Women’s rugby league: the World Cup and international record

Australia and New Zealand have each won three Women’s Rugby League World Cups. New Zealand won the first three editions; Australia won the next three, most recently at the delayed 2021 tournament played in November 2022. That is the completed-tournament record as of 24 October 2026, with the 2026 competition under way. Guinness World Records confirms the title totals; the IRL tournament record lists the ongoing 2026 matches.

What is women’s rugby league?

Women’s rugby league is the women’s game of thirteen-a-side rugby league, distinct from rugby union. Its central features are the six-tackle possession limit and the play-the-ball after a completed tackle. A try is worth four points, a conversion two and a penalty goal two; a field goal is normally worth one. The Canada Rugby League Association’s guide explains these fundamentals.

For international research, distinguish national-team matches from club and domestic representative fixtures. A player’s club appearances or State of Origin appearances should not be added to her international appearance total.

Match duration also needs a competition label. Women’s matches at the 2026 World Cup have two 35-minute halves, rather than the men’s two 40-minute halves. Golden-point extra time applies if scores are level at full-time. These are the published 2026 tournament rules, not a reason to assume every historical women’s international lasted 70 minutes.

Women’s Rugby League World Cup winners

The women’s World Cup began in England in 2000. Its first final was at Warrington, where New Zealand beat Great Britain & Ireland 26–4. The competition expanded to nine teams in 2003, when New Zealand Māori reached the final against the Kiwi Ferns. The NRL’s historical account documents both tournaments.

Tournament edition	Champions	Runners-up	Final score
2000	New Zealand	Great Britain & Ireland	26–4
2003	New Zealand	New Zealand Māori	58–0
2008	New Zealand	Australia	34–0
2013	Australia	New Zealand	22–12
2017	Australia	New Zealand	23–16
2021 — played in 2022	Australia	New Zealand	54–4

Scores are shown champions first. Sources: NRL World Cup history, NZRL’s Kiwi Ferns results archive and the 2022 final report.

Australia’s first title in 2013 marked the change in dominance: the Jillaroos beat New Zealand 22–12 after losing to them in the pool stage. Australia then won the 2017 and 2022 finals against the same opponents.

The date distinction matters when searching results. “2021 World Cup” and “2022 World Cup” can refer to the same edition, postponed because of COVID-19. Australia’s 54–4 final victory at Old Trafford on 19 November 2022 counts as one championship, not two. Guinness’s record entry explicitly identifies it as the delayed 2021 tournament.

The 2026 women’s World Cup

Eight teams contest the 2026 competition, arranged in two pools:

• Pool A: Australia, England, Samoa and Wales.
• Pool B: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France and Fiji.

These are the officially published pools. The final is scheduled for 15 November 2026 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, so no 2026 title belongs in the completed-winners table yet. The tournament’s rules announcement confirms the final’s date and venue.

Keep the international records separate

Three distinctions prevent misleading comparisons:

• Thirteen-a-side and nines: New Zealand’s 2019 World Cup Nines title belongs to a separate format, not its thirteen-a-side World Cup tally. The NRL’s contemporary nines report records the Kiwi Ferns’ title win.
• Team identity: New Zealand Māori’s 2003 runner-up finish is not another Kiwi Ferns appearance in that final. Keep the two teams separate in the record.
• Match status: An invitational or warm-up fixture should not automatically be counted as a senior Test. The NZRL archive distinguishes one-off Tests, invitationals, warm-ups and World Cup games.

The international game also extends beyond World Cup finals. For individual result records, see the Canada Ravens’ 2026 European tour and France–Nigeria women’s match report.