Australia and Papua New Guinea to host scaled down 2026 Rugby League World Cup
The International Rugby League (IRL) has announced that Australia and Papua New Guinea will stage the next Rugby League World Cup in what it claims will be the “most competitive and culturally rich” edition of the tournament.
With France having withdrawn from hosting the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, Australia and PNG staging the event in 2026 will come after a four-year gap since the delayed 2021 edition, with the number of competing nations in the men’s tournament reduced from 16 to 10.
However, the event will also feature women’s and wheelchair tournaments - with eight teams in each.
It will take place following the NRL season across October and November, with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments to once again run simultaneously.
Australia, Samoa, New Zealand, England, Lebanon, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea have already qualified for the men’s tournament after reaching the quarterfinals at the last World Cup.
The remaining two spots will be decided at the inaugural IRL World Series next year which will be contested by the Cook Islands, Jamaica, South Africa and the winner of the European qualifying tournament between France, Serbia, Wales and Ukraine.
Welcoming the announcement, Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) Chair, Peter V’landys stated “we will host matches across Australia and in Papua New Guinea to showcase the game’s best players to inspire the next generation, and cement rugby league as the number one sport in the Pacific.
“The partnership between the two countries provides a unique opportunity to combine Australia’s experience in delivering world class and commercially viable events, while building capacity and capability in PNG, where the passion for the game is unrivalled and the potential for the game is untapped.
“The social and cultural legacy of this tournament will be wide-reaching and long-lasting, as we celebrate and promote diversity and inclusion, bringing communities together to tackle important social issues through the game of rugby league.”
Announcing the staging, IRL Chair Troy Grant stated “the Rugby League World Cup is the pinnacle of the sport and RLWC2026 promises to be the best and most competitive ever staged.
“We have all been impressed by the ARLC’s ventures into Las Vegas, led by Peter V’Landys and Andrew Abdo, and have no doubt that they will elevate the Rugby League World Cup to a new level.
“Rugby League has never been stronger in Australia and the Pacific, with sold-out stadiums, record television ratings and much excitement about Pacific expansion.
“The 2026 World Cup in Australia, with matches to played in Papua New Guinea, will see the rise of the game in the Pacific reach greater heights and ensure rugby league is the number one sport in the region.”
The staging of matches in Papua New Guinea, which also hosted games during its 2017 edition, is with a view to further strengthening the game in the Oceania region.
with a view to showcasing the cultures of the Pacific, where the majority of men’s and women’s teams are set to hail from. The schedule is expected to include double-headers and triple-headers to give fans added value for ticket prices.
The RLWC was first held in France in 1954 and is the second oldest sporting world cup after the FIFA World Cup.
It 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.
The IRL added that tenders to host the standalone 2028 Women’s World Cup, 2029 Wheelchair World Cup and 2030 Men’s World Cup will be announced next week.
Images: The Rugby League World Cup trophy (top) and Port Moresby's Santos National Football Stadium is set to host games during the 2026 tournament (below).
Related Articles
22nd July 2024 - NRL’s Penrith Panthers to play at CommBank Stadium in 2025
10th July 2024 - NRL to return to Las Vegas to open 2025 season
6th July 2024 - NRL marks 200,000 Club Rugby League registrations nationally
25th June 2024 - Western Australian consortium looks to secure 18th NRL licence
20th June 2024 - Fans at AFL, NRL and A-League games fail to report racist incidents
5th June 2024 - SLE extends backing of NSW Rugby League’s female teams
22nd May 2024 - Federal Government and NRL work on $600 million deal to launch Papua New Guinea team
9th February 2024 - Australian Government bolsters rugby league in Papua New Guinea
2nd January 2024 - Cairns Council resolves to back PNG bid for NRL inclusion
17th August 2023 - Australian Rugby League Commission announces new 2023 Pacific Championships
3rd August 2023 - International Rugby League announces scaled back World Cup plans with southern hemisphere to host 2026 edition
24th July 2023 - Australian Government commits $5.5 million to boost Papua New Guinea pathway to NRL
20th May 2023 - Fiji, New Zealand, Qatar and South Africa express interest in hosting 2025 Rugby League World Cup after French withdrawal
26th September 2022 - Australian Government expands its support for rugby league in Papua New Guinea
21st June 2022 - Rugby league bans transgender athletes from international competition following FINA decision
28th August 2021 - Organisers confirm 2022 dates for Rugby League World Cup
6th August 2021 - Organisers postpone Rugby League World Cup until 2022
22nd July 2021 - Australia and New Zealand withdraw from 2021 Rugby League World Cup over COVID concerns
16th August 2017 - Rugby League World Cup to offer ‘family friendly’ ticket prices for PNG
3rd May 2017 - A year of sport dominates Papua New Guinea
15th September 2016 - Three women to manage Papua New Guinea’s Under 20 Women’s World Cup stadiums
16th February 2016 - New National Football Stadium opens in Papua New Guinea