The Jillaroos and the Kiwi Ferns meet in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup final at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday 15 November, their fifth final in a row. Road to the final and our tips.
New Zealand beat Tonga 34-10 in the first Rugby League World Cup semi-final in Newcastle, with Kalyn Ponga back at fullback, to reach their first final since 2013.
The Jillaroos came from 8-0 down to beat Fiji 30-14 in the second women’s World Cup semi-final in Sydney, with four tries to Abbi Church, to set up a final against New Zealand.
The Jillaroos beat Wales 124-6 in Parramatta, a record for women’s international rugby league, with six tries to Jaime Chapman and 20 goals to Jesse Southwell.
Tonga beat Samoa 20-18 in Parramatta with a late Addin Fonua-Blake try to top the Pools B and C table. Tonga play New Zealand and Samoa play Australia in the semi-finals.
Lebanon beat France 24-20 in golden point in Parramatta, with Abbas Miski scoring the winner from an intercept. How the game was won and how our tips went.
Australia beat the Cook Islands 66-6 in Townsville to finish Pool A unbeaten, with hat-tricks for Tom Trbojevic and Jack Bostock.
New Zealand beat Fiji 78-0 on the Gold Coast to reach the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals, with four tries to Casey McLean and two players sent off.
England beat PNG 34-12 in Wollongong after leading 24-0 at half-time, but missed the semi-finals on points difference when Tonga beat Samoa by only two.
Every result from the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, men’s and women’s, with the ladder for every pool, updated after every game.
Australia beat Fiji 36-22 at Suncorp Stadium to reach the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals, with a hat-trick for Tom Trbojevic.
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The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is being played in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea from October 15 to November 15, 2026, with 10 men’s teams. The Kangaroos went in as defending champions and favourites on home soil, and won Pool A unbeaten.
At BettingPro, our rugby league experts have tipped every match of the tournament, from the opening clash between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney, and every result is below. Australia and New Zealand won the semi-finals on 7 and 8 November and meet in both finals at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 15 November (our final preview and tips).
| Detail | Info |
| Dates | October 15 – November 15, 2026 |
| Host Nations | Australia (primary), New Zealand, Papua New Guinea |
| Teams | 10 men’s, 8 women’s and 8 wheelchair teams |
| Defending Champion | Australia (won 2022 in England) |
| Opening Match | Australia vs New Zealand, Allianz Stadium, Sydney (Thu 15 Oct, 8:05pm AEDT) |
| Final | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (Sun 15 Nov, 7:35pm AEDT) |
| AU Broadcast | Seven and 7plus, every match live and free |
| Tickets | From $19 via Ticketmaster |
The 10 teams are split into three pools. Pool A features the two heavyweights (Australia and New Zealand) plus Fiji and Cook Islands. Pools B and C play inter-pool matches, with teams from each pool facing all three teams in the opposite pool, and form one combined table for semi-final places.
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
| Australia | England | France |
| New Zealand | Lebanon | Papua New Guinea |
| Fiji | Samoa | Tonga |
| Cook Islands |
Every men’s match with the kick-off in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT), which NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT are on for the whole tournament. Queensland is an hour behind, Perth three hours behind, Port Moresby an hour behind and Christchurch two hours ahead. Every match is live and free on Seven and 7plus. Queensland and Perth times for every game, plus the women’s and wheelchair schedules, are on our schedule and TV guide.
| Date | Kick-off (AEDT) | Match | Venue | Preview |
| Thu 15 Oct | 8:05pm | Australia vs New Zealand | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | Result |
| Fri 16 Oct | 5:45pm | Samoa vs France | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta | Result |
| Sat 17 Oct | 3:25pm | Papua New Guinea vs Lebanon | Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby | Result |
| Sat 17 Oct | 8:05pm | England vs Tonga | HBF Park, Perth | Result |
| Sun 18 Oct | 4:05pm | Fiji vs Cook Islands | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle | Result |
| Date | Kick-off (AEDT) | Match | Venue | Preview |
| Fri 23 Oct | 8:05pm | Tonga vs Lebanon | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta | Result |
| Sat 24 Oct | 3:25pm | Papua New Guinea vs Samoa | Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby | Result |
| Sat 24 Oct | 5:35pm | England vs France | HBF Park, Perth | Result |
| Sun 25 Oct | 4:05pm | New Zealand vs Cook Islands | One NZ Stadium, Christchurch | Result |
| Sun 25 Oct | 8:05pm | Australia vs Fiji | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | Result |
| Date | Kick-off (AEDT) | Match | Venue | Preview |
| Fri 30 Oct | 8:05pm | England vs Papua New Guinea | WIN Stadium, Wollongong | Result |
| Sat 31 Oct | 3:30pm | New Zealand vs Fiji | Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast | Result |
| Sat 31 Oct | 8:05pm | Australia vs Cook Islands | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville | Result |
| Sun 1 Nov | 5:40pm | Lebanon vs France | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta | Result |
| Sun 1 Nov | 8:05pm | Tonga vs Samoa | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta | Result |
| Stage | Date | Kick-off (AEDT) | Match | Venue |
| Semi-Final 1 | Sat 7 Nov | 8:05pm | New Zealand 34-10 Tonga | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle |
| Semi-Final 2 | Sun 8 Nov | 8:05pm | Australia 44-12 Samoa | Allianz Stadium, Sydney |
| Final | Sun 15 Nov | 7:35pm | Australia vs New Zealand | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
The top two in Pool A and the top two on the combined Pools B and C table go through to the semi-finals, with two points for a win and one for a draw. The ladder for every pool and every result, men’s and women’s, are on our Rugby League World Cup results and ladder page, updated after each round.
The Kangaroos enter as defending champions after winning the 2022 World Cup in England, defeating Samoa 30-10 in the final. On home soil, as they were when they won the 2017 tournament, Australia are favourites to retain the trophy.
Australia won all three Pool A games: New Zealand 24-22 on opening night at Allianz Stadium on 15 October, Fiji 36-22 in Brisbane and the Cook Islands 66-6 in Townsville. They beat Samoa 44-12 in the semi-final at Allianz Stadium on Sunday 8 November (the result) and play New Zealand in the final (our final preview and tips).
The Kangaroos will be without Nathan Cleary, who broke his leg in Penrith’s preliminary final and will miss the tournament. Kevin Walters named his 23-man squad on 5 October with Penrith’s Isaah Yeo as captain. Six players are in line for Kangaroos debuts: Bradman Best, Jack Bostock, Blayke Brailey, David Fifita, Sam Walker and Jacob Preston. Roosters players James Tedesco, Sam Walker and Lindsay Collins are all in, as are South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray, Keaon Koloamatangi and Fifita.
New Zealand, their opening-night opponents, named their 23-man squad on 6 October under coach Stacey Jones, with James Fisher-Harris as captain. Kalyn Ponga and Dane Gagai are among four players in line for Kiwis debuts, and Phoenix Crossland is not in the squad while he serves his four-match ban for the hip drop on Cleary. Our tip and both squads are in the Australia vs New Zealand preview.
For more on the NRL and State of Origin, visit our NRL hub.
All ten men’s squads were finalised in the first week of October. Where a captain has not been confirmed for the tournament we say so. Every player in every squad, plus the Jillaroos, is on our Rugby League World Cup squads page.
| Team | Coach | Captain | Players to watch |
| Australia | Kevin Walters | Isaah Yeo | James Tedesco, Cameron Munster, Harry Grant |
| New Zealand | Stacey Jones | James Fisher-Harris | Kalyn Ponga, Jahrome Hughes, Joseph Tapine |
| Fiji | Mick Potter | Apisai Koroisau | Sunia Turuva, Jacob Saifiti |
| Cook Islands | Karmichael Hunt | KL Iro and Marata Niukore | Valentine Holmes, Esan Marsters |
| England | Brian McDermott | George Williams | Herbie Farnworth, Victor Radley, Mikey Lewis |
| Samoa | Ben Gardiner | Junior Paulo and Jarome Luai | Stephen Crichton, Brian To’o |
| Lebanon | Michael Cheika | To be confirmed | Jacob Kiraz, Jason Saab |
| France | Laurent Frayssinous | Benjamin Garcia | Théo Fages, Arthur Mourgue |
| Papua New Guinea | Jason Demetriou | To be confirmed | Rhyse Martin, Edwin Ipape |
| Tonga | Kristian Woolf | To be confirmed | Isaiya Katoa |
Australia vs New Zealand (Oct 15, Sydney): The opening match and the biggest rivalry in rugby league. The Kangaroos and Kiwis have contested some of the greatest World Cup matches in history. Expect a sell-out at Allianz Stadium. Our tips and preview.
England vs Tonga (Oct 17, Perth): Tonga have emerged as a genuine force in international rugby league. This Pool B/C cross-pool clash could determine semi-final seedings. Our tips and preview.
Papua New Guinea vs Samoa (Oct 24, Port Moresby): PNG playing at home in front of their passionate fans is always electric. Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea.
Tonga vs Samoa (Nov 1, Parramatta): The Pacific Island derby decided the Pools B and C table: Tonga won 20-18 with a late Addin Fonua-Blake try in front of 29,411 (result), so Tonga play New Zealand and Samoa play Australia in the semi-finals.
The Final (Nov 15, Brisbane): Australia v New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium, a rematch of the 24-22 opener. Road to the final, key players and our tips are on our final preview.
Eight teams play the women’s tournament in two groups of four, with the top two in each group reaching the semi-finals. Group A is Australia, England, Samoa and Wales. Group B is New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France and Fiji. Women’s World Cup matches are 70 minutes long.
The Jillaroos are the defending champions and have won the last three World Cups, beating New Zealand 54-4 in the 2021 final. Jess Skinner coaches the side and Isabelle Kelly captains it for the first time. Tarryn Aiken, Tamika Upton and Olivia Kernick headline the squad, and Millie Elliott retires after the tournament. Our Jillaroos vs Samoa tips cover the opener, and our Jillaroos 78-0 England result covers Round 2, and they finished the group by beating Wales 124-6, a women’s international record (result). The Jillaroos beat Fiji 30-14 in the semi-final in Sydney on Sunday 8 November (result) and play the Kiwi Ferns in the final: our Jillaroos vs Kiwi Ferns tips.
Every fixture, the groups, past winners and our tips are on our Women’s Rugby League World Cup page.
The wheelchair tournament ran from 30 October to 13 November, with all 20 matches at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong. Group A was England, Ireland, Wales and the USA, and Group B was Australia, France, Scotland and New Zealand. England kept their title, beating France 50-38 in the final on Friday 13 November for their third World Cup, after 2008 and 2021. Joe Coyd was named player of the final, and Robert Hawkins won the Golden Boot for the third time. Australia finished third, beating Ireland 70-24 in the play-off. All the wheelchair finals are on our winners page.
Tournament Winner: with the final set, the tournament winner market is now a straight choice between Australia and New Zealand. Our pick is Australia, by 1-12, and we do not have current head to head prices from our bookmakers. Our proposed bets, including try scorers, are in the final preview and our Jillaroos vs Kiwi Ferns tips.
Pool Winner: Predict which team will top each pool. Pool A is a straight fight between Australia and New Zealand.
Match Winner: Back the winner of individual pool and knockout matches.
Line Betting: Points handicap for each match.
First Tryscorer / Anytime Tryscorer: Back a player to score in each match.
Top Tournament Try Scorer: Casey McLean (New Zealand) and Tom Trbojevic (Australia) go into the final level on eight tries, with Jack Bostock on seven, so Sunday decides it. In the women’s tournament Jaime Chapman leads with 10 from Stacey Waaka on nine.
Same Game Multi: Combine match winner, tryscorer and total points from the same RLWC match. Check our same game multi tips page.
| Venue | City | Country | Capacity |
| Allianz Stadium | Sydney | Australia | 42,500 |
| Suncorp Stadium (Final) | Brisbane | Australia | 52,500 |
| CommBank Stadium | Parramatta | Australia | 30,000 |
| McDonald Jones Stadium | Newcastle | Australia | 33,000 |
| HBF Park | Perth | Australia | 20,500 |
| Cbus Super Stadium | Gold Coast | Australia | 27,400 |
| Queensland Country Bank Stadium | Townsville | Australia | 25,455 |
| WIN Stadium | Wollongong | Australia | 23,750 |
| One NZ Stadium (Te Kaha) | Christchurch | New Zealand | 30,000 |
| Santos National Football Stadium | Port Moresby | Papua New Guinea | 14,800 |
Compare World Cup prices across our best rugby league betting sites, all of which cover every match in the tournament. For club football, visit our NRL hub, and compare every bookmaker on our best betting sites guide. If you also bet on the 15-a-side game, see our best rugby union betting sites.
Australia have won 12 of the 16 tournaments. Every final since 1954, records and the women’s and wheelchair winners are on our Rugby League World Cup winners page.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Host |
| 2022 | Australia | Samoa | England |
| 2017 | Australia | England | Australia/NZ/PNG |
| 2013 | Australia | New Zealand | England/Wales/France |
| 2008 | New Zealand | Australia | Australia |
| 2000 | Australia | New Zealand | UK/France |
| 1995 | Australia | England | UK |
| 1992 | Australia | Great Britain | UK/France |
| 1988 | Australia | New Zealand | New Zealand |
When is the Rugby League World Cup 2026?
From Thursday 15 October to Sunday 15 November 2026. It opens with Australia against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in Sydney at 8:05pm AEDT, and the final is at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 15 November at 7:35pm AEDT.
Where is the 2026 Rugby League World Cup?
In Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Most matches are in Australia, with games in Christchurch and Port Moresby, and the final in Brisbane.
What channel is the Rugby League World Cup on in Australia?
Seven holds the rights. Every men’s, women’s and wheelchair match is live and free on Seven and 7plus.
How many teams are in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup?
Ten men’s teams, eight women’s teams and eight wheelchair teams.
How often is the Rugby League World Cup held?
Usually every four years. The previous tournament, held in England, was delayed from 2021 to 2022 by the pandemic.
Who won the last Rugby League World Cup?
Australia, who beat Samoa 30-10 in the 2021 final at Old Trafford, played in 2022. The Jillaroos won the women’s title and England the wheelchair title.
What is the Rugby League World Cup 2026 draw?
Pool A is Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands. Pool B is England, Lebanon and Samoa, and Pool C is France, Papua New Guinea and Tonga. Pools B and C play each other and form one combined table.
Who will win the Rugby League World Cup?
The final is Australia v New Zealand, and Australia, the defending champions, beat New Zealand 24-22 in the opener. Our pick for the final is Australia, and Tom Trbojevic, who has scored in every game, is our try scorer bet. The Jillaroos are our pick in the women’s final.
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