The tournament was created to follow the success of the Americas region of the 2015 Americas qualification tournament for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

[2] Previously, the only regular international competitions in North America were the Colonial Cup between the USA and Canada and the Caribbean Carnival Cup between Jamaica and Canada.

[1] Initially held annually, the tournament switched to every two years following the 2018 event,[2] however the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, the women's tournament doubled as part of the 2026 World Cup qualification process.

[5] Brazil withdrew from the tournament and their fixtures were replaced with friendlies against the USA Pioneers.