The best and most competitive Rugby League World Cup is just 100 days from kick-off as players from 26 teams representing 14 nations in Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments ramp up preparations to win the game’s ultimate prize.
Rugby League World Cup 2026 gets underway on October 15 with the Kangaroos, the 2025 Ashes Series winners, taking on Pacific Cup champions New Zealand at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.
It will conclude with the Men’s and Women’s finals on November 15 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, where the 100 Days To Go countdown was launched by Australian Rugby League Commissioner, The Hon Kate Jones.
Kangaroos coach Kevin Walter and Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner were also in attendance at the event, which was MC’d by Channel 7 sports presenter Mel McLaughlin.
Staged in nine cities in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, Rugby League World Cup 2026 will feature 51 matches across the three tournaments in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Port Moresby, Christchurch, Newcastle, Wollongong, Gold Coast and Townsville.
Rugby League World Cup 2026 is proudly supported by the Australian Government.
Minister for Sport, the Hon Anika Wells MP, said: “The Albanese Government’s investment will help deliver a world-class tournament that inspires participation in rugby league at the junior level, including for Australians with disability.
“RLWC26 will strengthen Australia’s reputation as a global leader in hosting major sporting events as we build towards the Brisbane 2032 Games.”
Rugby League World Cup 2026 is also supported by the NSW Government through their tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, Queensland Government, through Tourism Events Queensland, Experience Gold Coast and Townsville City Council with Townsville Enterprise Limited, and Western Australian Government through Tourism WA. The Rugby League World Cup 2026 New Zealand match day is supported by ChristchurchNZ.
More than 100,000 tickets have been sold so far for RLWC2026, and fans are encouraged to take advantage of the accessible ticket pricing as matches are expected to sell out.
To coincide with the 100 Days To Go countdown to the Rugby League World Cup, RLWC2026 is pleased to announce the tournament’s inaugural commercial partners:
- Youi – Official General Insurance Partner of RLWC2026
- Bank of South Pacific – Official Banking Partner of RLWC2026
- Rebel – Official Sports Retail Partner of RLWC2026
- Steeden – Official Match Ball of RLWC2026
- Ticketmaster – Official Ticketing Partner of RLWC2026
- New Balance – Official Apparel Partner of RLWC2026
Further details can be found on rlwc2026.com
The involvement of such a prestigious suite of commercial partners highlights the strong belief that RLWC2026 will be the most anticipated Rugby League World Cup ever staged. RLWC2026 would like to thank our partners for their commitment to showcasing rugby league’s ultimate event.
Established in 1954, the Rugby League World Cup is the second oldest sporting World Cup, and the 17th iteration is set to be the most competitive yet as Australia, New Zealand, England, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, France, Cook Islands and Lebanon battle it out for the Paul Barrière Trophy.
Tonga started a Pacific revolution at the 2017 World Cup and Samoa went a step further at RLWC2021 by creating history as the first Pacific nation to qualify for a World Cup final.
Since then, New Zealand have twice won the Pacific Cup, including a record 30-0 defeat of Australia in 2023, while Tonga qualified for the 2024 final and Samoa played in last year’s final against the Kiwis.
The format of the pool stages for RLWC2026 ensures a cut-throat element to the Men’s tournament, with crossover games and head-to-head results potentially determining semi-final spots and ensuring every match is must win.
Men
The 10-team Men’s tournament will include one pool of four and two pools of three nations.
- Group A: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands
- Group B: England, Samoa, Lebanon
- Group C: Tonga, Papua New Guinea, France
Group A teams will each play three matches against the other teams in Group A. Group B and C teams will each play three matches against the teams in the adjacent group (ie Group B teams will play Group C teams only).
The Men’s tournament will kick off at Allianz Stadium on Thursday, October 15, with the heavyweight clash between the top two world-ranked teams, the Kangaroos and the Kiwis.
The opening weekend will also feature a clash between England and Tonga at Perth’s HBF Park, on Saturday, October 17.
The Group stage culminates with a match between Pacific giants Tonga and Samoa, at CommBank Stadium, on Sunday, November 1, that is likely to decide which nation progresses to the play-off stages of the tournament and which nation is eliminated.
The top two teams from Group A will progress to the Semi-Finals, while the top two teams from a combined table of Group B and Pool C will progress to the Semi-Finals.
Men’s matches will be played across Sydney, Port Moresby, Perth, Newcastle, Christchurch, Brisbane, Wollongong, Gold Coast and Townsville.
Women
In the Women’s World Cup, eight nations are set to take to rugby league’s ultimate stage and the all-conquering Jillaroos will not have everything their own way as the growth of the NRLW and eligibility rule changes strengthen other nations.
After dominating Women’s Rugby League until their first defeat by Australia in the 2013 World Cup final, the Kiwi Ferns are again building and will be bolstered by big name stars switching from the Jillaroos and the addition of cross-code athletes.
- Group A: Australia, England, Samoa, Wales
- Group B: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France, Fiji
The Women’s tournament will kick off on Friday, October 16 with a clash between the Jillaroos and Samoa that will headline a double-header at CommBank Stadium with the Samoa v France Men’s match.
Each team will play three matches against the other teams in their Group. The top two teams from each Group will progress to the Semi-Finals.
Wheelchair
Just as the 2017 World Cup took Women’s rugby league to new heights, the Wheelchair World Cup is set to expose new fans to a form of the code that underlines why rugby league is known as the greatest game for all.
England will be aiming for back-to-back Wheelchair World Cups, while France will be out to avenge their defeat in the RLWC2021 final an Australia’s Wheelaroos will be aiming to win on home soil.
The eight-team Wheelchair tournament will be played in its entirety at Wollongong’s WIN Entertainment Centre.
- Group A: England, Ireland, Wales, USA
- Group B: France, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand
England’s opening match against Wales on October 30 will coincide with the England Men’s and Women’s teams playing afterwards in a double-header at the adjacent WIN Stadium, with Papua New Guinea and Fetu Samoa their respective opponents.
Rugby League World Cup 2026 returns to Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. Where nations clash, heroes rise, and legends are forged. 3 World Cups. 26 Teams. The World’s Best. Tickets are now on sale from $19. Don’t miss the pinnacle of global Rugby League.
- The full draw is available at rlwc2026.com
- Tickets are on sale through rlwc2026.com
- All matches will be broadcast live and exclusive in Australia on Seven and 7Plus, on Sky Sport in New Zealand and Digicel in Papua New Guinea.
