The Cook Islands men’s rugby league team faces South Africa in a do-or-die clash for a place in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.

The final two men’s berths at the Rugby League World Cup 2026 to be played in Australia and Papua New Guinea will be decided in Northern and Southern Hemisphere play-off matches played later this year, the International Rugby League confirmed in a statement.

France will host Jamaica in Albi on October 25, while Cook Islands will meet South Africa in an RLWC2026 qualifier to be hosted by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) as part of the Pacific Championships. The date of the tournament is yet to be finalised.

The winners will claim the final two places at the 2026 World Cup, which will also be hosted by the ARLC. They will join Australia, England, Fiji, Lebanon, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga – the quarter-finalists at the last World Cup in England in 2022.

Cook IslandsRugby League president Charles Carlson said the dream has always been to compete at the greatest stage of Rugby League World Cup.

“Though we are a small nation competing at this elite level, vision with passion and determination know no bounds,” Carlson said in the statement.

“No doubt South Africa will be a formidable opponent but will rise to the challenge and make our people and nation proud.”

Carlson told Cook Islands News that they will select the best squad for the World Cup qualifier “because we are not taking any chances against South Africa”.

“We have struggled to attract our elite players over the past years so this is our top priority,” he said. “The WC Qualifier is scheduled around the Pacific Championships, with two test matches against Fiji and PNG. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue competing at this level.”

According to IRL, Cook Islands is the only non-qualified IRL full member for RLWC2026 from the Asia-Pacific region, while South Africa is the only non-qualified full member in the Middle East and Africa region.

Cook Islands and South Africa have only met once previously, a 66-6 win to the Cooks played in 2019 in Sydney – the RLWC21 Repechage Match.

South Africa Rugby League president Frans Erasmus said: “We are looking forward to this critical clash with the Cook Islands. This will be a decisive IRL Men’s World Cup Qualification match, where every moment counts.”

“The Rhinos will play with passion and typical South African pride. We understand that only victory leads to World Cup 2026.

“Our players, staff, and fans are united behind a single goal: to show the world the true heart of South African Rugby League.”

France, who beat Wales in the final of the European qualifying tournament after overcoming Ukraine in the semi-final, will be host the Northern Hemisphere play-off against Jamaica as the higher ranked nation. Jamaica is the only IRL full member from the Americas region.

France last hosted Jamaica in 2017 in a friendly (their only meeting) which saw the hosts win 34-12 in front of a crowd over 6500 in Perpignan.

French Rugby League Federation president Dominique Baloup said: “We are delighted to welcome Jamaica to France for the final stages of the IRL Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers in 2026.”

“This match is very important for both teams, and home advantage is essential for us. The support of the French public reinforces our team’s efforts, as it did during last year’s European Qualifiers. We are delighted to once again be able to host a varied program of international matches here in France.”

Jamaica’s director of rugby league, Romeo Monteith, said: “Rugby League Jamaica is looking forward to the men's qualifiers.”

“With the format confirmed, our focus is now solely on doing our best in France in what will be an extremely difficult show down with the French. When we last played in France we played in front of a large crowd, and it was a fantastic experience which we hope to repeat this Autumn.”

The ARLC will host the 2026 World Cup, which will be the last in which the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments are staged simultaneously.

The three tournaments will then be split, with the standalone Women’s World Cup to be held in 2028, the Wheelchair World Cup in 2029 and the Men’s World Cup in 2030.