Rugby League World Cup 2026: England fixtures, UK start times and how to watch

The Rugby League World Cup 2026 begins on 15 October, with England’s men opening their campaign against Tonga in Perth two days later.

Premier Sports will show the tournament live in the UK, including England’s matches across the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions.

For supporters following the men’s team, there is an important detail in the draw: England are in Pool B but play their opening three matches against Pool C opponents.

Here are the fixtures, UK kick-off times and how qualification works.

When is the Rugby League World Cup 2026?

The men’s competition opens with Australia against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Thursday 15 October.

Matches take place across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

The men’s and women’s finals are scheduled for Sunday 15 November at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The wheelchair final takes place on Friday 13 November at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.

How to watch in the UK

Premier Sports holds the UK broadcast rights.

The RFL’s broadcast announcement confirms live coverage of every match across the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments, including every England fixture.

Dedicated studio coverage is planned around England’s men’s and women’s matches.

Supporters should check Premier Sports for subscription options and individual channel listings before each game. Programme start times may be earlier than the kick-offs listed below.

England men’s fixtures and UK kick-off times

The RFL’s World Cup guide lists the following fixtures.

Date	Match	UK kick-off	Venue
Saturday 17 October	England v Tonga	10.05am BST	HBF Park, Perth
Saturday 24 October	England v France	7.35am BST	HBF Park, Perth
Friday 30 October	England v Papua New Guinea	9.35am GMT	WIN Stadium, Wollongong

The UK clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so England’s third match falls after the switch from BST to GMT.

Brian McDermott has selected five uncapped players in England’s 23-man squad, with George Williams as captain.

Why do England play teams from another pool?

The men’s tournament features 10 teams divided into three pools.

Pool	Teams
A	Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands
B	England, Samoa, Lebanon
C	Tonga, Papua New Guinea, France

Pool A follows a conventional format: each team plays the other three sides in its pool.

Pools B and C work differently. Each team plays all three sides from the opposite pool.

England therefore face Tonga, France and Papua New Guinea, rather than Samoa and Lebanon.

How do England reach the semi-finals?

The top two teams in Pool A qualify.

Results from Pools B and C form a combined six-team table, with the top two advancing to the semi-finals.

That means finishing above Samoa and Lebanon alone does not guarantee England a place. Their overall position across the combined table determines whether they progress.

There is no men’s quarter-final round. The four qualifiers go straight into the semi-finals, as set out in the official tournament format.

When do England’s other teams begin?

England Women open against Wales in Perth on Saturday 17 October. They also face Australia and Samoa in Pool A.

England Wheelchair begin against Wales on Friday 30 October in Wollongong, with the USA and Ireland completing their pool opponents.

Both competitions have eight teams, split into two pools of four.

For a closer look at the men’s selection decisions, read our England World Cup squad analysis.