IRL World Rankings: England remain No.1 but France closing in

France are poised to regain the No.1 spot in the Wheelchair IRL World Rankings for the first time since the last World Cup in 2022 if they can topple England at RLWC26.

The Cyril Torres-coach France side have narrowed the gap on England in the latest IRL World Rankings after two wins over Ireland, who were ahead in the second clash and have held onto third place ahead of Australia with another Celtic Cup title.

After winning an epic final against France at Manchester Central in 2022, England have remained in No.1 spot and will commence their RLWC2 campaign against fifth-ranked Wales at WIN Entertainment Centre on October 30 before meeting USA on November 3 and Ireland on November 6.

France are set to open their World Cup campaign on October 31 against Scotland before facing New Zealand on November 3 and Australia on November 6 – in a match likely to determine whether they face have to England in the semi-final.

IRL World Rankings: Wheelchair

“I am proud of what the group has been facing for the past two years in terms of effort and hard work,” Torres said. “It’s good to know the gap is closing, but whilst we respect the World Rankings, the World Cup at the end of the year is what will be truly revealing.

“The time remaining until the World Cup continues to motivate us and increase the excitement of being able to compete against the best nations in the world. Regardless of where they are in the rankings, all eight teams will be at the same line to try to win the most prestigious trophy in the game in October. 

“The matches against Ireland this year were useful, the scores flattered us a little, but for France we must continue to work hard to be sure to perform well at the World Cup. Scotland, Australia and New Zealand will also be tough games, and we must win all three.

“We must not lose our focus. I want our team to be inspired through the efforts and work and remember that it is only the winners at these tournaments that are remembered.

“We expect Australia at home to be a formidable opponent, and we must continue to prepare ourselves without thinking too much about the rankings.”

Ireland are also aiming for a place in the final at Rugby League World Cup 2026 after winning back-to-back Celtic Cup titles against Wales and Scotland.

“We are very proud to be ranked third in the latest IRL world rankings,” Ireland coach Phil Roberts said.

“This is an opportunity for us to reflect on our journey since the last Rugby League World Cup, but we are not at all complacent because it will mean nothing once our next match kicks off.”

Despite back-to-back losses to France on July 11 and 12, Roberts said the matches in Perpignan had been an ideal preparation for Ireland heading into the World Cup.

“The Celtic Cup has been vital in giving us regular fixtures to put our training into practice, as well as blood new players as our squad has grown,” he said. “Indeed, that competition has gone from strength to strength each year, and we are excited to be hosting the 2027 event in Dublin.

“Crucially, we have supplemented this with additional games, most importantly Test matches against France, with thanks to my good friend Cyril Torres.

“In 2024, playing France was a key stage in our development, and I believe that July's matches in Perpignan will have the same effect on us at the World Cup and beyond.

“The exposure to a level of intensity and execution that many of our players had not experienced is an investment in our future and irrespective of results, the second test was probably the best performance we have ever produced, certainly the first 60 minutes.

“Our focus now is firmly on World Cup preparations and how we can ensure we are at our best throughout the competition.

“We have never set outcome-based goals, always targeting performance basics like communication, intensity, and skill execution. If we do those things consistently, we are confident of progressing beyond the group stages for the first time and we firmly believe that on our day, we are capable of causing an upset.”