Tag World Cup Preview: Great Britain Ready for the 2026 ITF Tag World Cup in Australia

Great Britain Tag Rugby will return to the world stage this October as the 2026 ITF Tag World Cup heads to Coffs Harbour, Australia, with GB preparing to send its largest World Cup contingent to date.

Taking place from 15th to 18th October at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium, the fifth ITF Tag World Cup will bring together the world's leading Tag Rugby nations for four days of international competition.

Great Britain heads to Australia looking to build on their historic performance at the 2023 Tag World Cup in Limerick, Ireland. On that occasion, GB entered eight divisions and returned home with one gold, two silver and three bronze medals, with all eight teams finishing inside the top four of their respective competitions.

The highlight came from the Women's 30s, who made history by defeating Australia 5-1 in the final to become Great Britain's first Tag Rugby World Champions.

Three years later, the GB programme continues to grow.

For 2026, ten UK-based Great Britain squads will make the journey to Coffs Harbour, representing GB across Men's, Women's and Mixed divisions:

• Men's Open

• Women's Open

• Mixed Open

• Mixed Seniors

• Mixed 21s

• Women's 27s

• Men's 30s

• Women's 37s

• Men's 40s

• Men's 50s

With an additional 9 teams made up from Australian based players (formerly GB Exiles):

• Boys 16s

• Girls 16s

• Boys 18s

• Girls 18s

• Men’s 21s

• Women's 21s

• Men's 35s

• Women's 47s

• Men's 60s

The tournament marks a return to familiar territory for some of the Great Britain players. Coffs Harbour hosted the 2018 Tag World Cup, where Great Britain sent four squads and claimed the programme's first two World Cup medals, with Men's 30s winning silver and Women's Seniors taking bronze. Eight years later, GB returns with a programme that has grown considerably in both size and ambition.

With nations from across the international Tag community descending on Coffs Harbour, the 2026 World Cup promises to be the biggest test yet for Great Britain's players.

The Teams (UK based)

Men's Open

After taking bronze in Limerick three years ago, the Men's Open head to Coffs Harbour with ambitions of challenging the world's leading nations once again.

GB defeated Ireland 5-1 during the pool stages in 2023 before beating them 4-3 in the bronze medal match, while eventual champions Australia ended their title challenge in the semi-final. They produced an emphatic performance at the 2026 British & Irish Cup, winning all three matches against Ireland by 10-5, 7-2 and 16-2.

Having also travelled to Sydney for a three-match Test Series against Australia in 2025, the squad heads into the World Cup with valuable recent experience of facing the benchmark in the Men's game.

Women's Open

The Women's Open came agonisingly close to becoming World Champions in 2023, producing an excellent campaign before meeting Australia in the final and taking home silver.

Three years later, they arrive in Australia in outstanding form against their closest northern hemisphere rivals. GB swept Ireland 3-0 at the 2026 British & Irish Cup, winning 5-4, 7-1 and 9-3.

With the experience of reaching a World Cup final already in the bag, the challenge in Coffs Harbour will be to go one step further.

Mixed Open

A fourth-place finish in 2023 demonstrated that GB can compete at the sharp end of one of the World Cup's most competitive divisions. Their campaign included victories over South Africa and Italy before a narrow 6-4 defeat to Ireland in the bronze medal match.

The 2026 British & Irish Cup showed the size of the challenge awaiting them this time around, with a much changed squad and coaching set up for 2026. A strong Ireland side completed a 3-0 series victory in Dublin, providing GB with a tough final international test ahead of Coffs Harbour.

Mixed Open will head to Australia with plenty to prove and an opportunity to turn those lessons into a strong World Cup campaign. Six players will make their Great Britain debuts in Coffs Harbour, while all but two members of the squad will be competing at a Tag World Cup for the first time, giving this new-look group an exciting opportunity to make its mark on the world stage.

Mixed Seniors

One of GB's standout performers in 2023, Mixed Seniors reached the World Cup final after a superb campaign which included victories over South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

They eventually took silver after Australia prevailed in the final but return three years later with another strong international performance behind them. Mixed Seniors swept Ireland 3-0 at the 2026 British & Irish Cup, scoring 27 points across the three matches while conceding just 13.

After coming so close in Limerick, they will travel to Australia as one of GB's leading medal hopes.

Mixed 21s

Mixed 21s are one of the new additions to Great Britain's World Cup contingent for 2026 and represent another important step in the development of the GB pathway.

Their British & Irish Cup series provided an indication of just how competitive the division will be. All three games were fiercely contested, with GB claiming an 11-10 victory in Game Two and losing the decider by a single point, 10-9.

Coffs Harbour will now provide this young squad with an opportunity to test themselves against international opposition from around the world on Tag Rugby's biggest stage. It will also mark a Tag World Cup debut for every member of the squad, underlining the exciting potential of a group taking its first steps at this level.

Women's 27s

There will be plenty of attention on the Women's 27s as Great Britain prepares to defend the World Championship won by the Women's 30s in Ireland three years ago. This team will have a new look with nine players set to make their Tag World Cup debut. 

That 2023 team produced one of the defining moments in the history of GB Tag Rugby. After beating Australia 4-3 during the pool stages, they saved their best performance for the final, defeating the Australians 5-1 to become Great Britain's first Tag Rugby World Champions.

The age category has changed for 2026, and the road back to Australia has not been straightforward. Ireland claimed a 3-0 series victory at the British & Irish Cup, although each match was decided by a single score, 2-1, 5-4 and 5-4.

GB therefore heads to Coffs Harbour knowing the margins at this level are extremely fine but carrying the legacy of a team that made history three years ago.

Men's 30s

The Men's 30s return to the World Cup, having competed as Men's Seniors in recent British & Irish Cup campaigns. The 2026 British & Irish Cup suggested there is very little separating Great Britain and Ireland. Their series in Dublin finished level at one win apiece. The opening match was drawn 3-3, GB edged the second 4-3, before the final contest was drawn after drop-off. 

With such fine margins between two of the leading European programmes, Men's 30s will head to Australia battle-tested and ready for the step up to World Cup competition.

Women's 37s

The Women's 37s head to Australia with momentum after an impressive British & Irish Cup campaign.

Great Britain went unbeaten across the three-match series against Ireland, drawing the opener 2-2 before recording 2-1 and 1-0 victories to secure the category.

There is also World Cup pedigree within this age-group pathway. GB's Women's 35s claimed bronze in Limerick in 2023, narrowly missing out on the final after a drop-off defeat to Ireland before responding to win the bronze medal match.

With that experience to draw upon and a series victory in Dublin behind them, Women's 37s will have every reason to approach Coffs Harbour with confidence.

Men's 40s

The Men's 40s return to the World Cup after collecting bronze in Ireland three years ago.

GB won five of their seven pool matches in 2023 before a narrow 2-1 semi-final defeat to Ireland ended their hopes of reaching the final. They responded strongly, beating Alliance Barbarians 13-2 to secure third place.

Ireland had the upper hand at the 2026 British & Irish Cup, taking the series 2-0 after an opening 4-4 draw, so GB will know there is work to do. However, with World Cup medal-winning experience already within the programme, Coffs Harbour presents another opportunity to challenge for the podium.

Men's 50s

The Men's 50s complete Great Britain's ten-team contingent and will make their World Cup debut in Coffs Harbour.

Their final international preparation delivered an encouraging result, with GB recovering from a 7-5 defeat in the opening British & Irish Cup match to beat Ireland 5-3 and 10-4 and secure the series 2-1.

It was a strong finish to the weekend and provides the Men's 50s with momentum as they prepare to represent Great Britain on the World Cup stage for the first time.

Gregg Cropper, GB High Performance Programme Director added:

“This World Cup is about more than what happens on the field. Over the last year we have been working collaboratively across the GB programme to raise standards and create a stronger environment for all of our teams. That has included more joint training opportunities, inter-team games and shared preparation, as well as strengthening the support around our players through dedicated medical, S&C and psychology provisions. 

“We know the level of competition in Australia will be extremely high, and we’re realistic about the challenges ahead. But we believe we are better prepared, better connected and better supported as a programme than we have ever been. The World Cup will be another important step in that journey.” 

Coffs Harbour Awaits

Eight years after Great Britain last travelled there for a Tag World Cup with four teams, the programme returns with ten UK-based squads and ambitions across every level of the international game.

From established Open teams and returning World Cup medallists to new divisions making their first appearance on the global stage, it will be the largest UK-based Great Britain contingent ever assembled for a Tag World Cup.

After a record-breaking World Cup in Ireland, the challenge now is to write the next chapter in Australia.