National team appearances at Rugby League World Cups

This article shows all the teams that have participated in the Rugby League World Cup and the results of those teams.

Team appearances by tournament

1954–1992: group format

Legend

• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• GS – Group stage
•    – Hosts

Team	1954	1957	1960	1968	1970	1972	1975	1977	1985-88	1989-92	Total
Australia	GS	1st	2nd	1st	1st	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st	10
England	—	—	—	—	—	—	2nd	—	—	—	1
France	2nd	GS	GS	2nd	GS	GS	GS	GS	GS	GS	10
Great Britain	1st	2nd	1st	GS	2nd	1st	—	2nd	GS	2nd	9
New Zealand	GS	GS	GS	GS	GS	GS	GS	GS	2nd	GS	10
Papua New Guinea	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	GS	GS	2
Wales	—	—	—	—	—	—	GS	—	—	—	1

1995–onwards: knockout format

Legend

• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• SF – Semi-final
• QF – Quarterfinals (knockout round of 8)
• R1 – Round 1 (group stage)
•  ••  – Was not invited to qualifying
•  •  – Did not qualify
•    – Hosts

Team	1995	2000	2008	2013	2017	2021	Total
Australia	1st	1st	2nd	1st	1st	1st	16
Cook Islands	••	R1	•	R1	•	R1	3
England	2nd	SF	SF	SF	2nd	SF	7
Fiji	R1	R1	SF	SF	SF	QF	6
France	R1	QF	R1	QF	R1	R1	16
Greece	••	••	••	••	•	R1	1
Ireland	••	QF	QF	R1	R1	R1	5
Italy	••	•	••	R1	R1	R1	3
Jamaica	••	••	••	•	•	R1	1
Lebanon	••	R1	•	•	QF	QF	3
New Zealand	SF	2nd	1st	2nd	QF	SF	16
Aotearoa Māori^	••	R1	••	••	••	••	1
Papua New Guinea	R1	QF	R1	R1	QF	QF	8
Russia	••	R1	•	•	•	•	1
Samoa	R1	QF	R1	QF	QF	2nd	6
Scotland	••	R1	R1	QF	R1	R1	5
South Africa	R1	R1	••	•	•	•	2
Tonga	R1	R1	R1	R1	SF	QF	6
United States	••	•	•	QF	R1	•	2
Wales	SF	SF	•	R1	R1	R1	6

^ - Aotearoa Māori weren't a national team, but a representative side made up of players with Māori heritage.

Team appearances by continent

Continent	1995	2000	2008	2013	2017	2021	Total
Africa	1	1					2
Americas				1	1	1	3
Asia		1			1	1	3
Europe	3	6	4	6	6	7	32
Oceania	6	7	5	7	6	7	38

Team debuts

19 teams have participated in the World Cup. Between 1954 and 1972 and 1977 to 1992, England, Wales and Scotland were represented by Great Britain. From 1995 onwards Great Britain only played in test series and England, Scotland and Wales all represented themselves at major tournaments.

Year	Nation(s)	Total	Cumulative total
1954	Great Britain France Australia New Zealand	4	4
1957	None	0
1960	None	0
1968	None	0
1970	None	0
1972	None	0
1975	Wales England	2	6
1977	None	0
1985-88	Papua New Guinea	1	7
1989-92	None	0
1995	Fiji South Africa Tonga Samoa	4	11
2000	Cook Islands Lebanon Ireland Russia Scotland Aotearoa Māori	6	17
2008	None	0
2013	Italy United States	2	19
2017	None	0
2021	Greece Jamaica	2	21

Results of host nations

Only Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain have won the World Cup. England hosted the 1960 and 1970 editions of the World Cup but were represented as part of Great Britain until 1995

Year	Host nation	Finish
1954	France	Runners Up
1957	Australia	Champions
1960	England	Did not enter
1968	Australia	Champions
	New Zealand	4th
1970	England	Did not enter
1972	France	3rd
1975	Multiple	N/A
1977	Australia	Champions
	New Zealand	3rd
1985-88	Multiple	N/A
1989-92	Multiple	N/A
1995	England	Runners Up
2000	England	Semi-final
	Scotland	Group stage
	Wales	Quarter-final
	Ireland	Quarter-final
	France	Quarter-final
2008	Australia	Runners Up
2013	England	Semi-final
	Wales	Group stage
	France	Quarter-final
	Ireland	Group Stage
2017	Australia	Champions
	New Zealand	Quarter-final
	Papua New Guinea	Quarter-final
2021	England	Semi-final

Results of defending champions and runners-up

The defending World Cup champions and runners-up have always automatically qualified for the following event. However, just once has the champion not played in the following edition. That was in 1975, when England and Wales took Great Britain's place.

Year	Defending champions	Finish	Defending runners-up	Finish
1957	Great Britain	Runners-up	France	4th place
1960	Australia	Runners-up	Great Britain	Champions
1968	Great Britain	3rd Place	Australia	Champions
1970	Australia	Champions	France	3rd Place
1972	Australia	Runners-up	Great Britain	Champions
1975	Great Britain	Did not enter	Australia	Champions
1977	Australia	Champions	England	Did not enter
1985–1988	Australia	Champions	Great Britain	3rd Place
1989–1992	Australia	Champions	New Zealand	3rd Place
1995	Australia	Champions	Great Britain	Did not enter
2000	Australia	Champions	England	Semi-finals
2008	Australia	Runners-up	New Zealand	Champions
2013	New Zealand	Runners-up	Australia	Champions
2017	Australia	Champions	New Zealand	Quarter-finals
2021	Australia	Champions	England	Semi-finals

Droughts

This section is a list of droughts associated with the participation of national rugby league in Rugby League World Cups.

Longest active World Cup appearance droughts

Does not include teams that have not yet made their first appearance or teams that no longer exist. Updated until qualification of the 2021 World Cup.

Team	Last appearance	WC Missed
South Africa	2000	4
Russia	2000	4
United States	2017	1