World Cups
The Rugby League World Cup is the pinnacle of the women's game with international teams coming together for the chance to be crowned champions of the world.
There have been five World Cups in women's history, starting in 2000, with the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia hosting previous events.
New Zealand are three-time champions after World Cup victories in 2000, 2005 and 2008.
Australia has held a recent dominance for more than a decade to confirm their status as the best rugby league team in the world with World Cup success in 2013, 2017 and 2021.
Outside of Australia and New Zealand, only Great Britain (2000) and New Zealand Māori (2005) have reached a final.
In 2022, the women's World Cup was played in England with eight teams taking part in the event after it was rescheduled due to COVID-19.
In 2025, the World Cup will be hosted in France with the women's tournament to extend to 16 nations.
World Cup results
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Australia | New Zealand | 54-4 | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 2017 | Australia | New Zealand | 23-16 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 2013 | Australia | New Zealand | 22-12 | Headingley, Leeds |
| 2008 | New Zealand | Australia | 34-0 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 2003 | New Zealand | NZ Maori | 58-0 | Eden Park, New Zealand |
| 2000 | New Zealand | Great Britain | 26-4 | Sunshine Coast, Queensland |
World Cup 9s
The international World Cup 9s was introduced in 2019 with four nations competing in the women's tournament.
Australia, New Zealand, England and Papua New Guinea competed at CommBank Stadium in western Sydney for the two-day event.
The Kiwi Ferns were crowned inaugural world 9s champions after upsetting Australia, who went undefeated during the pool stages only to be beaten in the final.
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score | Location | Player of the Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | New Zealand | Australia | 17-15 | Bankwest Stadium, Sydney | Raecene McGregor (NZ) |
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