Tenders for women RLWC2028 announced

Five participating nations have been confirmed for the 2028 IRL Women’s Rugby League World Cup.

A total of eleven countries have expressed their interest in hosting the women’s, wheelchair users’ and men’s tournaments from 2028-2030.

For the 2028 Women’s World Cup, France, Kenya, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and South Africa have now progressed to the next bidding phase.

The interest reflects the growth of a tournament first staged in 2000 as the Women’s World Series in England, one of three times the tournament has been staged, alongside the 2013 and 2022 editions.

Other countries that have hosted the tournament include Australia (2008 and 2017) and New Zealand (which hosted the inaugural Women’s World Cup in North Harbour in 2003).

“The response from the rugby league world to the tender process has been really encouraging,” said IRL chairman Troy Grant.

“The strategy to reduce the size of the World Cup tournaments and place them in separate years was based on two main objectives: increasing the commercial strength of IRL and expanding the number of host nations.

“The unprecedented spread of potential hosts from all corners of the rugby league map is a clear sign that the World Cup is a much more accessible event than it has been to date, and we look forward to receiving some compelling final bids.”

Recently, the final deadline for submitting bids was extended from October 2024 to February 2025 due to local events beyond the control of several bidders.

France has withdrawn from hosting the last combined World Cup in 2025, but Federation Française de Rugby XIII president Dominique Baloup is confident the country now has the resources to make a difference not just domestically, but on the continent.

“For rugby league, France Féminines 2028 can be a factor of influence, here and in Europe. The French government strongly supports the development of women’s sports in its choice of public policies.

“The 2028 Women’s World Cup fits perfectly into this scheme. The preparatory work from 2025 will give the French Federation the opportunity to strengthen its ties with the inland areas and their local authorities that are already home to our sport and its developed activities, and to promote forward-looking agreements for new ones, or those that will rediscover Rugby League.”

Kenya is a relative newcomer to international rugby league, but Kenya Rugby League Bid Committee chairman Henry Sisye said the African country could offer a unique experience to visitors to the Women’s Rugby League World Cup.

“Kenya 2028 will change the world’s perception of rugby league and give the sport the much-needed appeal as a global sport,” said Henry Sisye, chairman of the Kenya Rugby League bid committee.

“A lot of effort goes into a winning bid. It will be competitive, but we are confident that an ‘African safari’ for a World Cup is the kind of experience that will attract fans from all over the world.”

New Zealand hosted the first Women’s World Cup in 2003 and is a leading country for women’s rugby league. The Warriors were one of the four first-teams in the NRLW and will return to the competition in 2025 after having to withdraw due to COVID travel restrictions.

NZRL CEO Greg Peters said: “Strengthening the women’s rugby competition remains a key strategic goal for New Zealand Rugby League. As a result, we are not only seeing increased participation of women within our playing group, but also among our coaches and volunteers.

“Having the opportunity to bring a major sporting event, the 2028 Women’s Rugby World Cup, to our shores allows us to capitalise on this growth and further reinforce NZRL’s commitment to helping women’s sport flourish.”

Papua New Guinea hosted matches at the 2017 World Cup and will host the next World Cup again in 2026. PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka said his organisation had the resources and experience to host a separate Women’s World Cup in 2028.

“The Papua New Guinea Rugby League is extremely excited about this opportunity to tender for the first standalone Women’s Rugby League World Cup,” PNGRFL said Chairman Sandis Tsaka said.

“As Papua New Guinea moves increasingly towards having a team in the NRL, the opportunity to host the first standalone Women’s Rugby League World Cup demonstrates the depth of rugby league in Papua New Guinea.”

PNGRFL Chief Executive Officer Stanley Hondina added: “Women playing rugby league in PNG continues to grow and become stronger year on year and this has led to greater opportunities for women within PNG. To see women show that they now have pathways is extremely exciting.”

South Africa RL Chairman Dr Frans Erasmus said the country had a proud track record and strong reputation for successfully hosting the world’s major sporting events.

“We look forward to presenting a robust and compelling bid to the IRL to host the 2028 Women’s World Cup,” said Dr Erasmus.

“Recognising the importance of women in sport and witnessing the triumphs of our national women’s teams on the world stage fills us with optimism for the future of women’s rugby competition in South Africa.

“Driven by our commitment to using sport as a catalyst for positive change, we are confident we can deliver an unparalleled Women’s World Cup experience for the IRL.”

The entries for the IRL Wheelchair World Cup 2029 will be announced on Tuesday 29 July and Wednesday 30 July for the IRL Men’s World Cup 2030.