Rugby League World Cup 2026: The Global Stage Set

The global game takes center stage as Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea proudly co-host the highly anticipated 2026 Rugby League World Cup. Featuring elite competition across the men's, women's, and wheelchair tournaments, the international showpiece promises high-stakes action and fierce national rivalries.

As the tournament unfolds, Australia enters as the defending champion in both the men's and women's divisions, while England holds the mantle as the reigning world champion in the highly competitive wheelchair competition.

Men's Tournament: Unique Formats and Group Dynamics

The men's competition burst into life with an absolute classic as Australia edged New Zealand 24-22 in a thrilling opener, spearheaded by a masterclass hat-trick from Jack Bostock. Elsewhere in the opening rounds, England suffered a setback with a 30-12 defeat against a formidable Tonga side, though Gareth Southgate's men quickly regrouped with an 82-0 routing of France to kickstart their campaign.

Men's Pools

- Group A: Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Fiji - Group B: England, Lebanon, Samoa - Group C: France, Papua New Guinea, Tonga

The Unique Group Stage Format

Tournament organizers implemented an innovative and unconventional format for the men's bracket to maximize competitive intensity.

While Group A follows a traditional round-robin setup where the top two sides advance directly to the semi-finals, Groups B and C operate under a combined matrix. Teams in Group B play all three opponents from Group C, and vice-versa, with no intra-group fixtures played.

All results feed into a unified Group B and C standings table. The top two ranked nations from this combined table secure their passage to the knockout stages, setting up a thrilling cross-group semi-final showdown against the qualifiers from Group A.

Women's Tournament Preview

The women's division brings together the finest rugby league talent globally, featuring two evenly matched groups designed to test depth, resilience, and tactical execution.

England's women laid down an early marker with a resounding 70-6 victory over Wales before facing a stern test against three-time defending champions Australia.

Women's Pools

- Group A: Australia, England, Samoa, Wales - Group B: New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France, Fiji

Wheelchair Competition

Set to launch later in the schedule, the wheelchair tournament highlights the incredible inclusivity, skill, and athleticism of the sport. Defending world champions England face a challenging opening fixture against Wales as they seek to defend their global crown.

Wheelchair Pools

- Group A: England, Ireland, Wales, USA - Group B: France, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand

Early Tournament Results Snapshot

- Australia 24-22 New Zealand (Group A) - Samoa 78-4 France (Group B/C) - Papua New Guinea 42-18 Lebanon (Group B/C) - England 12-30 Tonga (Group B/C) - Fiji 40-12 Cook Islands (Group A)

Reporting by Gaurav Sen for Live Sports 365.