Why was the 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup delayed?

The 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup was originally scheduled to take place in October and November 2025. However, it was moved to 2026 after France withdrew as the host nation. Due to this rescheduling, the tournament features eight teams instead of the originally planned expansion.

What we know

• The 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup is the seventh staging of the tournament. [1, 2]
• The competition was originally scheduled to be held in October and November 2025. [2]
• The event was moved to 2026 following France's withdrawal as the host nation. [2]
• Because of the rescheduling, the tournament features eight teams, scaling back plans to double the number of teams for the original 2025 event. [2]

Where to go next

• what caused itWhat caused France to withdraw as host?
• how it workedHow does the tournament run alongside the men's and wheelchair events?
• whenWhat happened in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup?
• compared withHow do other rugby tournaments promote gender parity?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the broader details of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a men's tournament naming change reflect gender parity goals?Both events illustrate how governing bodies are actively reshaping tournament branding and schedules around gender representation.

Sources

• [1]2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup (Wikidata Q117075302) · CC0 1.0
• [2]2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]2027 Rugby World Cup · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]2017 Rugby League World Cup · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]2026 Men's Rugby League World Cup · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

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8. /Why was the 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup delayed?