Isabelle Kelly of Australia, Isaah Yeo of Australia and Lewis King of England pose with the World Cup trophiesImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The winning captains: Australia's Isabelle Kelly, her men's counterpart Isaah Yeo and England wheelchair skipper Lewis King

BySteve SutcliffeBBC Sport journalist

Has the 2026 Rugby League World Cup been a success or not?

It depends on who you listen to - and perhaps where in the world you are.

The men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments provided plenty of stories - from Kalyn Ponga's return from a broken arm in 23 days, to Jodie Cunningham's mangled ear,, external to the England wheelchair team's golden ladder, to the men's group format that caused widespread bafflement.