Rugby League World Cup hosts

Bids:

•  Australia
•  England /  Wales

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.

Winners:  England /  Wales

Bids:

•  Australia /  New Zealand /  Papua New Guinea
• South Africa

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. 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.

Winners:  Australia /  New Zealand /  Papua New Guinea

Bids:

•  United Arab Emirates
•  England
•  United States /  Canada

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".[1] South Africa also expressed interest in hosting the tournament, but did not bid.

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

Bids:

•  United States/ Canada
•  France

•  Australia /  New Zealand [2]/  Fiji
•  South Africa
•  Qatar

The 2025 World Cup was recommended by the IRL to be hosted in the USA and Canada. However due to the organisers Moore Sports encountering financial difficulties they were stripped of the hosting. The IRL then went on the recommend France who in July 2021 officially bid to host the World Cup. After France withdrew from hosting Australia and New Zealand declared they would be ready to host the tournament. [2]

Potential Bids:

•  United States

After failing to win in 2017 and pulling out of hosting 2025 a new governing body, Championship Rugby League, which is not associated with the USARL or NARL has expressed interest in hosting the 2029 World Cup. However in a 2022 interview IRL chairman Troy Grant said that a USA World Cup was more likely to be held in 2033 due to infighting and unrest between the USARL and other governing bodies in the US.

•  New Zealand/ Tonga/ Samoa/ Vanuatu

Grant stated that New Zealand were keen on hosting the 2029 World Cup potentially with Australia but more likely as part of a Pacific World Cup with games played in Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and potentially Hawaii.

Potential Bids:

•  United States

The USA are expected to bid for a third time in a row with strong support for them to host a future World Cup.