News Summary:
The International Rugby League (IRL) on March 13, 2026, confirmed the Fiji National Rugby League (FNRL) fully met its requirements after filing their annual membership audit report, with David Butler, IRL's head of membership and competitions, stating sufficient information was provided for compliance. Previously, on March 11, the IRL Board unanimously approved Kalyn Ponga's application to switch his Tier 1 eligibility from Australia to the New Zealand Kiwis, potentially playing his first match for the Kiwis in the RLWC2026 opener against the Kangaroos on October 15 in Sydney. Earlier, on January 13, the organization announced the passing of its former Chief Executive, David Collier OBE, at age 70. Collier, the IRL's first full-time CEO from 2015, oversaw a three-year period of growth in playing nations. This followed news from January 6 that Nigeria continued its ascent in the Women’s IRL World Rankings to 10th place, aiming for further growth after announcing key appointments for 2026, reflecting the game's development in Africa. In late 2025, on December 19, the IRL board confirmed the 2030 World Cup will integrate men's, women's, and wheelchair events concurrently, reversing an earlier plan that indicated the upcoming Australian event would be the last to host all three simultaneously for the foreseeable future.
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