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Seven countries have hosted and/or co-hosted the Rugby League World Cup. England, France, Australia and New Zealand have hosted the World Cup on multiple occasions and the tournament has never been played outside its traditional 'heartlands' in these areas. The International Rugby League is responsible for picking hosts.
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From 1954 to 1960 the Men's Rugby League World Cup was held triennially, however from 1960 to 2008[a] World Cups were sporadic. In this time period hosts were picked and tournaments were arranged between the four traditional rugby league playing countries and the IRL. From 2013 World Cups were held quadrennially and countries have to send an application and bids to the IRL to host the World Cup as more teams participate in international rugby league.
The Women's Rugby League World Cup was first held in 2000 alongside the men's version and eight years later the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup was inaugurated. Both these tournament began as part of the Festival of World Cups, a collection of smaller competitions played as a build up to the opening of the men's tournament. For the 2017 World Cup, the women's tournament received equal status and was played alongside the men's tournament, with the Wheelchair World Cup following in 2021. The 2026 edition will be the last time the three Rugby League World Cups are staged concurrently, with each being made into standalone events from 2028 onwards. The first of which will be the 2028 Women's Rugby League World Cup followed by the 2029 Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup and the 2030 Men's Rugby League World Cup.
Men's
| Year | Host(s) | Confederation |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 |  France |
Europe |
| 1957 |  Australia |
Asia-Pacific |
| 1960 |  United Kingdom |
Europe |
| 1968 | Australia New Zealand |
Asia-Pacific |
| 1970 | United Kingdom |
Europe |
| 1972 | France |
Europe |
| 1975 | Australia France New Zealand United Kingdom |
Europe and Asia-Pacific |
| 1977 | Australia New Zealand |
Asia-Pacific |
| 1985–1988 | No host; home and away format | |
| 1989–1992 | ||
| 1995 |  England Wales |
Europe |
| 2000 | England France Ireland Scotland Wales |
Europe |
| 2008 | Australia |
Asia-Pacific |
| 2013 | England Wales |
European |
| 2017 | Australia New Zealand Papua New Guinea |
Asia-Pacific |
| 2021 | England |
Europe |
| 2026 | Australia Papua New Guinea |
Asia-Pacific |
| 2030 | TBA | TBA |
NB: As Great Britain was the IRL nation until 1995, the United Kingdom is used to refer to host nations before this time regardless of the number of home nations which actually hosted the tournament.
Women's
| Year | Host(s) | Confederation |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | United Kingdom |
Europe |
| 2003 | New Zealand |
Asia-Pacific |
| 2008 | Australia |
Asia-Pacific |
| 2013 | England |
European |
| 2017 | Australia |
Asia-Pacific |
| 2021 | England |
Europe |
| 2026 | Australia Papua New Guinea |
Asia-Pacific |
| 2028 | TBA | TBA |
NB: As Great Britain was the IRL nation until 2003, the United Kingdom is used to refer to host nations before this time regardless of the number of home nations which actually hosted the tournament.
Wheelchair
2013
Bids:
Australia bid for the 2013 World Cup following their success of hosting the 2008 World Cup. The Rugby Football League (RFL) also submitted a bid for England and Wales to host the World Cup for the first time since 2000. The RFL bid was later accepted.[1][2]
2017
Bids:
South Africa bid to host the 2017 World Cup hoping to be the first African nation to host a rugby league World Cup believing that they help grow the game internationally.[3][4] Australia also bid for the hosting rights again but with the help of New Zealand to co host. The RLIF accepted Australia and New Zealand's bid to host the 2017 World Cup as there would be more chance of the tournament being a success although South Africa was praised for their growing domestic game.[5][6]
Winners: Australia / New Zealand / Papua New Guinea
NB: The wheelchair tournament was held in France
2021 (Held in 2022)
Bids:
Withdrawn bids
On 15 April 2015, the UAE expressed interest in biding for the World Cup with a formal bid being later materialised. The UAERL believed the country has the facilities, as well as the financial backing and infrastructure to host the World Cup. The bid was later cancelled after rugby union officials in the UAE had the leader of the bid arrested for "managing a sporting body which is not registered and therefore not recognised by the relevant government authority".[11]
On 25 November 2015 England's RFL announced it had government backed plans to host the 2021 World Cup after the success of 2013. The RFL put in an official bid for the 2021 World Cup on 30 June 2016 with £15m funding from the government and the aim to have over 1 million spectators. The USARL put a bid in with the hope to grow the sport throughout North America.
Winners: England
2025 moved to 2026
Bids[12]
Australia
New Zealand (solo)
Expressed interest in biding[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
Fiji (as co-host only[20])
South Africa
Qatar- New Zealand ("Pasifika" bid[b])
Withdrawn following successful bid
The 2025 World Cup was recommended by the IRL to be hosted in the USA and Canada with their bid later being awarded.[21][22] However due to the organisers Moore Sports encountering financial difficulties they were stripped of the hosting.[23]
The IRL then went on the recommend France who in July 2021 officially bid to host the World Cup and again won the right to host the tournament.[24][25][26] However in May 2023, France withdrew due to financial concerns from the new French government elected that month.[27][28][29][30][31]
Following France's withdrawal, Fiji, New Zealand, Qatar, and South Africa expressed interest in bidding. In August 2023, the IRL confirmed that a Southern Hemisphere nation(s) would host the tournament in 2026.[32][33][34][35][12]
Following public interest surrounding the Qatar bid, the IRL confirmed it was not an official bid and also confirmed that the IRL did not see Qatar as a feasible option for hosting an international tournament at present, but would be open to them hosting in the future. They also confirmed interest from other Middle Eastern nations.[36]
On 24 July 2024, the IRL announced that Australia would host the 2026 tournament, with a number of games played in Papua New Guinea.[37][38][39][40]
Winners: 
United States / 
Canada (later withdrew), France (later withdrew), Australia / Papua New Guinea
2030
Bids
Expressed interest in biding (for 2030):
- Seven nations
Following the end of the 2023 season it was confirmed seven nations had expressed interest in bidding for the World Cup. Deadline for bids was confirmed as 16 February 2024.[41]
On 31st July 2024, the International Rugby League announced Kenya, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, and the United States had made a success first round bid and would be advancing those bids to the second round.[42]
In August 2024, South Africa estimated that hosting the event would result in a R4 billion boost to the country's economy.[43] In September, South Africa submitted a proposal to host the 2025 Men's and Women's World Series, in attempt to strengthen their bids to host the 2030 World Cup.[44]
Expressed interest in biding (for 2029):
Before the withdrawals of hosts for the 2025 World Cup, it was known that New Zealand and South Africa had expressed interest in bidding for the 2029 World Cup. [20] International Rugby League had initially planned for the United States to host the tournament but since deamed it unfeasible due to domestic political infighting, instead favouring them as hosts for 2033 (now 2034).[45]
2034
Expressed interest in biding:
International Rugby League has targeted the United States to host 2033 (now 2034) tournament.[45]
Announced in 2023, following the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, the women's world cup will be a stand-alone event with the first in 2028. The exception was a stand-alone women's world cup in 2003 hosted by New Zealand.
2028
Bids
Expressed interest in biding:
- Eight nations
Following the end of the 2023 season it was confirmed eight nations had expressed interest in bidding for the World Cup. Deadline for bids was confirmed as 16 February 2024.[41]
On 29th July 2024, the International Rugby League announced France, Kenya, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and South Africa had made a success first round bid and would be advancing those bids to the second round.[46]
In September, South Africa submitted a proposal to host the 2025 Men's and Women's World Series, in attempt to strengthen their bids to host the 2028 World Cup.[44]
Announced in 2023, following the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, the wheelchair world cup will be a stand-alone event with the first in 2029. The exception was the 2017 World Cup hosted by France instead of Australia who hosted the men's and women's.
2029
Bids
Expressed interest in biding:
- Five nations
Following the end of the 2023 season it was confirmed five nations had expressed interest in bidding for the World Cup. Deadline for bids was confirmed as 16 February 2024.[41]
On 30th July 2024, the International Rugby League announced England, France, and the United States had made a success first round bid and would be advancing those bids to the second round.[47]
- Key
- C = Combined bids (men's, women's, and wheelchair; 2013–2026)
- M = Men's bids
- W = Women's bids
- WC = Wheelchair bids
- bolded = Successful bids
crossed out= Withdrawn bids- NB: Rejected bids and expressions of interest are not included
| Country | Bids | Years | Times hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand |
4 | 2017 C, 2026 C, 2028 W, 2030 M | 4 |
| United States |
2021 C, |
0 | |
| Australia |
3 | 2013 C, 2017 C, 2026 C | 7 |
| England |
2013 C, 2021 C, 2029 WC | 7[c] | |
| France |
4 | ||
 South Africa |
2017 C, 2028 W, 2030 M | 0 | |
| Papua New Guinea |
2017 C, 2028 W, 2030 M | 1[d] | |
| Canada |
2 | 2021 C, |
0 |
 Kenya |
2028 W, 2030 M | 0 | |
 United Arab Emirates |
1 | 0 | |
| Wales |
2013 C | 3[e] |
- The birth of the modern World Cup in 1995 was intended to begin a regular triennial competition. However with the Super League war and the financial disaster of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, this would not materialise until 2008 and saw a change to a quadrennial tournament.
- The "Pasifika" bid was set to include an number of Pacific Island countries as co-host
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