The fixtures for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup have been confirmed by the NRL and IRL almost 12 months out from the start of the tournament.
To be hosted by Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, ten men’s teams, eight women’s teams, and eight wheelchair teams will travel to face off in the reduced tournament, which was originally slated for 2025 in the USA, and then France, with both nations pulling out of hosting.
The tournament will kick-off on Thursday, October 15, less than two full weeks after the completion of the NRL season, with Australia to play New Zealand in Sydney on the men’s side, before Australia open the women’s tournament the following evening against Samoa.
The finals of the men’s and women’s tournaments will both be played in Brisbane on November 15, with semi-finals the weekend before in Newcastle and Sydney.
Men’s tournament
The ten teams have been split into three groups, with Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands to play each other in Group A.
The other six teams have been split across Group B and C, but will only play the three teams in the other group. England, Samoa and Lebanon are in Group B, while Tonga, PNG and France are in Group C.
The top two teams from Group A advance to the semi-finals, while Group B and C will have their points combined, and the top two teams of the six will progress.
Full fixtures
Pool
Date
Time
Match
Venue
A
Thu Oct 15
8:05pm
Australia vs New Zealand
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
B/C
Fri Oct 16
5:45pm
Samoa vs France
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
B/C
Sat Oct 17
3:25pm
Papua New Guinea vs Lebanon
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
B/C
Sat Oct 17
8:05pm
England vs Tonga
HBF Park, Perth
A
Sun Oct 18
4:05pm
Fiji vs Cook Islands
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
B/C
Fri Oct 23
8:05pm
Tonga vs Lebanon
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
B/C
Sat Oct 24
3:25pm
Papua New Guina vs Samoa
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
B/C
Sat Oct 24
5:35pm
England vs France
HBF Park, Perth
A
Sun Oct 25
4:05pm
New Zealand vs Cook Islands
One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
A
Sun Oct 25
8:05pm
Australia vs Fiji
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
B/C
Fri Oct 30
8:05pm
England vs Papua New Guinea
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
A
Sat Oct 31
3:45pm
New Zealand vs Fiji
CBus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
A
Sat Oct 31
8:05pm
Australia vs Cook Islands
Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
B/C
Sun Nov 1
5:50pm
Lebanon vs France
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
B/C
Sun Nov 1
8:05pm
Tonga vs Samoa
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
N/A
Sat Nov 7
8:05pm
Semi-final 1
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
N/A
Sun Nov 8
8:05pm
Semi-final 2
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
N/A
Sun Nov 15
7:35pm
Final
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Women’s tournament
The women’s tournament is far more straight forward. Two groups of four, with each team playing the teams in their own group.
Many of the matches have been set up as double-headers with men’s matches, while the finals will be played on the same days and at the same venues as the men’s tournament.
Australia, England, Samoa and Wales have been drawn into Group A, while New Zealand, PNG, France and Fiji have been drawn into Group B.
Full fixtures
Pool
Date
Time
Match
Venue
A
Fri Oct 16
8:05pm
Australia vs Samoa
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
B
Sat Oct 17
1:15pm
Papua New Guinea vs France
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
A
Sat Oct 17
5:35pm
England vs Wales
HBF Park, Perth
B
Sun Oct 18
1:50pm
New Zealand vs Fiji
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
A
Fri Oct 23
5:50pm
Samoa vs Wales
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
B
Sat Oct 24
1:15pm
Papua New Guinea vs Fiji
National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
A
Sat Oct 24
8:05pm
Australia vs England
HBF Park, Perth
B
Sun Oct 25
1:50pm
New Zealand vs France
One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
A
Fri Oct 30
5:50pm
England vs Samoa
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
B
Sat Oct 31
1:35pm
Fiji vs France
CBus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
B
Sat Oct 31
5:55pm
New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea
CBus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
A
Sun Nov 1
3:45pm
Australia vs Wales
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
N/A
Sat Nov 7
5:55pm
Semi-final 1
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
N/A
Sun Nov 8
5:55pm
Semi-final 2
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
N/A
Sun Nov 15
4:15pm
Final
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Wheelchair tournament
The wheelchair tournament will be played under the same format as the women’s, with all matches to be played at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong. England, Ireland, Wales and the USA are in Group A, while France, Australia, Samoa and New Zealand are in Group B.
Full fixtures
Pool
Date
Time
Match
Venue
A
Fri Oct 30
1pm
Ireland vs USA
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
A
Fri Oct 30
3:30pm
England vs Wales
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
B
Sat Oct 31
3pm
France vs Scotland
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
B
Sat Oct 31
5:30pm
Australia vs New Zealand
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
B
Tue Nov 3
11am
France vs New Zealand
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
B
Tue Nov 3
1:30pm
Australia vs Scotland
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
A
Tue Nov 3
4pm
Ireland vs Wales
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
A
Tue Nov 3
6:30pm
England vs USA
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
B
Fri Nov 6
11am
Scotland vs New Zealand
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
A
Fri Nov 6
1:30pm
Wales vs USA
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
A
Fri Nov 6
5pm
England vs Ireland
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
B
Fri Nov 6
7:30pm
France vs Australia
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Mon Nov 9
11am
Placing match
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Mon Nov 9
1:30pm
Placing match
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Tue Nov 10
5pm
Semi-final 1
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Tue Nov 10
7:30pm
Semi-final 2
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Thu Nov 12
11am
Placing match
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Thu Nov 12
1:30pm
Placing match
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Fri Nov 13
5pm
Placing match
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
N/A
Fri Nov 13
7:30pm
Final
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong