2026 Tournament Quick Facts

  • Hosts: Australia & Papua New Guinea
  • Dates: October-November 2026
  • Teams: 10 Men's, 8 Women's, 8 Wheelchair
  • Defending Champions: Australia (Men's & Women's), France (Wheelchair)
  • Format: Three tournaments running simultaneously

The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league tournament played between national teams of the Rugby League International Federation. The 2026 tournament will be the 17th edition, hosted by Australia with matches also played in Papua New Guinea.

The tournament was originally scheduled for 2025 in France, but was postponed to 2026 after France withdrew as hosts in May 2023 due to financial concerns. Australia was confirmed as the replacement host in July 2024.

2026 Tournament Details

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup will feature a reduced but more competitive format with 10 men's teams (down from 16 in previous tournaments), alongside 8 women's teams and 8 wheelchair teams. This condensed format aims to ensure every match is competitive and showcase the best rugby league talent.

Matches will be staged at first-class rugby league venues across Australia and in Papua New Guinea, marking the first time PNG has hosted World Cup matches. The schedule is expected to include double-headers and triple-headers to provide added value for fans.

Qualified Teams for 2026

Men's Tournament (10 Teams)
Team Qualification Method Notes
Australia 2022 Quarter-finalist Defending champions (12-time winners)
Samoa 2022 Quarter-finalist 2022 runners-up
New Zealand 2022 Quarter-finalist 2008 champions
England 2022 Quarter-finalist 2022 semi-finalist
Lebanon 2022 Quarter-finalist First quarter-final in 2022
Tonga 2022 Quarter-finalist 2022 quarter-finalist
Fiji 2022 Quarter-finalist 2022 quarter-finalist
Papua New Guinea 2022 Quarter-finalist Co-host nation
TBD 2025 World Series From: Cook Islands, Jamaica, South Africa, European qualifier
TBD 2025 World Series From: Cook Islands, Jamaica, South Africa, European qualifier
Women's Tournament (8 Teams)
Team Qualification Method Notes
Australia 2022 Semi-finalist Defending champions (3 consecutive titles)
England 2022 Semi-finalist 2022 semi-finalist
New Zealand 2022 Semi-finalist 2022 runners-up
Papua New Guinea 2022 Semi-finalist Co-host nation
France European Qualifier Won European pool
Wales European Qualifier Won European pool
TBD Pacific Qualifier From: Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga
TBD 2025 World Series Winner of World Series
Wheelchair Tournament (8 Teams)
Team Qualification Method Notes
France TBD Defending champions
England TBD 2022 runners-up
Australia TBD Host nation
Qualification format to be finalized. Expected teams include Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Wales, USA

Note: The European qualifying tournament for the final men's spot features France, Serbia, Wales and Ukraine. The inaugural IRL World Series in 2025 will determine the final spots across all tournaments.

Tournament History

The first Rugby League World Cup was held in 1954 in France. Since then, 16 tournaments have been held with varying formats. Only three nations have won the men's tournament — Australia (12 times), Great Britain (3 times) and New Zealand (once). See the full list of winners.

Why the Tournament Moved to 2026

The path to the 2026 tournament has been complex:

  • 2016: Originally awarded to USA and Canada for 2025
  • 2019: USA/Canada withdrew due to financial concerns
  • 2022: France awarded hosting rights for 2025
  • May 2023: France withdrew, unable to provide government financial guarantees
  • August 2023: Tournament rescheduled to 2026 in Southern Hemisphere
  • July 2024: Australia and PNG confirmed as hosts

Future Tournaments

The International Rugby League has announced a new tournament structure:

  • 2028: First standalone Women's Rugby League World Cup
  • 2029: First standalone Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup
  • 2030: Next Men's Rugby League World Cup

Trivia

  • The original Rugby League World Cup trophy was stolen six days before the 1970 finals and wasn't found until 20 years later in rubbish in Bradford.
  • The 2026 tournament will showcase the Pacific region, with the majority of teams expected to come from Pacific nations.
  • This will be Australia's third time hosting, after successful tournaments in 2008 and 2017.