Nine cities, three countries, one trophy. The venue map for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup is one of the most ambitious in the tournament’s history.
## Tournament Dates
RLWC2026 runs from October 15 to November 15, 2026, giving fans a full month of men’s, women’s and wheelchair rugby league running side by side.
## Host Cities
Matches are being staged across:
– Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong (New South Wales)
– Brisbane, Gold Coast and Townsville (Queensland)
– Perth (Western Australia)
– Christchurch, New Zealand, at the new Te Kaha stadium
– Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Christchurch’s inclusion was only confirmed when the draw and pools were announced, officially making New Zealand a co-host nation alongside Australia and Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby’s involvement marks the first time PNG has ever hosted men’s World Cup matches, a milestone for a country where rugby league is effectively the national sport.
## Double and Triple Headers
Organisers have built the fixture list around double-headers and triple-headers at several venues, a format designed to give ticket holders more value and pack stadiums for the smaller nations’ games rather than leaving them under-attended.
## Why the Spread Matters
Running matches across three countries is logistically demanding, but it reflects rugby league’s Pacific identity. Most competing nations in the men’s and women’s brackets trace their playing base to the Pacific, so taking games to Port Moresby and Christchurch is as much about growing the sport as it is about hosting a tournament.
For context on which teams are chasing history at these venues, read our teams to watch guide. And if you are trying to catch matches from outside the host nations, our broadcast and streaming guide breaks down your options. Our overall RLWC2026 complete guide covers the format and history in full.
## Final Word
With matches running from Perth to Port Moresby, this is the most geographically spread-out Rugby League World Cup ever staged, and it is worth planning around if you are travelling to catch a game.