IRL World Rankings

The IRL World Rankings are the ranking system for men's national teams in the sport of rugby league football. The teams of the member nations of the International Rugby League, rugby league football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest. A point system is used, with points being awarded based on the results of IRL-recognized international matches. Under the existing system, rankings are based on a team's performance over the last three years, with more recent results and more significant matches being more heavily weighted to help reflect the current competitive state of a team.

Official Men's Rankings as of November 2019
RankChange*TeamPts%
1 2 New Zealand
2 1 Australia
3 1 England
4  Tonga
5  Fiji
6 4 Papua New Guinea
7  Samoa
8 2 France
9 1 Scotland
10 1 Lebanon
11 5 Greece
12  Ireland
13 1 Italy
14 3 Wales
15 4 Serbia
16 1 Malta
17 1 Norway
18 3 United States
19 4 Poland
20 7 Jamaica
21 1 Hungary
22 3 Czech Republic
23 5 Cook Islands
24 7 Turkey
25 1 Netherlands
26 4 Spain
27 6 Canada
28  Nigeria
29 2 Solomon Islands
30 10 Sweden
31 4 Germany
32 1 Chile
33  Ghana
34 16 Morocco
35 3 Vanuatu
36  South Africa
37 8 Russia
38  Cameroon
39 2 Ukraine
40 1 Colombia
41 4 Brazil
42  Belgium
43 4 Denmark
44 4 Bulgaria
45 4 Latvia
*Change from July 2019

Ranking system

The IRL World Rankings are calculated based on an average of points accumulated by each nation over a three-year cycle. Under the structure, matches deemed of higher importance such as World Cup games, Four Nations and other major tournament finals draw more points than mid-season Tests and other ‘Internationals’. For each match that a nation participates they are given a base level of points. This base level is affected upon the type of match (World Cup, Major Tournament, Test Match and International) and the status of the opponent.

Official Women's Rankings as of November 2019
RankChange*TeamPts%
1 Australia
2 New Zealand
3 England
4 2 Papua New Guinea
5 1 Canada
6 1 France
7 2 Cook Islands
8 Italy
9 Serbia
10 Fiji
11 Turkey
12 Samoa
13 Brazil
14 6 Lebanon
15 South Korea
*Change from July 2019

Bonus points are given for teams that reach certain milestones deemed of significant international importance including reaching a tournament final or qualifying for an event such as a World Cup.

From the total number of points that a nation will receive these points are then averaged to help give a more accurate view of the performance of a nation over the three-year cycle.

Nations which have played fewer than 5 matches over a three-year cycle will be penalised under the current point structure.

Use of the rankings

The rankings are used by International Rugby League to view the progression and ability of the national rugby league teams.

The data is currently used in things as seeding for tournaments such as the European Cup, Mediterranean Cup and Pacific Cup.

Current calculation method

Match status

A weighting system has been implemented by the IRL to give more points to teams if they gain a victory over a major team in a major tournament, with friendlies ranked with considerably fewer points than any World Cup finals match or the final of Cups such as the European, Mediterranean and Pacific Cups.

Opponent strength

The IRL has organized the ranking so that a win against a very highly ranked opponent is a considerably greater achievement than a win against a low-rated opponent, so the strength of the opposing team is a factor.

Assessment period

All matches played over the last thirty-six months or three years are included in the calculation of the rankings, but there is a weighting system implemented to put more emphasis on recent results.

Historical rankings
Team Jun 2013[1] Dec 2013[2] Aug 2014[3] Nov 2014[4] May 2015 Dec 2015[5] Jun 2016[6] Oct 2016[7] Nov 2016[8] May 2017[9] Oct 2017[10] Dec 2017[11]
 Australia11112 ( 1)2221 ( 1)111
 New Zealand22221 ( 1)1112 ( 1)222
 England333333333333
 Tonga1013 ( 3)1316 ( 3)15 ( 1)16 ( 1)15 ( 1)13 ( 2)14 ( 1)11 ( 3)114 ( 7)
 Fiji75 ( 2)56 ( 1)67 ( 1)76 ( 1)7 ( 1)8 ( 1)7 ( 1)5 ( 2)
 Samoa887 ( 1)4 ( 3)44445 ( 1)556 ( 1)
 Scotland1111118 ( 3)89 ( 1)994 ( 5)447 ( 3)
 France4445 ( 1)55556 ( 1)668 ( 2)
 Lebanon1620 ( 4)21 ( 1)2120 ( 1)202021 ( 1)212118 ( 3)9 ( 9)
 Papua New Guinea67 ( 1)8 ( 1)11 ( 3)1114 ( 3)11 ( 3)12 ( 1)15 ( 3)1516 ( 1)10 ( 6)
 Ireland9910 ( 1)7 ( 3)76 ( 1)67 ( 1)8 ( 1)7 ( 1)8 ( 1)11 ( 3)
 Wales56 ( 1)69 ( 3)98 ( 1)889 ( 1)9912 ( 3)
 Italy1312 ( 1)1212121213 ( 1)15 ( 2)13 ( 2)14 ( 1)12 ( 2)13 ( 1)
 United States1210 ( 2)9 ( 1)10 ( 1)1010101010101014 ( 4)
 Jamaica2223 ( 1)24 ( 1)27 ( 3)29 ( 2)27 ( 2)2716 ( 11)17 ( 1)1713 ( 4)15 ( 2)
 Serbia1517 ( 2)1713 ( 4)14 ( 1)11 ( 3)12 ( 1)11 ( 1)1112 ( 1)14 ( 2)16 ( 2)
 Canada1916 ( 3)1614 ( 2)13 ( 1)1314 ( 1)1412 ( 2)13 ( 1)15 ( 2)17 ( 2)
 Malta2122 ( 1)23 ( 1)24 ( 1)23 ( 1)18 ( 5)1820 ( 2)2019 ( 1)17 ( 2)18 ( 1)
 Russia1415 ( 1)14 ( 1)15 ( 1)16 ( 1)15 ( 1)16 ( 1)18 ( 2)16 ( 2)1619 ( 3)19
 Belgium3129 ( 2)22 ( 5)2218 ( 4)17 ( 1)171718 ( 1)1820 ( 2)20
 Spain––28 ()2826 ( 2)21 ( 5)2119 ( 2)1920 ( 1)21 ( 1)21
 Norway2019 ( 1)191921 ( 2)26 ( 5)2626262622 ( 4)22
 Greece–28 ()26 ( 2)23 ( 3)24 ( 1)242428 ( 4)282823 ( 5)23
 Philippines––––35 ()–32 ()3233 ( 1)34 ( 1)3424 ( 10)
 Ukraine2321 ( 2)20 ( 1)2022 ( 2)23 ( 1)232322 ( 1)2225 ( 3)25
 Czech Republic–26 ()30 ( 4)29 ( 1)30 ( 1)3029 ( 1)25 ( 4)24 ( 1)25 ( 1)26 ( 1)26
 Netherlands2924 ( 5)25 ( 1)252528 ( 3)30 ( 2)30303027 ( 3)27
 Germany1818181819 ( 1)1922 ( 3)24 ( 2)23 ( 1)2328 ( 5)28
 Hungary–31 ()33 ( 2)32 ( 1)33 ( 1)3334 ( 1)38 ( 4)3833 ( 5)29 ( 4)29
 Cook Islands1714 ( 3)15 ( 1)17 ( 2)1722 ( 5)19 ( 3)22 ( 3)25 ( 3)24 ( 1)2430 ( 6)
 Sweden2830 ( 2)32 ( 2)30 ( 2)31 ( 1)29 ( 2)28 ( 1)29 ( 1)292930 ( 1)31 ( 1)
 Chile–––––––34 ()3436 ( 2)37 ( 1)32 ( 5)
 Niue––––32 ()3233 ( 1)3332 ( 1)31 ( 1)3133 ( 2)
 Denmark2627 ( 1)2726 ( 1)27 ( 1)25 ( 2)2527 ( 2)272732 ( 5)34 ( 2)
 South Africa2425 ( 1)29 ( 4)31 ( 2)28 ( 3)31 ( 3)31313132 ( 1)33 ( 1)35 ( 2)
 Vanuatu–––––––35 ()3537 ( 2)35 ( 2)36 ( 1)
 El Salvador–––––––39 ()3938 ( 1)39 ( 1)37 ( 2)
 Thailand–––––––––35 ()36 ( 1)38 ( 2)
 Argentina–––––––––––39 ()
 Colombia–––––––––––40 ()
 Japan–––––––––––41 ()
 Solomon Islands–––––––37 ()3740 ( 3)38 ( 2)42 ( 4)
 Brazil–––––––––––43 ()
 Uruguay–––––––––41 ()40 ( 1)44 ( 4)
 Hong Kong–––––––––––45 ()
 Bulgaria––––––––––41 ()46 ( 5)
 Latvia25–31 ()33 ( 2)34 ( 1)3435 ( 1)36 ( 1)3639 ( 3)42 ( 3)47 ( 5)
 Morocco30–34 ()3436 ( 2)35 ( 1)36 ( 1)40 ( 4)4042 ( 2)43 ( 1)48 ( 5)
 Estonia27–––––––––––

Best and Worst
Team Best Worst
Rank Year(s) Rank Year(s)
 Argentina 39 2017 39 2017
 Australia 1 2012–15, 2016– 2 2015–16, 2019
 Belgium 17 2015–16 31 2013
 Brazil 41 2019 43 2017
 Bulgaria 41 2017 46 2017
 Cameroon 38 2019 38 2019
 Canada 12 2016 27 2019
 Chile 32 2016, 2019 37 2017
 Colombia 40 2017, 2019 40 2017, 2019
 Cook Islands 14 2013 30 2017
 Czech Republic 22 2019 30 2014, 2015
 Denmark 25 2015–16 43 2019
 El Salvador 37 2017 39 2016, 2017
 England 2 2018 3 2012–17, 2019
 France 4 2013–14 8 2017, 2019
 Fiji 5 2013–14, 2017, 2019 8 2017
 Germany 18 2012–14 31 2019
 Ghana 33 2019 33 2019
 Greece 11 2019 28 2013, 2016–17
 Hong Kong 45 2017 45 2017
 Hungary 21 2019 38 2016
 Ireland 6 2015–16 12 2019
 Italy 12 2013–15, 2017 15 2016
 Jamaica 13 2017 29 2015
 Japan 41 2017 41 2017
 Latvia 25 2013 47 2017
 Lebanon 9 2017 21 2014, 2016–17
 Malta 16 2019 24 2014
 Morocco 30 2013 48 2017
 Netherlands 24 2013 30 2016–17
 New Zealand 1 2015–16, 2019 2 2012–15, 2016–17
 Nigeria 28 2019 28 2019
 Niue 31 2017 33 2016, 2017
 Norway 17 2019 26 2015–17
 Papua New Guinea 4 2012 16 2017
 Philippines 24 2017 35 2015
 Russia 14 2013, 2014 37 2019
 Samoa 4 2015–16 8 2012–13
 Scotland 4 2016–17 11 2013–14
 Serbia 11 2015–16 17 2012, 2013–14
 Solomon Islands 29 2019 42 2017
 South Africa 24 2012–13 36 2019
 Spain 19 2016 28 2014
 Sweden 28 2012, 2016 32 2014
 Thailand 35 2017 38 2017
 Tonga 4 2017, 2019 16 2014, 2015
 Ukraine 20 2014 39 2019
 United States 9 2014 18 2019
 Uruguay 40 2017 44 2017
 Vanuatu 35 2016-17, 2019 37 2017
 Wales 5 2013 14 2019

See also

References
  1. "Australia strengthen grip on rankings". Rugby League International Federation. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  2. "Australia strengthen grip as world No 1". Rugby League International Federation. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  3. "RLIF announce latest World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation. 1 August 2014.
  4. "Latest World Rankings Announced". Rugby League International Federation. 30 November 2014.
  5. "Latest world rankings released". Rugby League International Federation. 17 December 2015.
  6. "PNG make the biggest move in new World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation. 1 June 2016.
  7. "Australia and England can both overtake New Zealand in World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation. 28 October 2016.
  8. "Australia reclaim world No.1 ranking". NRL.com. 23 November 2016.
  9. "Australia to enter RLWC2017 as World Number 1". Rugby League International Federation. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  10. "World Rankings released ahead of RLWC2017". Rugby League International Federation. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  11. "Latest World Rankings announced". Rugby League International Federation. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
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