Ten Teams Confirmed for 2026 Rugby League World Cup
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup will take place in Australia and Papua New Guinea. The ten participating teams have been finalized following the last qualifying match held on Sunday morning in Sydney.
Final Qualifier Highlights
The Cook Islands secured their spot by defeating South Africa 58-6 in a match that served as the curtain raiser for the Pacific Cup Championship final between New Zealand and Samoa. This victory ensures the Pacific Island nation's participation alongside France, who earned their place after beating Jamaica last month.
Qualification Format and Teams
- All eight quarter-finalists from the 2021 World Cup received automatic entry to the 2026 tournament.
- Qualified teams include Australia, Samoa, New Zealand, England, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Lebanon, France, and Cook Islands.
- Not qualified this time are Jamaica, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy, and Greece.
Notable Players and Women's Tournament
Cook Islands' qualifier squad featured several Super League players such as Toulouse Olympique's Reuben Rennie and Paul Ulberg, along with Salford Red Devils' Esan Marsters.
The women's and wheelchair tournaments will each have eight teams. Fiji will appear in the women's tournament for the first time after beating Nigeria in a recent qualifier.
"The Pacific Island nation was too strong for the Africans and followed on from France in securing a spot at the World Cup finals."
"In a shortened format, all eight quarter-finalists from the 2021 Rugby League World Cup gain automatic entry to the 2026 tournament."
Author's summary: The 2026 Rugby League World Cup will feature ten teams confirmed through qualifiers and automatic entries, with notable debuts in women's rugby league tournaments.