Australia against New Zealand is a strong way to start a World Cup. On 15 October, the two men's teams meet at Allianz Stadium in Sydney to open Rugby League World Cup 2026. The women's competition starts the next day; wheelchair rugby league joins the programme on 30 October.
Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea share hosting duties. There are 26 team entries across three competitions: ten men's teams, eight women's teams and eight wheelchair teams. The tournament runs until 15 November, when Brisbane stages the men's and women's finals. Here are the confirmed teams and the matches worth putting in the diary.
Men: a trans-Tasman opener and a Pacific rivalry
The ten teams in the official men's draw are:
Australia
Cook Islands
England
Fiji
France
Lebanon
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Tonga
The opener already has a selection story. On 3 October, the organiser reported that Dane Gagai had been cleared to represent New Zealand after previously playing for Australia. That makes him available to the Kiwis; it does not guarantee a place in the team. If selected, he could face his former international side immediately.
Port Moresby gets two Papua New Guinea men's matches at Santos National Football Stadium: Lebanon on 17 October and Samoa on 24 October. For the Kumuls, those home games offer an early chance to shape their campaign before facing England in Wollongong on 30 October.
Tonga against Samoa on 1 November at CommBank Stadium in Sydney is another fixture to circle. It comes in the last round of the pool stage, so the rivalry could also carry semi-final consequences. The men's semi-finals are in Newcastle on 7 November and Sydney on 8 November, followed by the final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 15 November.
Women: Wales take on a demanding draw
The eight teams in the official women's draw are:
- Australia
- England
- Fiji
- France
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
Wales
Australia open against Samoa at CommBank Stadium on 16 October. The next day brings Papua New Guinea against France in Port Moresby and England against Wales at HBF Park in Perth. New Zealand begin against Fiji in Newcastle on 18 October.
Wales have a particularly interesting squad story. Bulldogs captain and halfback Tayla Preston has been named in their 23-player squad, alongside Cowboys winger Siรขn Williams. Wigan's Bethan Dainton captains the team. Their route through the pool is England, Samoa and Australia: a tough assignment, and a good reason to follow more than the favourites.
Australia against England in Perth on 24 October is a clear early test for both sides. The following day, New Zealand play France at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch, part of a double-header with the New Zealand men against Cook Islands. The women's semi-finals share Newcastle and Sydney with the men's on 7 and 8 November. Their final is at Suncorp Stadium on 15 November.
Wheelchair: Wollongong hosts the whole competition
The eight teams in the official wheelchair draw are:
- Australia
- England
- France
Ireland- New Zealand
Scotland
USA- Wales
Every wheelchair fixture is at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong. Ireland against USA and England against Wales open the programme on 30 October. Australia face New Zealand on 31 October; France play Scotland that day too.
England and France have won every wheelchair World Cup between them, according to the organiser's profile of New Zealand's first World Cup squad. The Wheel Kiwis bring a different story: they made their international debut in 2024 and now step into a pool with Australia, France and Scotland. Former Australia representative Mitchell Stone has joined their squad, adding experience from the 2013 World Cup.
France against Australia on 6 November is another pool match to watch. The wheelchair programme continues into finals week, with the title decider scheduled for 13 November at WIN Entertainment Centre. That gives the wheelchair final its own day before the men's and women's double-header in Brisbane.
Where to watch, and the dates to keep
The host cities are Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Townsville and Perth in Australia, plus Christchurch in New Zealand and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Hosting is shared across the event, rather than every competition visiting all three countries.
- 15 October: men's opener, Australia v New Zealand, Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
- 16 October: women's opener, Australia v Samoa, CommBank Stadium, Sydney.
- 30 October: wheelchair competition begins at WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong.
- 13 November: wheelchair title decider, Wollongong.
- 15 November: men's and women's finals, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
These dates and venues were checked against the organiser's schedule on 5 October 2026. Use the Men, Women and Wheelchair tabs on the official draw and pools page for the full fixtures and current kick-off times before making plans. For more articles, visit the CapQuiz blog.