The dust has barely settled on Australia’s third Rugby League World Cup triumph in a row, but attention now switches towards France who will host the tournament in 2025.
The qualification stages are already underway with a number of nations battling it out for the chance to appear on rugby league’s biggest stage.
Who has qualified for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup?
The quarter finalists from this year’s edition have all automatically been handed a position in the 16-team format. Alongside the host nation, France, who are assured of their spot.
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The French will be joined by Australia, Samoa, England, New Zealand, Fiji, Lebanon, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
With nine spots already claimed, this means a host of other nations will be left to fight for the seven remaining places at the tournament that is due to be staged in three years’ time.
Which other teams from Europe could qualify for the World Cup?
At least another four more European nations will be booking their tickets to France in 2025.
The European Championship, which is being held next year, will have a decisive say in which teams they are.
The two highest-ranked sides, other than England and France, will be granted a place at the World Cup with Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Serbia and Spain all vying for qualification in the round-robin competition.
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The two teams which finish bottom of the pile will be eliminated, while the two in the middle section of the table will be afforded a final chance.
They will each face a sudden-death play-off match against the winners from the European Championship B group stages.
Greece, Norway and Ukraine are on one side of the draw, while the Czech Republic, Germany and Netherlands sit on the other.
Will Jamaica feature at the next Rugby League World Cup?
A feel-good story of this year’s tournament was all of the nations who made their first ever appearance at the World Cup.
Jamaica was one of these and have a great chance of making it to the next instalment with two places assigned to the Americas.
The Reggae Warriors will have to triumph in the South Americas Championship over the likes of Brazil, Canada and the United States, who missed out this year after featuring in the two previous World Cups.
The Middle East Africa Cup will decide another addition
Lebanon have already qualified for 2025, but will still feature in this tournament alongside Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.
The highest ranked team, besides Lebanon, will meet the Cook Islands in an inter-regional match in 2024 for the final place at the World Cup.
Which teams have already been eliminated from World Cup Qualification?
The Czech Republic and Netherlands both earned their places in the European Championship B by beating Malta and Turkey, respectively.
It is a similar story for Nigeria and Ghana who claimed their spots in next year’s Middle East Africa Cup by beating Kenya and Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Russia have been suspended from taking part due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. A decision has yet to be announced on whether or not this expulsion will be upheld into next year.
