Finding a Host for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup

Finding a Host for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup

James Caughlin

France is out as hosts of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup!

While some might be saying good riddance (or whatever that translates to in French), it does leave the organisers in a little bit of a pickle with just over two years to find a new host.

The good news is that we’ve broken out the globe, the atlas and even the maps on our phone to scour the world for the next host of the Rugby League World Cup.

Even with a few of the obvious choices on the cards, there’s a chance for the governing body to be “brave” and make a “bold” selection by taking it somewhere you might not expect.

There’s plenty of “great” choices on our shortlist, have a read and see what we’ve cooked up.

Australia and/or New Zealand

Yeah it’s the boring option but rugby league doesn’t exactly have a whole lot of other legitimate contenders.

The Aussies won the 2017 edition at home so why not bring it back here where the Kangaroos are sure to be the popular pick to win it all (again).

England

Speaking of legitimate contenders, England is realistically the only other one that springs to mind.

They held the 2021 Rugby League World Cup (in 2022) in England although the timing wasn’t great, with another World Cup kicking off in Qatar the weekend of the final kind of overshadowing it.

The Rest of Great Britain

Perhaps the closest remaining option that would be considered “legitimate” instead of “experimental”.

To avoid a repeat host, take the World Cup to the rest of Great Britain and Ireland, there’s plenty of venues across Wales, Scotland and Ireland to hold the tournament.

Each of those nations qualified for the 2021 edition so they would be (kind of) competitive… you would hope.

USA

Las Vegas has been raised as a possible venue for an NRL game as soon as 2024, so why not take the international showpiece event to the US.

Plenty of NRL sides head Stateside for their end of season trips anyway, just make them play a few games in between their other “activities”.

Canada

Another North American option, although do you really want to send these guys to places like Winnipeg and Ontario in mid-November?

The snow could act as the great equaliser between the powerhouse nations and the minnows though.

The Pacific Islands

While not the home of the biggest stadiums, the fans in the Pacific Islands would bring plenty of noise and flair to the World Cup.

We’ve seen bumper crowds for the Drua in Super Rugby that have spurred them on to some massive wins.

It would be a left field option but they did take games to PNG in 2017 and could go back there as well.

Italy

Yet to make it out of the Group Stage in three attempts, Italy will have no shortage of stadiums to host games.

Plus in the eyes of some league fans, there’s not much difference between France and Italy.

Spain

You can pretty much copy and paste the logic regarding the facilities in Spain from Italy, surely they’d move a few La Liga games to accommodate Australia-Lebanon at the Bernabeu.

It would end Spain’s absence from the Rugby League World Cup as well.

North Korea

Admittedly the North Korean side is a work in progress, having never made a Rugby League World Cup (despite what the state run media might report).

But what better way to integrate them than welcoming them as hosts for 2025, they might just have to move a couple of the “how great is our supreme leader” rallies from the Pyongyang National Stadium.

Japan

Japan has never qualified for a Rugby League World Cup, but they did host the 2019 Rugby Union World Cup and should have no problems squeezing this one in.

Might have to be on the lookout for adverse weather.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam

Yeah this idea is blatantly ripped off from the 2007 Asian Cup where they hosted the tournament across four countries.

Just about every team will be hoping to be drawn in the group that plays in Bangkok.

Perhaps someone can break out this Tim Cahill celebration from the Oman match when they score in the corner.

South Africa

South Africa last qualified for the Rugby League World Cup in 2000 and have been in the international wilderness since.

Sure they have won a Rugby Union World Cup since then but their lack of success in the 13-player code really has harmed their status as an international sporting nation.

South America

Admittedly this entire continent is mad for a very different code of football but any one of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia or Chile could host as participants in the South American Championship.

Nigeria

Did you know Nigeria are the two-time defending champions of the Middle East and African Rugby League Championship?

Well as an added bonus for defending their title they can host the World Cup in two years time.

Qatar

Qatar isn’t the first nation you think of when it comes to rugby league (or even the 47th) but holding the game’s showpiece event there would be a nice little boost for the IRL coffers.

Just look at how well FIFA made out after holding their World Cup in the Gulf nation.