Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
sports

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

IRL Men's World Rankings

Ranking system for men's national teams in rugby league


Ranking system for men's national teams in rugby league

The IRL Men's 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.

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.

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, Oceania Cup MEA Championship, Americas Championship and the South American Championship and the World 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 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

TeamJun 2013Dec 2013Aug 2014Nov 2014May 2015Dec 2015Jun 2016Oct 2016Nov 2016May 2017Oct 2017Dec 2017Jul 2018Dec 2018Jul 2019Nov 2019Dec 2021Jul 2022Dec 2022Jun 2023Dec 2023Jun 2024Dec 2024Jun 2025Nov 2025References:
()(1)(5)(1)
()(3)()(2)(3)(3)(15)(1)(1)
(1)(1)(1)(2)(3)
(2)(5)(4)(1)(1)(2)(3)(16)(3)(1)(6)(1)(1)(6)(2)(1)
()(1)(3)(5)(2)(1)(1)
()(2)(1)(4)(1)(2)(18)(3)(6)(2)(4)
()(5)(1)(1)(4)(5)(2)(7)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)
()(4)(2)(5)(1)(5)(2)(3)(1)(1)
(3)(2)(1)(1)(2)(1)(2)(2)(1)(5)(6)(9)(2)(6)(1)(3)(5)(10)(1)
()(2)(1)(5)(1)(1)(1)(1)(11)(11)(9)(1)(4)(3)(2)(2)(2)
()(1)(1)(5)(9)(4)(2)(1)(1)(3)
(3)(1)(2)(5)(3)(3)(3)(1)(6)(1)(12)(17)(5)(1)(2)(8)(1)(3)(1)
()(4)(1)(1)(1)(4)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(3(5(1)(9)(6)(1)(1)(3)
(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(5)(2)(1)(9)(3)(4)(3)(3)(1)(3)(1)(2)(1)
()(1)(1)(2)(1)(2)()(6)(2)(1)(1)(1)
(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)
()(1)(2)(1)
(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)
(1)(1)(2)(2)(2)(1)(2)(1)
(1)(3)(2)(1)(5)(2)(5)(4)(2)(4)(4)(1)(5)(1)(3)
()(2)(5)(2)(6)(7)(1)(1)
()(2)(3)(1)(4)(5)(3)(7)(3)(5)(1)(1)(5)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)
()(5)(1)()(3)(1)
()(2)(1)(1)(1)(4)(5)(4)(8)(3)(2)(1)(9)(5)(2)(3)(10)(2)(9)(6)
(1)(3)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(3)(1)(1)(1)(4)(2)(4)
(1)(1)(2)(2)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(3)(1)(3)(1)(4)
(1)(1)(3)(2)(2)(11)(1)(4)(2)(1)(1)(7)(2)(3)(8)(2)(3)(1)(1)(2)
()(7)()(1)(6)(1)(2)(1)(1)
()(1)(4)(1)(4)(1)
()(2)(1)(1)(1)(3)(3)(5)(1)()(2)(1)(2)(1)(3)(1)(2)(1)
(4)(1)(1)(1)(3)(9)(1)(3)(5)(1)(7)(5)
(1)(1)(1)(1)(5)(2)(1)(2)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(5)(9)(5)(1)(3)(3)
()(5)(1)(2)(4)(3)
()(2)(1)(1)(4)(2)(1)(5)()(1)(10)(1)(1)(1)(12)(22)(2)
(5)(1)(3)(2)(3)(1)(2)(1)(9)(4)(6)(1)(2)(2)
(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)
()(1)(1)(4)(1)(6)(9)(1)(1)
()(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(10)()(5)(2)(7)
()(7)(2)
(1)(2)(5)(4)(3)(1)(2)(1)(3)(3)(12)(1)(6)(3)(3)(1)(5)
(1)(1)(3)(3)(3)(1)(3)(1)(6)(4)(1)(1)(1)(1)
()()(1)(1)(10)(3)(5)()(2)(5)(4)(10)(4)(4)(1)(3)
()(4)(2)(1)(8)(1)(5)(1)(5)
(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(3)(1)(9)(8)(2)(2)()(1)(1)
(1)(3)(1)(1)(1)(1)(1)(4)(1)(1)(1)
(3)(1)(5)(3)(1)(1)(2)(4)(2)(2)(3)(6)
(2)(4)(1)(3)(1)(1)(1)(2)(2)(1)(2)(4)(6)(1)(7)(5)(1)(2)(2)(1)
()(3)(2)(4)(15)(2)(8)(2)(2)(2)(9)(3)(3)(1)
(1)(4)(2)(3)(3)(1)(1)(2)(3)(5)(1)(2)(8)(5)(1)(1)(3)(2)(2)(2)
()(2)(5)(2)(1)(1)(1)(6)(2)(4)(2)(1)(4)(1)(5)(1)(4)(1)(1)
(2)(2)(2)(1)(2)(1)(1)(1)(1)(2)(9)(2)(10)(2)(2)(8)(1)(3)(2)(9)(1)
()(1)(2)()
(3)(3)(1)(1)(1)(2)(1)(3)(7)(1)(1)(3)(1)(1)
()(7)(5)(1)(12)(2)(5)(1)(3)
(2)(1)(2)(1)(1)(3)(10)(2)(2)(14)(1)(2)(8)(6)(1)(3)
(2)(1)(1)(4)(1)(3)(6)(3)(11)(1)(4)(2)(7)(5)
()(1)(4)(2)
()(2)(2)(1)(3)(1)(3)(5)(2)(4)(5)(6)(8)(1)
(1)(3)(1)(1)(3)(1)(3)(9)(7)(6)(1)(6)(5)(1)
url=https://www.intrl.sport/news/serbia-move-into-top-10-in-men-s-world-rankings/title=Serbia move into Top 10 in men's world rankingspublisher=IRLdate=10 December 2021archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211112922/https://www.intrl.sport/news/serbia-move-into-top-10-in-men-s-world-rankings/archive-date=11 December 2021}}url=https://www.intrl.sport/article/361/irl-world-rankings-december-2024title=IRL World Rankings: December 2024publisher=IRLdate=19 December 2024access-date=22 July 2025archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250117070736/https://www.intrl.sport/article/361/irl-world-rankings-december-2024archive-date=17 January 2025}}

Best and worst

TeamBestWorstRankYear(s)RankYear(s)3940395214175540474143414638381227323740401430223025433739232756584818313333112845452138612121513294141263225479211624324430482430122828243335421726416223519301437484111117294224361928283235383161934203991840443537523
Albania20232024
20172023
2012–15, 2016–19, 2022-242021
2015–162024
Bosnia & Herzegovina
20192017
20172017
20192019
20162019
2016, 20192017
2017, 20192017, 2019
20132017
20192014, 2015
2015–162019
20172016, 2017
20182012–17, 2019
Estonia20132024
2013–14, 2017, 20192017
2013–142017, 2019
2012–142019
20192019
20192013, 2016–17
20172017
20192016
2015–162019
2013–15, 20172016
20172015
20172017
Kenya2024
20132017
20172014, 2016–17
20192014
Montenegro2024
20132017
20132016–17
2015–16, 2019-20212012–15, 2016–17
20192019
2018–192016, 2017
North Macedonia20242023
20192015–17
20122017
2018–192015
Poland
2013, 20142019
2015–162012–13
2016–172013–14
2015–162012, 2013–14
20192017
2012–132019
20162014
2012, 20162014
20172017
20212014, 2015
Turkiye2024
20142019
20142019
20172017
2016-17, 20192017
20132021

References

References

  1. (6 June 2013). "Australia strengthen grip on rankings". Rugby League International Federation.
  2. (2 December 2013). "Australia strengthen grip as world No 1". Rugby League International Federation.
  3. (1 August 2014). "RLIF announce latest World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation.
  4. (30 November 2014). "Latest World Rankings Announced". Rugby League International Federation.
  5. (17 December 2015). "Latest world rankings released". Rugby League International Federation.
  6. (1 June 2016). "PNG make the biggest move in new World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation.
  7. (28 October 2016). "Australia and England can both overtake New Zealand in World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation.
  8. (23 November 2016). "Australia reclaim world No.1 ranking". NRL.com.
  9. (15 May 2017). "Australia to enter RLWC2017 as World Number 1". Rugby League International Federation.
  10. (25 October 2017). "World Rankings released ahead of RLWC2017". Rugby League International Federation.
  11. (8 December 2017). "Latest World Rankings announced". Rugby League International Federation.
  12. (12 July 2018). "Latest World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation.
  13. (3 December 2018). "Latest Rugby League International Federation World Rankings Announced". RLIF.
  14. (13 July 2019). "Cook Islands rise 17 places in latest Rugby League World Rankings". RLIF.
  15. (18 November 2019). "Kiwis knock Kangaroos from No.1 spot in world rankings". NRL.
  16. (10 December 2021). "Serbia move into Top 10 in men's world rankings". IRL.
  17. "World Rankings: Men". IRL.
  18. (8 July 2022). "IRL World Rankings: Tonga continue rise as rivals close gap on Jillaroos, France". IRL.
  19. "World Rankings: Men". IRL.
  20. (22 December 2022). "Explainer: Men's IRL World Rankings (Dec 2022)". RLIF.
  21. (27 July 2023). "Serbia, Philippines, Wales big movers in IRL World Rankings". IRL.
  22. (21 December 2023). "Kangaroos still ranked No.1 despite record loss to Kiwis". NRL.
  23. "World Rankings: Men". IRL.
  24. (26 July 2024). "IRL World Rankings: June 30, 2024". IRL.
  25. "World Rankings: Men". IRL.
  26. (19 December 2024). "IRL World Rankings: December 2024". IRL.
  27. "World Rankings: Men". IRL.
  28. "World Rankings: Men". IRL.
  29. (22 July 2025). "IRL World Rankings: June 30, 2025". IRL.
  30. "World Rankings: Men". IRL.
  31. (17 November 2025). "IRL World Rankings 2025: Samoa Men and Women make big moves". IRL.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about IRL Men's World Rankings — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report