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With France having withdrawn from hosting the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, Australia and PNG staging the event in 2026 will come after a four-year gap since the delayed 2021 edition, with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).