IRL Wheelchair World Rankings


The IRL Wheelchair World Rankings are the ranking system for national teams in the sport of wheelchair rugby league football. The first rankings were published in June 2020.

Ranking calculation method

The world rankings are calculated by International Rugby League using a points system based on the following criteria which are used for men's, women's and wheelchair teams:
  • Match result: win, draw or loss
  • Margin of victory or loss: a larger winning margin is worth more than a narrow win
  • Opponent strength: playing higher ranked teams is of greater value than playing lower ranked teams
  • Assessment period: all matches played over the current season and the three preceding seasons are included, using a weighting system in which more recent matches are of greater value
  • Importance of match: World Cup matches are of greatest value, followed by World Cup qualifiers, regional championships and then one-off matches

History

The first rankings were published in June 2020. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rugby league, the rankings remained unchanged over the following year until being updated in December 2021. In contrast to this, December 2022 saw a complete reordering of rankings as a result of the 2021 World Cup. This included displacing from the top position for the first time, and the addition of the following their début at the tournament. In December 2024, featured in the rankings for the first time having made their début against the previous month.

Historical rankings

TeamJun
2020
Dec
2021
Jun
2022
Dec
2022
Jun
2023
Dec
2023
Jun
2024
Dec
2024
Jun
2025
Nov
2025
447 3 4 43 4 44
2221 111111
1112 222222
56 4 5 554 3 33
87 6 9 99910 9 10
9 9
65 56 666666
78 87 778 7 77
8 887 8 88
3334 3 35 555
References: