International rugby league ‘road map’ revealed as Africa keen to host World Cup

A long-awaited road map for international rugby league across the next six years has been outlined: including multiple African countries stepping up to the host the 2030 men’s Rugby League World Cup.

The international game has long since suffered from a long-term element of planning and booking – but that now appears set to change in the coming years after a plan was unveiled by Australian publication Code Sports.

That includes a five-country shortlist for the 2030 men’s World Cup of Kenya, South Africa, the United States of America, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea: the latter of whom will share hosting rights with Australia in 2026. But PNG are keen to host on their own four years later.

The three Rugby League World Cup tournaments – men’s, women’s and wheelchair – will no longer be held together after 2026, with tender processes to be held for separate events. England are one of three countries that have expressed an interest in hosting the wheelchair event in 2029.

Meanwhile, the women’s event in 2028 will go to either France, New Zealand, PNG or Kenya.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for the thousands of volunteers worldwide that make the playing of rugby league possible globally,” IRL chairman Troy Grant said.

“The board are united and working well with amazing contributions from Peter V’landys on the back of the NRL’s brilliant Vegas initiative giving international rugby league the breath of fresh air it needed after it lost its way.