International rugby league in 2020
| International rugby league |
|---|
| in 2019 | in 2021 |
A list of men and women international rugby league matches played throughout 2020 and does not include wheelchair rugby league international matches. A † denotes a recognised, but unofficial match that did not contribute to the IRL World Rankings.
Many fixtures scheduled were cancelled or rescheduled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Kangaroo tour of England, Oceania Cup, and European Championship were all cancelled. The European Championship B, European Championship C, European Championship D and Americas Championship were all postponed until 2021, whilst the MEA Championship was postponed until a later date not confirmed.
As a result of the travel restrictions from COVID-19, only two respective men's and women's test matches were played in 2020; a men's international between Peru and Brazil in Sydney before the pandemic began, the Griffin Cup match between Germany and Netherlands, and a women's 'Clash of the Pacific' double-header in Auckland where Tonga and Niue, and New Zealand and Tonga played each other.
Season overview
| Men's international tours | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | Touring side | Region | Results [Matches] |
| No international men's tours in 2020 | |||
| Men's international friendlies | |||
| Start date | Home team | Away team | Winners |
| 22 February 2020 |  Peru
|
 Brazil
|
Brazil
|
| 26 September 2020 |  Netherlands
|
 Germany
|
Netherlands
|
| Men's international tournaments | |||
| Start date | Tournament | Winners | |
| No international men's tournaments in 2020 | |||
| Women's international tours | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | Touring side | Region | Results [Matches] |
| No international women's tours in 2020 | |||
| Women's international friendlies | |||
| Start date | Home team | Away team | Winners |
| 7 November 2020 |  Tonga
|
 Niue
|
Tonga
|
| 7 November 2020 |  New Zealand
|
 Samoa
|
New Zealand
|
| Women's international tournaments | |||
| Start date | Tournament | Winners | |
| No international women's tournaments in 2020 | |||
Rankings
The following were the rankings at the beginning of the season.
| IRL Men's World Rankings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Official rankings as of 18 November 2019[1] | |||
| Rank | Change | Team | Points % |
| 1 |  2 |
New Zealand |
100.00% |
| 2 |  1 |
 Australia |
91.82% |
| 3 | 1 |
 England |
85.34% |
| 4 |  |
Tonga |
60.66% |
| 5 | |
 Fiji |
36.57% |
| 6 | 4 |
 Papua New Guinea |
28.53% |
| 7 | |
Samoa |
22.09% |
| 8 | 2 |
 France |
16.69% |
| 9 | 1 |
 Scotland |
15.00% |
| 10 | 1 |
 Lebanon |
11.81% |
| 11 | 5 |
 Greece |
11.38% |
| 12 | |
 Ireland |
11.36% |
| 13 | 1 |
 Italy |
7.86% |
| 14 | 3 |
 Wales |
7.75% |
| 15 | 4 |
 Serbia |
0.00% |
| 16 | 1 |
 Malta |
6.77% |
| 17 | 1 |
 Norway |
5.63% |
| 18 | 3 |
 United States |
5.39% |
| 19 | 4 |
 Poland |
5.35% |
| 20 | 7 |
 Jamaica |
5.04% |
| 21 | 1 |
 Hungary |
4.27% |
| 22 | 3 |
 Czech Republic |
4.16% |
| 23 | 5 |
 Cook Islands |
3.87% |
| 24 | 7 |
 Turkey |
3.51% |
| 25 | 1 |
Netherlands |
3.29% |
| 26 | 4 |
 Spain |
3.18% |
| 27 | 6 |
 Canada |
2.81% |
| 28 |  |
 Nigeria |
2.51% |
| 29 | 2 |
 Solomon Islands |
2.32% |
| 30 | 10 |
 Sweden |
2.16% |
| 31 | 4 |
Germany |
1.95% |
| 32 | 1 |
 Chile |
1.86% |
| 33 | |
 Ghana |
1.80% |
| 34 | 16 |
 Morocco |
1.69% |
| 35 | 3 |
 Vanuatu |
1.47% |
| 36 | |
 South Africa |
1.46% |
| 37 | 8 |
 Russia |
1.41% |
| 38 | |
 Cameroon |
1.31% |
| 39 | 2 |
 Ukraine |
1.21% |
| 40 | 1 |
 Colombia |
1.06% |
| 41 | 4 |
Brazil |
0.50% |
| 42 | |
 Belgium |
0.30% |
| 43 | 4 |
 Denmark |
0.13% |
| 44 | 4 |
 Bulgaria |
0.10% |
| 45 | 4 |
 Latvia |
0.07% |
| *Change from July 2019 | |||
| Complete rankings at INTRL.SPORT | |||
| IRL Women's World Rankings | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Official rankings as of 18 November 2019[1] | |||
| Rank | Change | Team | Points % |
| 1 | |
Australia |
|
| 2 | |
New Zealand |
|
| 3 | |
England |
|
| 4 | 2 |
Papua New Guinea |
|
| 5 | 1 |
Canada |
|
| 6 | 1 |
France |
|
| 7 | 2 |
Cook Islands |
|
| 8 | |
Italy |
|
| 9 | |
Serbia |
|
| 10 | |
Fiji |
|
| 11 | |
Turkey |
|
| 12 | |
Samoa |
|
| 13 | |
Brazil |
|
| 14 | 6 |
Lebanon |
|
| 15 | |
Greece |
|
| *Change from July 2019 | |||
| Complete rankings at INTRL.SPORT | |||
February
Peru vs Brazil men in Australia
| Peru
|
14–30 | Brazil
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: N. Ibarburu, Sommers, Zarate Goals: G. Altamirano (1/3) |
Report |
Tries: Araújo, De Araujo, Howison, Jackson, Viñas Goals: Nunes (5/5) |
September
Germany men in Netherlands
| Netherlands
|
20–18 | Germany
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Longhurst, Farrell, Schoenmaker Goals: Gout (4/4) |
Report |
Tries: Hampson (2), Seidler Goals: Billsborough (1/1), Esser (1/1), Doughton (1/1) |
November
Tonga vs Niue women in New Zealand
| Tonga
|
66–8 | Niue
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Hufanga (3), Taulanga (2), Filimoe'atu (2), Sikei (2), Vailea, Huni, Maumau-Pinomi Goals: Hufanga (9/12) |
Report Highlights |
Tries: Kamutoa, Hiko |
Samoa women in New Zealand
| New Zealand
|
28–8 | Samoa
|
|---|---|---|
| Tries: Stephens (2), Hansen, Hireme-Smiler, Vaha'akolo, Tamarua Goals: Hansen (2/4), Paul (0/2) |
Report Video Replay |
Tries: Lemanu, Tufuga Goals: Eli (0/2) |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Cook Islands rise 17 places in latest Rugby League World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation. 13 July 2019.
- ^ "Twitter Post". Twitter. Netherlands Rugby League. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ a b "KIWI FERNS TO CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH FETŪ SAMOA TEST". nzrl.co.nz. NZRL. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.