NRL 2024: Rugby League World Cup, 2026, Women, France, Wales, RLWC2026, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, England; European countries qualify for RLWC2026

France and Wales will join Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea at the 2026 IRL Women’s World Cup in the Southern Hemisphere, with two places still to be decided.

Wales made history by qualifying for the inaugural Women’s IRL World Cup, while France also secured a spot at RLWC2026 after the final round of European qualifiers in the Netherlands and Serbia.

Wales finished first in Group A after a 48-6 win against the Netherlands at the RC Waterlands in Purmerend, North Amsterdam, and France triumphed 58-0 over Serbia in Belgrade to top Group B.

The two group winners will now join the four semi-finalists from the final World Cup in England in 2022 – Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea – at RLWC2026.

The winner of the Asia-Pacific Championships, involving the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, will also earn a berth at RLWC2026, with final seeding to be determined at the 2025 World Series.

Ireland, runners-up in Group A, will now meet Greece, the second-placed team in Group B, in a play-off for Europe’s place at the 2025 World Series.

The World Series is contested by:

• second place in Asia and the Pacific (Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa or Tonga);
• the winner of the Americas Championship, which sees Canada, Jamaica and the United States meet in Florida in November;
• an African team to be determined in a two-Test series between Kenya and Nigeria in September, and;
• the European play-off winner (Greece or Ireland).

France played in RLWC2026, but for Wales it will be their first Women’s World Cup.

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“It’s a momentous day,” said Wales coach Tom Brindle. “We started a plan to get to this point three years ago and it is an important milestone for us.

“It’s fantastic to achieve such a goal and make history, and to do it with this special group of girls is incredible.”

France overcame the 38-degree heat and high humidity at the FC Radnicki Stadium in Belgrade to beat Serbia 58-0 and qualify for their fourth World Cup.

“I’m happy because we qualified for the next World Cup, but I think we can improve a lot and learn from this match,” said France coach Romain Maillot.

“But this was our main goal and we achieved it. I couldn’t be happier with the girls and their registration.”

France will now begin their preparations for RLWC2026 with a Test against England as part of an international double-header with their men’s teams in Toulouse next weekend.