Excitement Builds for 2026 Rugby League World Cup as Host Nation Set to be Confirmed
As the international rugby league scene continues to captivate audiences, the International Rugby League (IRL) has made significant announcements regarding the upcoming 2026 Rugby League World Cup. The host nation for this highly anticipated tournament is set to be formally confirmed later this month, adding to the growing anticipation among rugby league fans.
Amidst the recent fallout from England’s match in France, the focus is now shifting towards how the sport can build momentum leading into the next World Cup in 2024, which Love Rugby League earlier revealed will be held in Australia. The IRL has now disclosed that the tender process for the 2026 World Cup host nation is complete, and the successful location will be announced in July.
World Series Event and Future World Cups
Furthermore, the IRL has provided details about the World Series event that will determine some of the qualifiers for the 2026 tournament. The hosts of this World Series competition in 2025 are set to be announced later this year, with the tender process commencing in August.
Meanwhile, the deadline for bid submissions to host the standalone women’s World Cup in 2028, the wheelchair World Cup in 2029, and the men’s World Cup in 2030 has been pushed back to February 18, 2025, due to factors beyond the control of the tenderers. The IRL has stated that the tenderers will be publicly announced this month, with the nations bidding for these prestigious events invited to submit interim progress reports in June.
“As the rugby league community eagerly awaits the unveiling of the 2026 World Cup host nation, the sport is poised to capitalize on the growing excitement and momentum leading up to the next edition of this global showcase.”
With the World Series event and the bid process for future World Cups also in the pipeline, the future of rugby league appears to be filled with promise and anticipation.
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