RL World Cup 2026 Men's Groups

This will be the 17th men's tournament, going back to 1954. The 2025 WC was to be held in France, with 16 men's teams, plus women and wheelchair tournaments included. France pulled out of the hosting role so it was moved to the Southern Hemisphere. The date was moved back to 2026 and the number of men's teams were reduced to 10.

Mens: There are three groups as seen to the right. So that all teams play three group games, Groups A and B play a side from the other group. 

England-France, Lebanon-PNG and Samoa-Tonga are the swap over matches. Then on to the semi finals and grand final.

The last competition featured 16 teams but it was decided to go with 10 as it will enhance the financial return and reduce blow out scores. The ten were decided by the top two group finishes in the previous WC (eight), with a Northern and Southern Hemisphere qualifier through an elimination process.

For the women's coverage, simply click here.

For the wheelchair coverage, simply click here.