The draws have been made for the men’s European A Championship and the first-ever European women’s Rugby League World Cup 2025 qualifiers.

England, Scotland, Ireland and Serbia will meet in Group A of the men’s competition, with France, Wales, Italy and Spain facing each other in Group B. The winners of each group will meet in the final on the weekend of 11th November, with France the likely destination.

The two highest nations in each group outside of England and France, who have already qualified for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, will join them with the other nations going into the 2024 Qualifying competition.

In the first-ever European women’s World Cup Qualifiers, Group A will see Wales, Greece, Turkey and the Netherlands come together, while in Group B, Ireland, Serbia, Italy and Malta will it battle out for a place in France 2025.

The top two nations in each group will play in France in 2025 in a straight shoot out.

The draws were made by Julia Lee (chair of the IRL’s Women & Girls Advisory Group) and former GB Lionesses Joanna Carr-Will, Lisa McIntosh and Michelle Hargreaves. 

“This feels like an historic occasion,” said McIntosh. “Who would have thought you would have nations like Malta and Turkey playing women’s rugby league in a World Cup qualifier when we started almost 30 years ago. It’s another landmark moment in and for the women’s game.”