WCC History: 1976-2026 By Matches

This is mainly a 'detail' article. For those who want to see all the matches in detail, please look at the lower chart. Yellow is played in Australia, blue for England. HS means home team score and AS away team score. HW means hemisphere win, A and E is self explanatory. 

Before that is a clarification chart. Many feel that if more matches were played in Australia, then they would have done better. I think that is correct but not to an extreme degree. 

Below we see three rows. The first shows all 30 matches played, with England having a 53% win rate. Then matches played in Australia, five with a 60% success rate. Third, games played in England and Engalnd managing a 56% win rate.

From this we see that while the sample for Australia is low, they have lost two of them. In fact, while England has done better at home as expected, the percentage difference is surprisingly close. 

A larger number of games in Australia would surely have increased the percentage in that country's favour. Yet, it's by no means a given that they would have won an overwhelming number of them.

Please note: Any series or matches involving more than the top two from each country are not included here.

WCC History: 1976-2026 By Club

The World Club Challenge is the top club from Australia and England start the new season with a match to determine the world champion. It is taken much more seriously in the UK whereas some in the Antipodes feel they are the best, so why bother?

Well, there have been 30 years that games have been played. A few seasons had more than one match, which clashes with the objective of finding the best team in the world so they are not counted. Neither is the 1997 year when it wasn't a one off top v top clash. This summary covers the top two from each region played. 

So how have individual clubs fared in the competition? I'm glad you asked, as I have prepared a chart to show exactly that. Look to the right. It is colour coded according to hemisphere.

Wigan have played nine matches over the years and have won five for a 56% win rate. St Helens and Leeds are next with eight appearances each but with a poorer 38% success rate. I obviously haven't been paying attention because I though they had been better than that. 

The Bradford Bulls have the best UK win rate for a side appearing more than once, three from three.

Three Aussie sides have been involved five times each. The Sydney Roosters are the masters at it, winning all that they have been involved with. Melbourne had one victory struck off for salary breaches, but I ignored that. 

The  Penrith Panthers have failed at all four attempts. Five Australian clubs have failed on a single attempt. 

WCC : 2026

Each year, the top sides from Australia and the UK play the World Club Challenge. It is usually played in the UK, so a little bit of advantage there, although UK sides have gone Down Under and won. 

This year it was Hull KR from the UK hosting the Brisbane Broncos from Australia. It was Hull KR's first appearance and Brisbane's 8th. 

It is acknowledged that the game in Australia is stronger due to a larger player pool and financially better off. RL in the UK struggles to put money into player development.  

So how did the 2026 edition go? See the highlights below to find out.

UK Men's Super League : 2026

The 2026 season is to get underway on the 12th of February. The number of teams has been increased from 12 to 14, a move long overdue. It will eliminate loop fixtures where some teams in the league play more often than twice, home and away.

Twelve of the sides are based in the north of England and two are based in the south of France. Hopefully, the geographical spread will widen in due time beyond two regions. London is an obvious expansion location. 

The three new clubs are highlighted in the gold colour. Bradford has a long SL history and a striong following. Toulouse had a brief encounter and hopefully a longer stay this time. York is a first timer, so a new chapter for the code in that picturesque cathedral city.  

One club was relegated and that was Salford. They have formed a new club and that will play in the second division (Championship).

The first game will be between newly promoted York Knights and reigning champions Hull KR. There should be a sell out crowd although York don't do attendance figures so we may never know how many were actually there. We will if it's a sell out. 

To keep up with the scores, go to the BBC website. Then click on 'Scores & Fixtures' and for the league ladder, click on 'Table'. Game highlights can be seen by clicking here. Buckle up. 

 

UK Men's Championship : 2026

The UK second division has just commenced this weekend, the 16th of February. There are 21 sides taking part despite the list showing 22. 

The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that Featherstone is a different colour. That's because they went into administration, an ownership bid to revive the club was rejected by the RFL (governing body). 

Therefore, the club is in a state of hiatus for the time being. I hope the Featherstine fans get their club back soon.

The other team highlighted is Salford, which was demoted from Super League (first division). They too had financial difficulties but the new owners were approved and they will take their place in the competition.

This season's Championship is an amalgamation of it and the lower division, League 1. League 1 was small and not financially strong. It is hoped that this combination will provide more games, more revenue and more variety. The negative could be some blow out scorelines. 

The Championship will have an extended and amended playoff structure, played over four weekends and featuring ten teams. Last year, the Championship playoffs were over three weeks and featured six teams.  

One way to keep in touch with the season is go to the BBC website (click here). Then the 'Scores & Fixtures' tab will show results under the 'Betfred Championship' title. The tab next to it is 'Tables'. Click on that and type 'Championship' in the search box. There you will find the league table, updated as the season progresses. 

Men's International Ranking 2013-2025

I believe these figures are up to November 2025 but there were no matches played in December anyway. Rankings are a guide to where countries are at. Things like how many games are played makes a difference too, not just success. 

The colour coding is based on regions. The Pacific region does best, which is to be expected. It should be even higher but as most matches are played within regions, it creates a slight distortion depending on how strong that region is.  

The recent Men's Asian Championship doesn't seem to have been accepted as official international matches. I think they should but it depends on whether the IRL feels their criteria have been met. The results were not included on their website for international matches played either. Singapore won it and they aren't even on the list!

Wheelchair International Ranking 2022-2025

I believe these figures are up to November 2025 but there were no matches played in December anyway. Rankings are a guide to where countries are at. Things like how many games are played makes a difference too, not just success.

The colour coding is based on regions. Europe is where the strength lies, which is unusual for RL as the Pacific is where the code does best otherwise. They were just slower to get involved and while Australia is trying to remedy that, it isn't easy when the best are playing elsewhere.

Women's International Ranking 2017-2025

I believe these figures are up to November 2025 in which case one match isn't included, the Netherlands v Greece. That would change things slightly. I will update the list if required. 

Rankings are a guide to where countries are at. Things like how many games are played makes a difference too, not just success. 

The colour coding is based on regions. The Pacific region does best, which is to be expected. It should be even higher but as most matches are played within regions, it creates a slight distortion depending on how strong that region is.  

Women's Internationals 2025

The women's RL internationals as shown below are for friendly games and a world series competition. The Pacific Championship is not included below but can be seen by clicking here or using the Women's RL label to the right.

The two top sides in Europe - England and France - didn't meet, which I find strange. Overall though, it's good to see activity in this area of the game. 

Men's Internationals 2025

This list does not include several competitions that were held during the year. It covers friendly matches and a couple of World Cup qualifiers. Northern hemisphere nations are the main ones involved. A friendly match between the USA and Jamaica scheduled for early December was cancelled due to storm damage in Jamaica. 

Photo credit: IRL - Wales v Ireland. Click here to visit the site.

A full match coverage of the France v Jamaica is below. The commentary is in French.

International Test Match Comparison : Kangaroos vs Wallabies

How many international test matches were played by the two of the three oval ball codes in Australia? Rugby Union puts much greater emphasis on internationals so obviously the Wallabies will have played more. Looking at the data going back to the 1960's in decade blocks is how I did it below. The 2020's are for six years so that number is lower.

The increase in international RU matches must surely have reached a peak. Covid did knock it back in 2020. Back in the 1960's, the nearest neighbour NZ didn't want to play the Wallabies because they were of mediocre standard. 

As for the Kangaroo RL side, it's had a constancy. They actually played more tests in the 60's than RU but how that has changed. RL is a sport based around pro clubs with a little time begrudgingly allowed for test matches. 

Winning has been something the Kangaroos always did better than their RU counterparts. It's a more popular sport and has always been professional and that enticed RU players across to the light side. Going pro in the mid 90's encouraged one Wallabies player to proclaim RL would be dead in a short time.

The reality is RL in Australia has strengthened while RU has faltered. The win rate of the Wallabies reflects that from its peak in the 1990's to less than 40% so far this decade. Admittedly, the 2020's is a short period to draw conclusions on but the 2025 win rate was 33%, so yet another poor season for the side in yellow. 

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: England, France, New Zealand.

International Test Match Comparison : England RU vs England/GB RL

How many international test matches were played by the two oval ball codes in England? Rugby Union puts much greater emphasis on internationals so obviously the RU team will have played more. Looking at the data going back to the 1960's in decade blocks is how I did it. The 2020's are for six years so that number is lower. 

One issue is that there have also been GB sides as well. England still played matches each year despite there being GB Lions tours. In addition, the other nations contributing players have done so in large numbers. So the GB RU team is not very English and therefore not counted below.  

In RL, it is different. GB played instead of England and the GB side was overwhelmingly made up of players from England. More recently, GB has been phased out and England is playing as a nation. For those reasons, GB results are counted with England ones below. 

All games against another nation are counted, even if a few may not have been given test match status. Maybe they all were. The noticeable trend with all RU / RL international match comparisons is how RU has pushed them as time has passed but RL hasn't. Greater emphasis on club competitions in RL is the reason. GB/England played more international games in the 1960's and 70's but by the 2020's it is massively favouring RU and the gap is still widening.

Union is red, league blue.

When looking at win rates, overall there isn't much in it. RU had a very poor two decades to start with but then little difference between them until the latest period. The RL percentage is based on how often they play Australia and to a lesser extent the Kiwis. That has lifted England's success rate in recent times but with the Kangaroos touring in 2025, that figure dropped but still the best yet.  

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: Australia, France, New Zealand.

International Test Match Comparison : All Blacks vs Kiwis

How many international test matches were played by the two oval ball codes in NZ? Rugby Union puts much greater emphasis on internationals so obviously the AB's will have played more. Looking at the data going back to the 1960's in decade blocks is how I did it below. The 2020's are for six years so that number is lower as it is half of the other periods.

In the 1960's there was virtually no difference. From there, the RU side grew quickly while the RL side of things was very even. By the 2010's, it was favouring the AB's by over 5 to 1. The data surprised me in the early stages as I didn't think it would be that close. The later years were more of what I expected throughout. I didn't realise how much RU had escalated its test programme. 

As an aside, I decided to also consider success rates. The AB's have a huge reputation here. They play many tests against the Australian Wallabies and the Kiwis also play the Australian Kangaroos often. NZ's strength is RU and Australia's RL so the black columns below were always going to be ahead of the red ones. 

Summary: The All Blacks have increased their international calendar with the Kiwis have maintained an even flow until recently. Not surprising with so much emphasis on club RL, which doesn't easily allow for an expanded international programme in RL. That and indifference toward tests on the part of Australian RL officials. 

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: Australia, England, France.

International Test Match Comparison : France RU vs France RL

Rugby league only arrived in France in 1934 but within a few years, it was considered a top nation internationally. It was shamefully banned by the pro-Nazi Vichy government with all assets confiscated. No recompense was paid but RL in France was again prospering in the 1950's anyway. 

Rugby Union arrived in France around the 1870's. It was supposed to be amateur but in due course, the French RU flouted that which led to there being standoffs between them and other nations, international competition suffering. In the 1950's tensions gradually eased and more matches for the Tricolores eventuated.

In the 1960's both codes were playing a similar number of internationals but the French RL was now suffering through internal strife. That meant that the XIII code was losing ground to RU. As RU pursued more internationals, mainly through a consistent Five Nations Championship, RL largely neglected the international scene apart from World Cups.

Six years into the 2020's the contrast in the number of internationals played has become stark. Northern Hemisphere RL needs to get its international act together. France struggles to compete against England and other NH nations are some way below France. Public interest is low for one sided test matches. That means there is no business case for international matches for a sport already cash strapped.  

Union is blue, League is red. Remember, the 2020's cover six years only.

Win percentages are somewhat closer than the number of matches played. The RU side of things is fairly consistent apart from a good start to the 2020's. 

As for Rugby XIII, the decline of the game as a whole in France (from the 1960's) is mirrored in the decline in success. The arrival of the Catalan Dragons as a club in 2000 and its entry into the Super League in 2006 seem to have helped the success rate. Also, top RL nations not playing France is also helping their win rate. More now needs to be done to lift the game in France further.

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: Australia, England, New Zealand.

Inaugural Asian Championship : 2025

While this is a new championship, there were one off championship games between the Philippines and Thailand in 2012 and 2013. The Philippines won both, 86-0 and 44-10. That was the end of that until 2025 when four nations competed in the Philippines. 

This new competition included Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore. The first round winners went into the final, while the two losing teams played the 3rd / 4th place game. The two best sides may not make the final but keeping the tournament to three days meant that compromise was necessary.

In this instance, it was likely the two best sides did qualify for the final, going by the scorelines. As it turned out, Japan narrowly defeated Hong Kong 34-30 and Singapore overwhelmed the hosts Philippines 62-0 after leading 44-0 at the break. 

It is hoped that Malaysia and Thailand will join for the next edition. It's a nice addition to the RL international scene which has over the years been badly neglected. 

RL World Cup 2026 Wheelchair Groups

This will be the 5th wheelchair WC, going back to 2008. England and France have won two each. It's not like Australia not to be leading in the sport and they are working overtime playing catch up. They will be serious challengers for the trophy this time.

The semi finalists from the last tournament were automatic qualifiers. One each from the hemispheres (NZ and the USA) were then invited. Finally, two were selected from Europe based on matches played since the last tournament (Ireland and Scotland).

This is the only part of international RL that the Northern Hemisphere leads in terms of numbers playing and the standard it's played at.

For the men's coverage,simply click here. 

For the women's coverage,simply click here.

RL World Cup 2026 Women's Groups

This will be the 7th Women's WC to be held, the original going back to 2000. NZ won the fisrt three and Australia the next three. Ten sides competed last time and the hope was to expand that number, but it has been reduced to eight. 

The two groups are to the right. Even with the reduced number, there will be blow out scores. The quickly improving Southern Hemisphere standard will ensure that. 

Four qualifiers came through the previous tournament placings. Two each from qualifying in their respective hemispheres. I recall Brazil and Canada were two women's sides that performed well last time.

For the men's coverage, simply click here.

For the wheelchair coverage, simply click here.

RL World Cup 2026 Men's Groups

This will be the 17th men's tournament, going back to 1954. The 2025 WC was to be held in France, with 16 men's teams, plus women and wheelchair tournaments included. France pulled out of the hosting role so it was moved to the Southern Hemisphere. The date was moved back to 2026 and the number of men's teams was reduced to 10.

There are three groups as seen to the right. So that all teams play three group games, Groups B and C play a side from the other group. 

England-France, Lebanon-PNG and Samoa-Tonga are the swap over matches. Then on to the semi finals and grand final.

The last competition featured 16 teams but it was decided to go with 10 as it will enhance the financial return and reduce blow out scores. The ten were decided by the top two group finishes in the previous WC (eight), with a Northern and Southern Hemisphere qualifier through an elimination process.

For the women's coverage, simply click here.

For the wheelchair coverage, simply click here.

Women's Pacific Championship : 2025

Using the same format as the men's competition, it was divided into a Cup and Bowl. Australia, NZ and Samoa were the Cup competitors. The Cook Is, Tonga and Fiji the Bowl teams.

Cup: NZ was pushed hard in the opener, scraping home 22-18 against Samoa. Australia then easily defeated Samoa 60-0, a bizarre sin binning against Samoa thankfully not affecting the outcome. NZ then went close to an upset, falling short 4-10 to Australia. 

The final was expected to go Australia's way and it did. Two sin binning calls handed out to NZ, helping the Australian cause. The NZ side tried but as not up to the task.

Bowl: I had no idea who would win this. The Cook Is team was the surprise package, winning both its games to win the competition. This meant the third game was the decider as to who would come second and third. Tonga won that 42-6. 

The Cup final highlights are below.

Men's Pacific Championship : 2025

The 2025 series was without Australia because they were touring England. Instead, the Cup had NZ, Tonga and Samoa. PNG, Fiji and the Cook Is made up the Bowl competition.

Cup: The first match was a close encounter with the Kiwis scraping home against a fired up Samoa. Then both of those teams had comfortable wins over a disappointing Tonga, their coach saying they played well below their potential. 

The final was expected to be close and in the frist half it was just that. However, the Kiwis took control in the second half and ran away with the match. The highlights are below.

Bowl: There is no final for this tournament, the winner decided over three rounds. Fiji got a good win over the Cook Is and then PNG did likewise despite the Cook Is team performing much better. The third game was effectively a final between the two unbeaten sides. PNG was far too strong, even allowing for Fiji missing a couple of experienced players. 

There won't be a 2026 competition due to the World Cup being held.