Template:RLWC2021 teams
| Team | Method of qualification |
Date of qualification |
Total times qualified |
Last time qualified |
Current consecutive appearances |
Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 England
|
Hosts | 27 October 2016 | 7[a] | 2017 | 7 | Runners-up (1975, 1995, 2017) |
 Fiji
|
2017 Group D winners | 10 November 2017 | 6 | 2017 | 6 | Semi-finals (2008, 2013, 2017) |
 Tonga
|
2017 Group B winners | 11 November 2017 | 6 | 2017 | 6 | Semi-finals (2017) |
 New Zealand
|
2017 Group B runners-up | 11 November 2017 | 16 | 2017 | 16 | Winners (2008) |
 Samoa
|
2017 Group B third place | 11 November 2017 | 6 | 2017 | 6 | Quarter-finals (2000, 2013, 2017) |
 Australia
|
2017 Group A winners | 11 November 2017 | 16 | 2017 | 16 | Winners (11 times) |
 Lebanon
|
2017 Group A third place | 11 November 2017 | 3 | 2017 | 2 | Quarter-finals (2017) |
 Papua New Guinea
|
2017 Group C winners | 12 November 2017 | 8 | 2017 | 8 | Quarter-finals (2000, 2017) |
 France
|
Europe second round winners | 11 November 2018 | 16 | 2017 | 16 | Runners-up (1954, 1968) |
 Wales
|
Europe second round runners-up | 11 November 2018 | 6[a] | 2017 | 3 | Semi-finals (1995, 2000) |
 Jamaica
|
Americas Championship winners | 17 November 2018 | 1 | – | 1 | – |
 Ireland
|
Europe third round Group A winners | 9 November 2019 | 5[a] | 2017 | 5 | Quarter-finals (2000, 2008) |
 Italy
|
Europe third round Group A runners-up | 9 November 2019 | 3 | 2017 | 3 | Group stage (2013, 2017) |
 Scotland
|
Europe third round Group B winners | 9 November 2019 | 5[a] | 2017 | 5 | Quarter-finals (2013) |
 Greece
|
Europe third round Group B runners-up | 9 November 2019 | 1 | – | 1 | – |
 Cook Islands
|
Inter-regional repechage winners | 16 November 2019 | 3 | 2013 | 1 | Group stage (2000, 2013) |
- Notes
- ^ a b c d Competed as part of Great Britain in nine previous tournaments, finishing as champions on three occasions (1954, 1960, 1972). The squads largely consisted of English players, but also featured Welsh players in every tournament. Scotland (1954, 1968, 1977, 1989–92) and Ireland (1957) were represented by native-born players in some tournaments.