Rugby league teams: international sides at the 2026 World Cup
Find the men’s and women’s rugby league teams at the 2026 World Cup, their ranking context, and how national sides differ from clubs.
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup features 10 men’s teams and eight women’s teams in its thirteen-a-side competitions. Those fields are not a complete list of international rugby league sides: they are the teams that qualified for this edition. The official competing-nations guide lists each field and its qualification routes.
“Rugby league teams” can also mean clubs. This guide focuses on national teams in the international thirteen-a-side game, distinguishing World Cup participation, rankings and historical records. Information is current to 9 October 2026, before the tournament begins.
Men’s rugby league teams at the 2026 World Cup
The ten entrants are listed below. Eight qualified as quarter-finalists at the previous World Cup; France and Cook Islands secured the remaining places through global qualifying tournaments. The previous competition retained the 2021 World Cup name but was played in 2022. Source: NRL tournament guide
The table pairs those entrants with their positions in the IRL rankings as of 31 July 2026, announced in August. These are ranking positions, not World Cup seedings or predicted finishing places. The IRL announcement gives the leading positions; the World Cup rankings update also identifies Lebanon’s position.
| Men’s national team | IRL ranking, July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Australia | 1 |
| New Zealand | 2 |
| England | 3 |
| Samoa | 4 |
| Tonga | 5 |
| Papua New Guinea | 6 |
| Fiji | 7 |
| Cook Islands | 8 |
| France | 11 |
| Lebanon | 23 |
Some familiar names refer to these same national sides: Kangaroos means Australia’s men, while Kiwis means New Zealand’s men. Their women’s counterparts are the Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns. These are team names, not additional countries in the draw. Source: official World Cup update
For how the entrants progress through the tournament, see how the 2026 World Cup pools decide the semifinalists.
Women’s rugby league teams at the 2026 World Cup
The eight women’s entrants are:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- England
- Papua New Guinea
- France
- Wales
- Samoa
- Fiji
Australia, New Zealand, England and Papua New Guinea qualified automatically as the previous tournament’s semifinalists. France and Wales qualified through Europe, Samoa through Pacific qualifying, and Fiji won the final place at the 2025 IRL World Series in Canada. Source: official competing-nations guide
The men’s and women’s fields therefore differ. Wales are in the women’s tournament but not the men’s; Tonga, Lebanon and Cook Islands are in the men’s tournament but not the women’s. Always identify which competition a team list or result covers.
A World Cup field is not the world rankings
A ranking measures results within a defined period; qualification determines entry to a particular tournament. They answer different questions.
In the August update, Netherlands were ninth and Ukraine tenth in the men’s rankings, yet neither had qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Canada’s women were seventh, above qualifiers Wales and Fiji, but had missed qualification after losing to Fiji at the World Series. Sources: IRL rankings announcement and World Cup rankings update
IRL calculates rankings from the current season and three preceding seasons, considering results, margins, opposition strength, recency and match importance. Only officially sanctioned senior matches between approved members count. A ranking is therefore neither an all-time honours table nor a simple win percentage. Source: IRL methodology
Clubs and historical team names need separate records
Brisbane Broncos, Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm are clubs, not national sides. If you want NRL clubs rather than international teams, start with the official NRL club directory.
Historical international names need equal care. Great Britain and England should not be silently combined in a country-by-country record. Great Britain won the men’s World Cup in 1954, 1960 and 1972; those titles were recorded under Great Britain, not England. The NRL’s World Cup history documents the three wins, while the RFL’s account of the 1972 champions identifies that winning side explicitly.
When comparing rugby league teams, keep the recorded team name, men’s or women’s competition, date range and match status attached to the numbers.