Member Nations

International Rugby League has a progressive membership based upon the various criteria agreed by the Board.

Initially, a nation will be recognised as an Observer. This demonstrates they are the single governing body recognised by IRL and allows them to develop their systems and infra-structure to run the sport in their country.

A nation that is developing and demonstrating maturity in their organisation will apply for Affiliate Membership which requires them to meet a stricter set of conditions.

Finally there are Full Members who have met all of the requirements to be the fully fledged governing body for the sport in their country.

All nations are assessed annually to ensure that they are meeting the criteria for their category of membership and are supported in their development through various programmes.

The IRL Member Eligibility Criteria can be viewed: HERE