Just over a week since the Australian Kangaroos were crowned World Champions in Manchester, details of IRL regional qualifying tournaments for France 2025 have now been finalised.
Brazil will join Canada, Jamaica and the United States in the 2023 Americas Championship after winning the 2022 South Americas Championship played in Columbia last weekend.
With the World Cup having concluded a week earlier, International Rugby League is able to confirm the number of berths each region will have at France 2025 and the qualifying process for eligible nations.
In the Men’s World Cup, Asia-Pacific will have six berths, Europe will have six berths, the Americas will have two berths and Middle East Africa will have one berth.
The 16th berth will be awarded to the winner of an inter-regional repechage between Cook Islands and the winner of the 2023 MEA Cup contested by Ghana and Nigeria and South Africa.
Australia, England, Fiji, Lebanon, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga automatically qualify after reaching the quarterfinals of RLWC2021 in England.
As the host nation, France also automatically qualifies for the 2025 World Cup.
QUALIFICATION PROCESS:
All eight quarterfinalists at RLWC2021 – Australia, Samoa, New Zealand, England, Lebanon, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea – automatically qualify for France 2025, along with France, as the host nation.
France automatically qualify as the host nation
The regional berth allocation, confirmed in March, is:
- EUROPE (6-8 berths)
- ASIA-PACIFIC (5-7 berths)
- AMERICAS (2 berths)
- MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA (1-2 berths)
EUROPE:
Teams already qualified:
- England
- France
England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Serbia, Spain and Wales will contest the 2023 European Championship A, to be played in two groups of four.
Qualifying process:
The 2023 European Championship A will act as a route to the 2024 European qualifying tournament for France 2025, which will also include teams from the 2023 European Championship B.
Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway and Ukraine will contest the 2023 European Championship B, to be played in two groups of three, for the right to advance to the 2024 European qualifying tournament.
Netherlands qualified for the 2023 European Championship B as 2021 European Championship D winner, ahead of Malta and Turkey, while Czech Republic, which finished second in Euro D, was invited to replace Russia, which has been suspended indefinitely from all international competition.
ASIA PACIFIC (6-7 BERTHS)
Teams already qualified:
- Australia
- Fiji
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Tonga
Qualifying process
Cook Islands will enter an inter-regional repechage in 2024 for the final berth at France 2025.
AMERICAS (2 BERTHS)
Teams already qualified: Nil
Qualifying process:
The two highest placed teams from the 2023 Americas Championship will qualify directly for the 2025 World Cup in France.
The 2023 Americas Championship will be contested by Brazil, Canada, Jamaica and USA after Brazil won the 2022 South American Championship in Colombia on 25-27 November, ahead of Chile and Columbia.
MIDDLE EAST AFRICA (1-2 BERTHS)
Teams already qualified:
- Lebanon
Qualifying process:
The highest finishing nation at the 2023 MEA Cup, from South Africa and 2022 MEA Championship finalists, Nigeria and Ghana, will enter an inter-regional repechage in 2024 for the final berth at France 2025.
