France, Wales claim women's berths at 2026 World Cup

France and Wales will join Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea at the women's 2026 IRL World Cup in the Southern Hemisphere, with two more places still to be determined.

Wales created history by qualifying for their first women’s IRL World Cup, while France also secured a berth at RLWC2026 after the final round of European qualifying matches in Netherlands and Serbia. 

Wales finished first in Group A after a 48-6 win against Netherlands at the RC Waterlands in Purmerend, north Amsterdam, and France triumphed 58-0 over Serbia in Belgrade to top Group B.

The two group winners now join the four semi-finalists at the last World Cup in England in 2022 - Australia, England, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea - at RLWC2026.

The winner of the Asia-Pacific Championships, involving Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, will also earn a place at RLWC2026, with the final berth to be determined at the 2025 World Series.  

Ireland, the Group A runner-up, will now meet Greece, the second-placed team in Group B, in a play-off for the European berth at the 2025 World Series.

The World Series will be contested by:

• the Asia-Pacific runner-up (Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa or Tonga);
• the Americas Championship winner, with Canada, Jamaica and the United States to meet in Florida in November;
• an African team to be determined in a two-Test series between Kenya and Nigeria in September, and;
• the European play-off winner (Greece or Ireland).   

France played in RLWC2026 but for Wales it will be their first women's World Cup.

“It’s a momentous day,” Wales coach Tom Brindle said. “We set off with a plan three years ago to get to this point and it’s a major milestone for us.

“To achieve such a goal and make history is fantastic, and to do it with this special group of girls is unbelievable."

France, whose team included former Sydney Roosters forward Perrine Monsarrat, overcame 38-degree heat and high humidity at the FC Radnicki Stadium in Belgrade to beat Serbia 58-0 and qualify for their fourth World Cup.

"I'm happy because we qualified for the next World Cup, but I think we can improve a lot of things and learn from this game,” France coach Romain Maillot said.

“But this was our primary objective and we have achieved it, I could not be happier with the girls and their application.”

France will now begin their preparations for RLWC2026 with a Test against England, as part of an international double-header with their men’s teams in Toulouse next weekend.