Wales boss Kear hits out at World Cup qualification

John Kear guided Wales to the 2017 and 2021 World Cup finals

Wales head coach John Kear has criticised the 2026 Rugby League World Cup qualification process for northern hemisphere teams.

The tournament, which will now be hosted by Australia after France withdrew, has been cut from 16 teams to just 10.

Kear believes that has not only sent the wrong message about efforts to grow the sport but has skewed qualification in favour of the southern hemisphere.

Wales face Serbia next Tuesday for a place against either France or Ukraine in the final of the European qualifiers in Carcassone.

However, the winners of that game must still travel to compete in a World Series next year against Cook Islands, South Africa and Jamaica for a place at Australia 2026.

"It's now very difficult for northern hemisphere sides to qualify," said Kear.

"The first qualification was first based on the last quarter-finals, which were dominated by the southern hemisphere.

"Now whoever wins the European leg of qualifiers has to go down south and play a World Series to actually make it to the World Cup.

"It's like having a double qualification to have a European team in there.

"I'm not very happy but we've just go to get on with it."

England and Lebanon are the only northern hemisphere teams to have already qualified.

But the likes of Wales, France, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica and Greece, who all featured in 2022, could miss out.

Kear, speaking after his team's 22-16 win over Jamaica in a friendly on Tuesday night, fears that would hamper ambitions of growing the game's global appeal.

"We have to acknowledge that Australia has taken the World Cup at very short notice, but now it has been condensed to fewer teams," said Kear.

"If you look at rugby union, it has teams like Georgia and others coming in.

"Even if they get walloped, there's still something for players within Georgia to aim for and that's playing at a World Cup. But we are restricting that straight away [in rugby league].

"Hopefully the tournament will be expanded for the next tournament but until then, we just have to try to qualify."

Former Wales rugby union hooker Richard Hibbard - now CEO of Wales Rugby League - believes Wales will relish the underdog tag following the tournament's format change.

"It's going to be a tough ask, we're not shying away from that," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"We know what the Welsh are like, we love to be the underdogs.

"We'll go out there play some good league and hopefully the result goes our way."

Wales are set to announce their squad for the qualifiers in France on Wednesday.