Overview
The 2026 World Cup will include matches in Papua New Guinea, and will showcase the cultures of the Pacific, where the majority of men’s and women’s teams come from.
The schedule is set to include double-headers and triple-headers to give fans added value for ticket prices.
First held in France in 1954, the Rugby League World Cup is the second oldest sporting world cup after the FIFA World Cup.
The Rugby League World Cup has followed a variety of formats, with the number of teams ranging from four to 10 in 2008, 14 in 2013 and 16 in 2017 and 2022.
With Tonga’s emergence as a Pacific powerhouse in 2017, Samoa creating history by qualifying for the final of RLWC2021 at Old Trafford, Fiji having been semi-finalists in 2008, 2013 and 2017 and only losing narrowly to the Kiwis in the quarter-finals in 2022, the international game has never been more competitive.
Fellow quarter-finalists Papua New Guinea are also on the rise, having beaten the Bati to win the Pacific Bowl in 2023 and 2024, and with the PNG Chiefs joining the NRL in 2028 the Kumuls will only get stronger.
Ticketing
Ticketmaster is the only authorised ticketing agent for the Rugby League World Cup 2026 event at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Tickets for Rugby League World Cup 2026 are on sale NOW!
Rugby League World Cup Links
Venue Links
Visit the venue links below for information regarding general event operations. As planning advances, information will become Rugby League World Cup 2026 focused via the below links.