Upcoming tournament 2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup | |
 | |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1954 |
| Number of teams | 10 (from 2026 finals) |
| Region | International (IRL) |
| Holders |  Australia (12th title) |
| Most titles | Australia (12 titles) |
| Website | rlwc2021.com |
| Related competition | Women's World Cup Wheelchair World Cup World Cup 9s |
| Tournaments |
|---|
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league tournament contested by the top national men's representative teams. The tournament is administered by the International Rugby League and was first held in France in 1954, which was the first World Cup held for any form of rugby football.[1]
The idea of a rugby league World Cup tournament was first mooted in the 1930s with the French proposal to hold a tournament in 1931, and again in 1951.[2] The tournament's structure, frequency, and size has varied significantly throughout its history.[3] The winners are awarded the Paul Barrière Trophy, named after Paul Barrière, the French Rugby League President of the 1940s and 1950s. Three nations have won the tournament; Australia twelve times, Great Britain three times, and New Zealand once. Australia has been in the final of every World Cup, except the first in 1954, when they came third (considered to be a complete upset at the time, with bookmakers having Australia as strong favourites).
The latest World Cup was held in England in 2022 after being delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Folkard, 2003: 337
- ^ Richard William Cox; Wray Vamplew; Grant Jarvie (2000). Encyclopedia of British Sport. UK: ABC-CLIO. p. 426. ISBN 9781851093441.
- ^ McCann, Liam (2006). Rugby: Facts, Figures and Fun. UK: AAPPL Artists' and Photographers' Press. p. 80. ISBN 9781904332541.