnastics
* artistic
* rhythmic
* Mountain bike racing
* Orienteering
* Paralympic
* summer
* winter
* Road bicycle racing
* men
* women
* Sailing
* Show jumping
* Sport shooting
* Swimming
* Table tennis
* Track cycling
* Triathlon
* Weightlifting
* Wushu
* Taolu
* Sanda

Winter sports|

* Biathlon
* Curling
* Skiing
* Alpine
* Cross-country
* Freestyle
* ski cross
* Nordic combined
* Ski jumping
* ski flying
* Snowboarding
* Ski mountaineering
* Ski orienteering
* Sledding
* Bobsleigh
* Luge
* Skeleton
* Speed skating
* Short track
* Telemark

* See also: World championships

* v
* t
* e

World championships

* List of world sports championships

Olympic sports|

| Team|

* Association football
* men
* men's club
* women
* women's club
* Baseball
* men
* men's 12
* women
* Basketball
* men
* women
* 3x3 basketball
* club
* Beach volleyball
* Cricket
* T20 (men)
* T20 (women)
* Curling
* mixed doubles
* mixed
* Field hockey
* men
* women
* Flag football
* Handball
* men
* women
* Ice hockey
* men
* women
* Lacrosse
* men
* women
* Rugby 7s
* Softball
* men
* women
* Volleyball
* men
* men's club
* women
* women's club
* Water polo
* men
* women

|

Individual|

* Aquatic sports
* Archery
* Athletics
* outdoor
* race walking
* Badminton
* men
* women
* mixed
* individual
* Biathlon
* Bobsleigh and skeleton
* Boxing
* women
* Canoeing
* slalom
* sprint
* Cycling
* BMX
* mountain biking
* road
* track
* urban
* Equestrianism
* dressage
* eventing
* show jumping
* Fencing
* Golf
* men
* women
* Gymnastics
* artistic
* rhythmic
* trampoline
* Ice skating
* figure
* short track
* speed
* Judo
* Luge
* artificial track
* natural track
* Modern pentathlon
* Rowing
* Sailing
* Olympic Class Combined Worlds
* Shooting
* Skateboarding
* Skiing
* alpine
* Nordic
* freestyle
* snowboarding
* Ski mountaineering
* Sport climbing
* Squash
* individual
* doubles
* team
* Surfing
* Table tennis
* Taekwondo
* Tennis
* men
* women
* Triathlon
* mixed relay
* Weightlifting
* Wrestling

Discontinued|

* Basque pelota
* Cricket
* Test
* Croquet
* singles
* team
* Dance sport
* breakdancing
* Karate
* Polo
* Rackets
* Real tennis
* Rugby union
* men
* women
* Tug of war
* outdoor
* indoor

Paralympic sports|

| Team|

* Blind football
* Para ice hockey
* men
* women
* Wheelchair basketball
* Wheelchair handball
* Wheelchair rugby
* Wheelchair curling
* mixed team
* Goalball
* Sitting volleyball

|

Individual|

* Archery
* Athletics
* Badminton
* Bobsleigh and skeleton
* Climbing
* Cycling
* track cycling
* road cycling
* Powerlifting
* Shooting
* Snowboard
* Skiing
* alpine
* Nordic
* Swimming
* Table tennis

Combat sports|

* Brazilian jiu-jitsu
* Ju-Jitsu World Championships
* Kendo
* Kickboxing (amateur)
* Muaythai
* Sambo
* Sumo
* Wrestling
* beach wrestling
* catch
* grappling
* Wushu

Cue sports|

* Carom billiards
* Three-cushion
* men
* women
* team
* Five-pins
* individual
* team
* artistic
* English billiards
* amateurs
* women
* Pool
* blackball
* chinese eight ball
* eight-ball
* men nine-ball
* women nine-ball
* team nine-ball
* pyramid
* ten-ball
* straight pool
* Snooker
* men
* women
* team
* amateurs
* six-red

Mind sports|

* Backgammon
* Bridge
* Chess
* open
* women
* team
* Draughts
* men
* women
* checkers
* draughts-64
* draughts-64 women
* Go
* Puzzles
* Scrabble
* Sudoku
* Xiangqi

| Esports|

* Call of Duty
* Counter-Strike
* Dota 2
* eSailing
* FIFA
* Fortnite
* League of Legends
* Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
* NES Tetris
* Overwatch
* Pro Evolution Soccer
* Rainbow Six Siege
* Rocket League
* Smite
* StarCraft II
* Valorant

|

Motorsport|

| Auto racing|

* Formula E
* Formula One
* Hill climb
* Karting
* Rallying
* Rallycross
* Rally raid
* Bajas
* Sports Car Endurance
* Touring Car

|

Motorcycle sports|

* Endurance
* Enduro
* Beach Racing
* SuperEnduro
* Hard Enduro
* team endurance
* Ice racing
* individual
* team
* Grand Prix
* MotoGP
* Moto2
* Moto3
* MotoE
* Motocross
* individual
* women
* nations
* Supercross
* SuperMotocross
* Sidecarcross
* Snowcross
* Production
* Superbike
* Supersport
* Supersport 300
* Women
* Rally raid
* Bajas
* Sidecar
* Speedway
* individual
* team
* long track
* team long track
* flat track
* Supermoto
* team
* Trial
* nations
* E-Bike
* cross

Other|

* Aeroplane sport
* Aerobatic
* Aerobatic GP
* Powerboating
* Aquabike
* F1
* F4s
* offshore
* Radio-controlled racing
* 1:10 electric off-road
* 1:8 nitro off-road
* Tank biathlon

Other sports|

| Team|

* American football
* men
* women
* Australian football
* Baseball5
* Ball hockey
* Bandy
* men
* men's club
* women
* women's club
* Cricket
* ODI (men)
* ODI (women)
* Beach handball
* Beach soccer
* Beach tennis
* Canoe polo
* Dancesport
* Formation Latin
* Dodgeball
* Fistball
* Floorball
* men
* women
* Futsal
* men
* women
* men's club
* women
* Indoor hockey
* men
* women
* Inline hockey
* Kabaddi
* Circle
* Standard
* Kho kho
* Korfball
* Lacrosse
* indoor
* Life saving
* Minifootball
* Netball
* Padel tennis
* Quadball
* Ringette
* Rogaining
* Roll Ball
* Roller derby
* men
* women
* Roller hockey
* men
* women
* Rugby league
* men
* men's club
* women
* Sailing
* Yachts
* Dinghies
* Sepaktakraw
* Socca
* Synchronized skating
* Tchoukball
* Underwater hockey
* Underwater rugby

|

Individual|

* Air sports
* ballooning
* gliding
* parachuting
* paragliding
* Aquatics
* water skiing
* Armwrestling
* Archery
* indoor
* 3D
* field
* Athletics
* cross country
* half marathon
* indoor
* women's decathlon
* relays
* 100 km
* mountain running
* long distance mountain running
* snowshoe running
* skyrunning
* trail running
* Bowling
* Tenpin
* Ninepin (singles, team)
* Bowls
* indoor
* outdoor
* Canoeing
* marathon
* ocean race
* wildwater
* SUP
* canoe sailing
* freestyle
* waveski
* Crokinole
* CrossFit
* Cycling
* cyclo-cross
* indoor
* mountain bike marathon
* trials
* Darts
* WDF
* PDC
* team
* Finswimming
* Fishing
* freshwater
* fly fishing
* Gymnastics
* acrobatic
* aerobic
* parkour
* Ice Climbing
* Modern pentathlon
* biathle
* triathle
* laser run
* Mounted games
* Orienteering
* foot
* ski
* mountain bike
* trail
* Pétanque
* Powerlifting
* Racquetball
* Roller Sports
* artistic skating
* inline alpine
* inline downhill
* inline speed skating
* roller freestyle
* scootering
* Rowing
* coastal
* indoor
* Shooting
* practical handgun
* practical rifle
* practical shotgun
* Skiing
* flying
* speed
* telemark
* Summer biathlon
* Strength athletics
* men
* women
* Surfing
* short board
* long board
* big wave
* SUP/paddleboard
* Swimming
* short course
* Teqball
* Triathlon
* Aquathlon
* Duathlon
* Ironman
* Ironman 70.3
* cross
* cross duathlon
* long distance
* long distance duathlon
* sprint
* winter
* Yo-yo

* See also: World cups

*[Avg.]: Average
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template