Bella Sykes, James Graham, Lord Mayor Tania Brown, Liam Luff and Taliah Fuimaono are counting down until the Rugby League World Cup comes to Wollongong. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
International footy fans and sport enthusiasts will descend on the Illawarra in less than 100 days, as hype builds and tickets sell for the Rugby League World Cup games being held on home soil.
Wollongong will host the best international players in only three months’ time, with men’s, women’s and wheelchair rugby league matches for the World Cup being held at WIN Stadium and the WIN Entertainment Centre.
“You don’t want to miss this,” Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown said.
“Wollongong loves sporting events, we love to get behind a team and come out and enjoy it, but it also brings reputation; it’ll bring visitors to our region and I’m always happy about that.”
The event is set to capture the very best of the sport, fueled by patriotism and passion.
“It’s the absolute pinnacle so when you’re playing for your country it tends to bring out the best in you,” English rugby league legend James Graham said.
“You’re going to have some of the game’s best stars playing and anytime you put that jersey on and you think about people that have been along the journey – for me personally it was starting as an eight-year-old boy, it was all those people and volunteers that helped contribute to my career.”
For NRL and NRLW players who hope to step up and put on their country’s colours, the opportunity is about more than just sporting performance, it’s also about pride and inspiring the next generation.
St George Illawarra Dragons player Taliah Fuimaono is hoping to represent Fetu Samoa after being part of the winning Australian Jillaroos side from the last Rugby League World Cup.
“I think anytime you get to put on your culture or wear your family’s name on your back it’s something special,” she said.
“For me it’s probably visibility; you obviously can’t be what you can’t see and I know for myself growing up there wasn’t a lot of women playing rugby league let alone Samoan women playing rugby league so I think it’s going to be huge for that next generation coming through to have someone to look up to and to aspire to be like.
“And if we can inspire one girl to put on the boots and aspire to be like us then we’ve done our job.”
Bella Sykes is expected to face off against Taliah at WIN Stadium, hopeful that she’ll get to kit up and represent England after recently having moved to Australia for a new challenge and to be a part of our country’s growing NRLW scene.
“It’s obviously super popular out here and especially in the girls’ game it’s so exciting to see how many young girls are out playing footy now and I think that’s part of the reason why the NRLW is having so much success is because they’ve got all these girls coming through the pathways,” she said.
“England has got their own competition in the Super League and hopefully that’s heading in a similar direction.
“I think [the World Cup] will be so exciting for local girls in Australia but also for the girls back in the UK, I think they’ll be super excited to watch the English girls run out against Samoa and just showcase the best of women’s rugby league.”
Australian Wheelaroos squad member Liam Luff is hoping wheelchair rugby league will benefit from the same boost, with the entirety of the tournament to be played in the Illawarra.
“It’s massive for us here – we’re still a developing sport so getting more eyes and viewership on it is a big thing,” he said.
“I think our biggest thing with wheelchair rugby league is just knowledge; too many people get it mixed up with wheelchair rugby which is its own different game, so definitely having primetime broadcast and all of that and being at a great time slot for us is going to be massive for the game’s awareness.”
The Illawarra games will also increase the opportunity for the athletes to perform in front of family and friends.
But on Friday 30 October, the English fans are set to be the ones coming out in force with their wheelchair rugby league team playing off against Wales at 3:30 pm, their women’s team against Fetu Samoa at 5:45 pm and their men’s team taking on Papua New Guinea Kumuls at 8:05 pm.
“The one thing that COVID taught us is that the game is nothing without the fans – it’s special and I think bringing England here, that’s going to generate an atmosphere,” James said.
“Nothing beats being involved in that atmosphere. The England fans bring it, the Commonwealth fans are going to bring it – I think even if you’re a neutral get down and be a part of it.”
The international visitation will also help the Illawarra economy and help prove the potential of the region for future international events.
“To hold elite competition, to use these facilities – they are ageing facilities, we look forward to announcements there – but to show that Wollongong has the capacity and the appetite to host these events is a great boom for the city,” Destination Wollongong General Manager Jeremy Wilshire said.
“I think too in the runway to the Olympics in 2032 there’s a great opportunity to look at those Olympic sports and the international teams both in terms of training camps and elite competition to host those in Wollongong.”
For more details or to buy tickets visit the RLWC2026 website.