The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup. It was held in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and France, and took place between 28 October and 25 November 2000. Sixteen national teams competed in four groups of four, playing each other once over three weekly rounds before a series of play-offs that culminated in the final between Australia and New Zealand. Tournament favourites Australia defeated New Zealand in the final, claiming their sixth consecutive and ninth total Rugby League World Cup title. Australian winger Wendell Sailor was named player of the tournament.
The Ireland men's national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, is organised by Rugby League Ireland and represents Ireland in international rugby league. The representative team is composed largely of players of Irish descent who compete in the Super League as well as the Australasian National Rugby League. Ireland is also represented by an Ireland A side, which is made up of players from the Irish domestic competition.
The Russia national rugby league team, nicknamed The Bears, represents Russia in international rugby league tournaments and other rugby league fixtures. The Bears, played their first fixtures against two British club sides: York Wasps and Fulham RLFC. In 2013, Russia became a full member of the Rugby League International Federation.
The United States national rugby league team represents the United States in international rugby league competitions. The team is managed by the USA Rugby League (USARL).
Perica Ognjenović is a Serbian professional football manager and former player.
The European Rugby League (ERL) is the umbrella body for nations playing the sport of rugby league football across Europe. In the absence of other continental federations, ERL also controls rugby league in North America the Middle East and Africa through its sub-branches Americas Rugby League and Middle East-Africa Rugby League.
Hazem El Masri is a Lebanese Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a winger in the 1990s and 2000s. An international representative for Australia and Lebanon, and a New South Wales State of Origin representative goal-kicking wing, he played his entire club football career in Sydney with Canterbury-Bankstown with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership. In 2009 El Masri took the record for the highest-ever point scorer in premiership history and for a record sixth time was the NRL's top point scorer for the season. He also became only the seventh player in history to score over 150 NRL tries, having primarily played on the wing, but also at fullback.
The Italy national rugby league team represents Italy in rugby league football. With origins dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, the team has competed regularly in international competitions since 2008, when their current governing body, the Federazione Italiana Rugby League, was formed. They are currently ranked 16th in the IRL World Rankings.
The Japan national rugby league team, nicknamed the Samurais, represents Japan in rugby league football. Japan have played some international competition since 1994. The Japanese National Cup, the JRL domestic club competition, was founded in 1998. In 2021 the season was restarted after a break for COVID with five teams in two divisions, three clubs in East Japan, the Abiko Ducks, Mitaka Spartans and South Ikebukuro Rabbitohs; and two clubs in West Japan, the Kamisenryu Sea Turtles and The Kansai Kaminari.
The Lebanon national rugby league team represents Lebanon in rugby league football. Nicknamed "the Cedars" after the Lebanese cedar tree, the team was formed by Lebanese Australians in 1997 and have been administered by the Lebanese Rugby League Federation since 2002.
The Moldova national rugby league team first competed into international competition in 1993. Moldova has not competed internationally since the 1995 Emerging Nations World Cup. Rugby league is no longer played in Moldova, even if a French author mentions that the game was still played in 2011, and while there were attempts to revive the national team for a tournament in 2003 the team failed to materialise. There are no known current plans to resurrect the team, though rugby league has recently started in neighbouring Ukraine.
The Serbia national rugby league team represents Serbia in the sport of rugby league football. They have competed in international competition since 2003 under the administration of the Serbian Rugby League.
Rugby league is a team sport that is played in Serbia, which now has almost 1000 registered players nationwide, many of which are juniors. Belgrade and Novi Sad are the two main bases for the sport, producing most of the country's players. The most successful Serbian club side are the Dorćol Spiders who have won the most premierships. The other club Red Star Belgrade who defeated Dorćol in the deciding game to claim the minor premiership.
The seeds of rugby league in Lebanon lie in Australia. A group of Australian-born rugby league players with Lebanese heritage, mostly from inner-city Sydney formed a team with a view to entering the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. They were accepted into the qualifying tournament on the agreement that they would aim to develop rugby league within the country they represent. They subsequently went on to win the qualifying competition, earning their place by defeating Italy and Morocco of the Mediterranean group before travelling to Florida to defeat the USA, winners of the Pacific group.
On 11 July 1998 the first ever 13 a side rugby league match was played between Italia and Lebanon, which took place at Leichhardt Oval - Sydney - Australia, the match was known as 'The Mediterranean Cup'. A crowd of almost 10,000 watched as these two emerging nations battled it out in a torrid affair. Former first grade players such as Frank Napoli, Chris St Clair, John Elias, David Baysarri and Darren Maroon represented their country of origin. The match was refereed by Tony Archer and Lebanon defeated a gallant Italy. The Mediterranean Cup was played before the Balmain Tigers and North Queensland Cowboys 1st grade match.
The Catalonia national rugby league team represents Catalonia in the sport of rugby league football, running under the auspices of the Associació Catalana de Rugby Lliga.
The Euro-Med Challenge is an international rugby league football competition. The competition is organized by the Rugby League European Federation and is designed to promote the sport of rugby league in Europe and the Mediterranean Region. The Euro Med Challenge is a second or third tier competition for European rugby league teams.
The Belgium national rugby league team represents Belgium in the sport of rugby league football.
Rugby league was introduced to Catalonia following the addition of the Perpignan-based Catalans Dragons to the professional Super League in 2006. An amateur rugby league competition was formed in 2008 and ran for three seasons under the administration of the Associació Catalana de Rugby Lliga.
Moldova 24–19 Morocco 
