Rugby league’s biggest international event starts next week. The 2026 World Cup opens on October 15 with Australia against New Zealand, and brings together men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments across three host countries.
The Rugby League World Cup 2026 begins on October 15, and it could hardly start with a bigger fixture. The opening match of the men’s competition is Australia against New Zealand, according to the tournament’s official website.
Three World Cups in One
The event is billed by organisers as “3 World Cups. 26 Teams”. Men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments are being staged together, with 26 teams taking part across the three.
Three Host Countries
Matches will be played in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Most of the venues are in Australia, where the host cities listed by organisers are:
- Sydney
- Newcastle
- Wollongong
- Brisbane
- Gold Coast
- Townsville
- Perth
In New Zealand, games will be held in Christchurch. Port Moresby will host matches in Papua New Guinea.
England Start Two Days Later
England, who have teams in all three tournaments, begin their campaign on Saturday, October 17, according to the Rugby Football League, the sport’s governing body in England.
The RFL described the event as rugby league’s pinnacle international competition, with the sport’s biggest stars heading to the three host nations.
Format
The official draw shows three rounds of matches followed by semi-finals and finals in each tournament.
Tickets
Organisers say tickets are on sale from $19.
Why the Opener Matters
Australia and New Zealand are neighbours, long-standing rivals and two of the tournament’s three hosts. Putting them together on the first day gives the tournament a marquee match from the outset.
Image: Sydney Football Stadium, 2022. Sydney is one of the host cities. Photo by Frigginawesomeimontv via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.