The fixtures for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup have been confirmed by the NRL and IRL almost 12 months out from the start of the tournament.
To be hosted by Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, ten men's teams, eight women's teams, and eight wheelchair teams will travel to face off in the reduced tournament, which was originally slated for 2025 in the USA, and then France, with both nations pulling out of hosting.
The tournament will kick-off on Thursday, October 15, less than two full weeks after the completion of the NRL season, with Australia to play New Zealand in Sydney on the men's side, before Australia open the women's tournament the following evening against Samoa.
The finals of the men's and women's tournaments will both be played in Brisbane on November 15, with semi-finals the weekend before in Newcastle and Sydney.
Men's tournament
The ten teams have been split into three groups, with Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands to play each other in Group A.
The other six teams have been split across Group B and C, but will only play the three teams in the other group. England, Samoa and Lebanon are in Group B, while Tonga, PNG and France are in Group C.
The top two teams from Group A advance to the semi-finals, while Group B and C will have their points combined, and the top two teams of the six will progress.
Full fixtures
| Pool | Date | Time | Match | Venue |
| A | Thu Oct 15 | 8:05pm | Australia vs New Zealand | Allianz Stadium, Sydney |
| B/C | Fri Oct 16 | 5:45pm | Samoa vs France | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta |
| B/C | Sat Oct 17 | 3:25pm | Papua New Guinea vs Lebanon | National Football Stadium, Port Moresby |
| B/C | Sat Oct 17 | 8:05pm | England vs Tonga | HBF Park, Perth |
| A | Sun Oct 18 | 4:05pm | Fiji vs Cook Islands | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle |
| B/C | Fri Oct 23 | 8:05pm | Tonga vs Lebanon | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta |
| B/C | Sat Oct 24 | 3:25pm | Papua New Guina vs Samoa | National Football Stadium, Port Moresby |
| B/C | Sat Oct 24 | 5:35pm | England vs France | HBF Park, Perth |
| A | Sun Oct 25 | 4:05pm | New Zealand vs Cook Islands | One NZ Stadium, Christchurch |
| A | Sun Oct 25 | 8:05pm | Australia vs Fiji | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| B/C | Fri Oct 30 | 8:05pm | England vs Papua New Guinea | WIN Stadium, Wollongong |
| A | Sat Oct 31 | 3:45pm | New Zealand vs Fiji | CBus Super Stadium, Gold Coast |
| A | Sat Oct 31 | 8:05pm | Australia vs Cook Islands | Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville |
| B/C | Sun Nov 1 | 5:50pm | Lebanon vs France | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta |
| B/C | Sun Nov 1 | 8:05pm | Tonga vs Samoa | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta |
| N/A | Sat Nov 7 | 8:05pm | Semi-final 1 | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle |
| N/A | Sun Nov 8 | 8:05pm | Semi-final 2 | Allianz Stadium, Sydney |
| N/A | Sun Nov 15 | 7:35pm | Final | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
Women's tournament
The women's tournament is far more straight forward. Two groups of four, with each team playing the teams in their own group.
Many of the matches have been set up as double-headers with men's matches, while the finals will be played on the same days and at the same venues as the men's tournament.
Australia, England, Samoa and Wales have been drawn into Group A, while New Zealand, PNG, France and Fiji have been drawn into Group B.
Full fixtures
| Pool | Date | Time | Match | Venue |
| A | Fri Oct 16 | 8:05pm | Australia vs Samoa | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta |
| B | Sat Oct 17 | 1:15pm | Papua New Guinea vs France | National Football Stadium, Port Moresby |
| A | Sat Oct 17 | 5:35pm | England vs Wales | HBF Park, Perth |
| B | Sun Oct 18 | 1:50pm | New Zealand vs Fiji | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle |
| A | Fri Oct 23 | 5:50pm | Samoa vs Wales | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta |
| B | Sat Oct 24 | 1:15pm | Papua New Guinea vs Fiji | National Football Stadium, Port Moresby |
| A | Sat Oct 24 | 8:05pm | Australia vs England | HBF Park, Perth |
| B | Sun Oct 25 | 1:50pm | New Zealand vs France | One NZ Stadium, Christchurch |
| A | Fri Oct 30 | 5:50pm | England vs Samoa | WIN Stadium, Wollongong |
| B | Sat Oct 31 | 1:35pm | Fiji vs France | CBus Super Stadium, Gold Coast |
| B | Sat Oct 31 | 5:55pm | New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea | CBus Super Stadium, Gold Coast |
| A | Sun Nov 1 | 3:45pm | Australia vs Wales | CommBank Stadium, Parramatta |
| N/A | Sat Nov 7 | 5:55pm | Semi-final 1 | McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle |
| N/A | Sun Nov 8 | 5:55pm | Semi-final 2 | Allianz Stadium, Sydney |
| N/A | Sun Nov 15 | 4:15pm | Final | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
Wheelchair tournament
The wheelchair tournament will be played under the same format as the women's, with all matches to be played at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong. England, Ireland, Wales and the USA are in Group A, while France, Australia, Samoa and New Zealand are in Group B.
Full fixtures
| Pool | Date | Time | Match | Venue |
| A | Fri Oct 30 | 1pm | Ireland vs USA | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| A | Fri Oct 30 | 3:30pm | England vs Wales | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| B | Sat Oct 31 | 3pm | France vs Scotland | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| B | Sat Oct 31 | 5:30pm | Australia vs New Zealand | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| B | Tue Nov 3 | 11am | France vs New Zealand | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| B | Tue Nov 3 | 1:30pm | Australia vs Scotland | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| A | Tue Nov 3 | 4pm | Ireland vs Wales | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| A | Tue Nov 3 | 6:30pm | England vs USA | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| B | Fri Nov 6 | 11am | Scotland vs New Zealand | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| A | Fri Nov 6 | 1:30pm | Wales vs USA | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| A | Fri Nov 6 | 5pm | England vs Ireland | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| B | Fri Nov 6 | 7:30pm | France vs Australia | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Mon Nov 9 | 11am | Placing match | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Mon Nov 9 | 1:30pm | Placing match | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Tue Nov 10 | 5pm | Semi-final 1 | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Tue Nov 10 | 7:30pm | Semi-final 2 | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Thu Nov 12 | 11am | Placing match | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Thu Nov 12 | 1:30pm | Placing match | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Fri Nov 13 | 5pm | Placing match | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
| N/A | Fri Nov 13 | 7:30pm | Final | WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong |
