Rugby League World Cup 2026 Set to Be “Biggest Global Showcase” Ever
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The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is poised to be the most ambitious and competitive iteration of the tournament to date, encompassing three competitions – Men’s, Women’s, and Wheelchair – across three countries and nine host cities over 31 days. The draw for the events, scheduled for October and November of next year, was unveiled today, alongside details of the competition structure.
The upcoming World Cup arrives at a peak moment for the sport, building on record-breaking seasons in the NRL and NRLW, a successful Ashes series, and the thrilling Pacific Championships. According to a senior official, the timing “couldn’t be better.”
Men’s Tournament: Powerhouse Clashes and Unique Group Stage Format
The 10-team Men’s tournament will feature a unique group stage format. Group A consists of four teams – Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and the Cook Islands – who will play each other once. Groups B and C, comprised of England, Samoa, Lebanon; and Tonga, Papua New Guinea, and France respectively, will see teams compete against opponents from the other group. The top two teams from Group A, and the top two from a combined Group B/C table, will advance to the Semi-Finals.
The tournament will kick off with a highly anticipated clash between the world’s top two ranked teams, Australia and New Zealand, at Allianz Stadium on October 15. The opening weekend will also feature a match between England and Tonga at Perth’s HBF Park on October 17. The group stage will culminate with a Pacific showdown between Tonga and Samoa at CommBank Stadium on November 1. Men’s matches will be hosted across a wide range of locations, including Sydney, Port Moresby, Perth, Newcastle, Christchurch, Brisbane, Wollongong, the Gold Coast, and Townsville.
Women’s Tournament: Jillaroos Lead the Charge
The eight-team Women’s tournament will be divided into two groups of four. Group A features Australia, England, Samoa, and Wales, while Group B will see New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France, and Fiji compete. The tournament will begin on October 16 with a match between the dominant Australian Jillaroos and Samoa at CommBank Stadium. Each team will play the others within their group once, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the Semi-Finals. Women’s group matches will be played in Sydney, Port Moresby, Perth, Newcastle, Christchurch, Wollongong, and the Gold Coast. Double-header Semi-Finals, featuring both Men’s and Women’s matches, will be held at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium and Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.
Wheelchair Rugby League: All Eyes on Wollongong
All matches in the eight-team Wheelchair tournament will be held at Wollongong’s WIN Entertainment Centre. The teams are split into two groups of four: Group A includes England, Ireland, Wales, and the USA, while Group B features France, Australia, Scotland, and New Zealand. The opening match will coincide with a Men’s and Women’s double-header at WIN Stadium on October 30.
Tickets and Broadcast Information
Tickets for all Men’s and Women’s Group stage and Semi-Final matches are now on sale, starting at $19 (AUD) for adults and $49 (AUD) for families. Tickets for the Suncorp Stadium Final begin at $39 (AUD) for adults and $109 (AUD) for families. The full draw is available at https://www.rlwc2026.com, and tickets can be purchased through the same website. In Australia, all matches will be broadcast live and exclusively on Seven and 7Plus.
According to one analyst, the 2026 Rugby League World Cup is set to be “the best and most successful” in history, promising a spectacle of talent, skill, and passion for fans worldwide.
