Key Points
- RLWC runs from October 15 to November 15
- Can Australia retain their title?
- Will England qualify from the Pool Stage?
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup gets underway in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea on Thursday, October 15 with one of the host nations and defending champions Australia taking on New Zealand in the tournament opener at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
Many people believe this will actually be the World Cup Final on November 15 at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, with the tournament stacked heavily in favour of that happening.
This is not sour grapes, you will understand more later in the article when you see how the Pool Stage has been set up. Games will take place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea over the next month or so, but who will be crowned World Cup Champions?
What Is The 2026 RLWC?
International rugby league is not deemed as important as it would be in other sports. In rugby union, the international stage is bigger than club rugby, and we know how excited people get for a football World Cup when England are involved.
There is not that same excitement for a Rugby League World Cup, which is a shame because over the next month we will get to see some of the best players in the world vying out to be a world champion - more eyes should be on the sport and this tournament in general.
The 2026 edition of the Rugby League World Cup will 10 teams in three different groups - but there is a bit of a twist. Pool A sees Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands and Fiji, while Pool B and Pool C combine together to make a six-team Pool.
England, Lebanon and Samoa are in Pool B, while France, Papua New Guinea and Tonga are in Pool C. Now, here is the twist. The teams in Pool B will not play each other, all the teams in Pool B will play the teams in Pool C. The top two from Pool A and the top two from Pool B & C will qualify for the semi-finals.
Can you understand now why I said it is stacked heavily in favour of the Kangaroos and Kiwis? They should finish top two in their group, while many feel that the same has been accounted for Tonga and Samoa to do the same - hopefully England will throw a spanner in the works in that one.
2026 RLWC Group Stage
Below are the following Pools for the group stages with the top two qualifying for the RLWC semi-finals.
Pool A
- Australia
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- New Zealand
Pool B
Pool C
- France
- Papua New Guinea
- Tonga
Rugby League World Cup Fixtures
Below is a table with all the men's World Cup Fixtures.
| Date/Round/Pool | Team A | Team B | Venue | Time/Result |
| October 15 Round 1 Pool A | Australia | New Zealand | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | 10:05 BST |
| October 16 Round 1 Pool B/C | Samoa
| France | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | 07:45 BST |
| October 17 Round 1 Pool B/C | PNG | Lebanon | Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 05:25 BST |
| October 17 Round 1 Pool B/C | England | Tonga | HBF Park, Perth | 10:05 BST |
| October 18 Round 1 Pool A | Fiji
| Cook Islands | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | 06:05 BST |
| October 23 Round 2 Pool B/C | Tonga | Lebanon | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | 10:05 BST |
| October 24 Round 2 Pool B/C | PNG | Samoa | Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby | 05:25 BST |
| October 24 Round 2 Pool B/C | England | France | HBF Park, Perth | 07:35 BST |
| October 25 Round 2 Pool A | New Zealand | Cook Islands | One NZ Stadium, Christchurch | 05:05 BST |
| October 25 Round 2 Pool A | Australia | Fiji | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | 09:05 BST |
| October 30 Round 3 Pool B/C | England
| PNG | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | 09:05 BST |
| October 31 Round 3 Pool A | New Zealand | Fiji | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast | 04:30 BST |
| October 31 Round 3 Pool A | Australia | Cook Islands | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | 09:05 BST |
| November 1 Round 3 Pool B/C | Lebanon | France | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | 06:40 BST |
| November 1 Round 3 Pool B/C | Tonga | Samoa | CommBank Stadium, Sydney | 09:05 BST |
| November 7 Semi Final 1
| TBA | TBA | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | 09:05 BST |
| November 8 Semi Final 2 | TBA | TBA | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | 09:05 BST |
| November 15 Final | TBA | TBA | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | 08:35 BST |
2026 RLWC Betting Tips
Obviously, I want England to win the World Cup, but the smart money has to be on Australia. They will be playing all their games on home soil, they do not have to travel to New Zealand or Papua New Guinea. Their only traveling is from Sydney to Brisbane. I have mentioned that this tournament looks tailor made for Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa to reach the final - I am backing England to throw a massive spanner in the works.
Granted, this is not a brilliant England squad under new coach Brian McDermott. He is too reliant on having NRL based players in his squad, rather than players who can turn games in the drop of a hat. Overlooking a player like Umyla Hanley for Hugo Savala - who was not selected by Sydney Roosters in the Grand Final - is a mistake for me. If he is not good enough for the Grand Final, how can he be good enough for England?
Having said that, McDermott does have some quality in his squad. Although the games against Tonga, France and PNG will be difficult, there is enough talent to advance to the semi-finals. I am backing Australia to win the RLWC, but I am also backing them to face England.
- Australia to win the 2026 RLWC - 8/11 @ Star Sports
- England to qualify for 2026 RLWC Final - 5/2 @ Star Sports
- Pool A Winner - Australia - 4/6 @ Star Sports
- Pool B/C Winner - England - 5/4 @ Star Sports
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2026 RLWC Betting Bonus Offers
Betfred might not be sponsoring Super League anymore, but they still have some generous price boosts and offers available for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
Below is the Betfred offers that will go hand in hand with the RLWC. These will obviously change each week, but it is a good starting point when it comes to the Rugby League World Cup.
Betfred RLWC Offer
Betfred have got odds of 7/2 that England will reach the World Cup Final. I fancy these odds because I do feel England could reach the final - they might not win it but they do have the quality to make a mark on a tournament that they have already been written out of.
England to reach the RLWC - 7/2
England Top Tryscorer
We are obviously focusing on England at Betting.co.uk during the World Cup. Brian McDermott has selected Matty Ashton as one of his wingers. The Warrington flyer knows the way to the try line, and given half a chance he can turn it into four points. Back him at 7/2 to be England's leading try scorer in the competition.
Matty Ashton Top England Try Scorer - 7/2
Where Can I Live Stream The 2026 Rugby League World Cup?
The RLWC has been on terrestrial television for as long as I can remember, but for the first time ever the 2026 Rugby League World Cup will be behind a paywall.
The BBC has decided against showing the RLWC, meaning a new broadcaster had to be found. Every single game from the RLWC will be shown live on Premier Sports.
This has not gone down well with UK rugby league fans, but at least you can still watch the games somehow. Fans can add Premier Sports to their existing Sky or Virgin deals and watch it on their TVs.
You can also stream the games live by buying an online subscription through the Premier Sports website and download the app to your television or mobile device.
