Trimming the men’s field to 10 teams was meant to raise the stakes at RLWC2026, and it has. Every nation in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea this October arrives with a genuine case for making the semifinals.
## The Favourites
Australia’s Kangaroos remain the benchmark, with 12 World Cup titles and a squad built from the NRL’s deepest talent pool. Beating them has proven almost impossible historically, but recent tournaments have shown the gap narrowing.
– Australia: 12-time champions, still the team to beat
– New Zealand: The only other side to have broken Australia’s grip on the title
– England: Hosts of the last edition and consistent semifinalists
## The Rising Pacific Nations
Samoa’s run to the 2022 final in England, where they pushed Australia to extra time, changed how the rugby league world views the Pacific nations. Tonga and Fiji have followed a similar trajectory, drawing on NRL stars with island heritage who now regularly choose to represent their family nations over Australia or New Zealand.
– Samoa: Reigning runners-up and a genuine title threat
– Tonga: Passionate support base and growing depth
– Fiji: Dangerous, fast-paced attacking rugby
## Papua New Guinea’s Home Advantage
Playing World Cup matches on home soil for the first time, PNG’s Kumuls carry the weight of a nation where rugby league dominates every other sport. Crowd support in Port Moresby could make their pool matches among the tournament’s most electric.
For player-level detail on who is carrying these squads, see our players to watch guide. Curious who our writers think lifts the trophy? Read the full predictions. And for the bigger picture on format and history, our RLWC2026 complete guide has it all.
## Bottom Line
With a tighter field and deep Pacific talent, RLWC2026 could produce the most competitive World Cup rugby league has ever seen.