How to watch Rugby League World Cup: Official broadcasters, TV & streaming guide

Watch the Rugby League World Cup, as Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea host the best sides on the planet for a month of top-level action.

Men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions are taking place simultaneously, with 53 matches to look forward to between now and the men’s and women’s finals on Sunday 15 November. The wheelchair tournament gets underway on Friday 30 October.

Australia are looking to defend their titles in the men’s and women’s competitions, while England are back to defend their crown in the wheelchair tournament.

Quick Guide

– Rugby League World Cup dates: 15 October-15 November, 2026
– Rugby League World Cup FREE stream: 7 Plus (Australia)
– Rugby League World Cup broadcasters: Premier Sports (UK, Ireland, US), Sky Sport (New Zealand)
– Watch Rugby League World Cup from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free

There are 10 teams competing in the men’s Rugby League World Cup: Australia, Cook Islands, England, Fiji, France, Lebanon, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga.

The eight teams battling for the women’s title are: Australia, England, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Wales.

And in the wheelchair event, Australia, England, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, the USA and Wales are vying to lift the trophy.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know to watch Rugby League World Cup live streams wherever you are in the world – including details of free viewing options if you’re in Australia. We’ll also explain how you can use a VPN to tune in to your usual streaming services if you’re travelling away from home.

Can I watch the Rugby League World Cup for free?

If you’re in Australia, you can watch every game of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free on Seven and its 7plus streaming service. Watching 7plus is easy – you just need your email address to create your free account.

ThreeNow in New Zealand will also have every Kiwis match available for free, as well as the semi-finals and finals of each respective event.

Aussies travelling overseas right now don’t need to worry about missing any of the action, either. You can use a VPN to access your usual service as if you were still down under.

How to watch Rugby League World Cup 2026 from anywhere

Being away from home doesn’t have to stop you watching the Rugby League World Cup 2026. A VPN bypasses geo-blocking by changing your IP address, allowing you to stream matches as if you were at home. The tech experts at TechRadar and Tom’s Guide rate NordVPN as world number one, thanks to its low price and unrivalled ability to unblock streaming services.

What are this week’s Rugby League World Cup 2026 fixtures?

Thursday 15 October

• Australia v New Zealand (Men Pool A)
  Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Australia
  Kick-0ff: 10.05am BST / 8.05pm AEDT / 10.05pm NZDT / 5.05am EDT / 2.05am PDT

Friday 16 October

• Samoa v France (Men Pool B)
  CommBank Stadium, Sydney, Australia
  Kick-0ff: 7.45am BST / 5.45pm AEDT / 7.45pm NZDT / 2.45am EDT / 11.45pm PDT (Thursday)
• Samoa v France (Women Pool A)
  CommBank Stadium, Sydney, Australia
  Kick-0ff: 10.05am BST / 8.05pm AEDT / 10.05pm NZDT / 5.05am EDT / 2.05am PDT

Saturday 17 October

• Papua New Guinea v France (Women Pool B)
  Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
  Kick-0ff: 3.15am BST / 1.15pm AEDT / 3.15pm NZDT / 10.15am EDT (Friday) / 7.15pm PDT (Friday)
• Papua New Guinea v Lebanon (Men Pool B)
  Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
  Kick-0ff: 5.25am BST / 3.25pm AEDT / 5.25pm NZDT / 12.25am EDT / 9.25pm PDT (Friday)
  
• England v Wales (Women Pool A)
  HBF Park, Perth, Australia
  Kick-0ff: 7.35am BST / 5.35pm AEDT / 7.35pm NZDT / 2.35am EDT / 11.35pm PDT (Thursday)
• England v Tonga (Men Pool B)
  HBF Park, Perth, Australia
  Kick-0ff: 10.05am BST / 8.05pm AEDT / 10.05pm NZDT / 5.05am EDT / 2.05am PDT

Sunday 18 October

• New Zealand v Fiji (Women Pool B)
  McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Australia
  Kick-0ff: 3.50am BST / 1.50pm AEDT / 3.50pm NZDT / 10.50am EDT (Saturday) / 7.50pm PDT (Saturday)
• Fiji v Cook Islands (Men Pool A)
  McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Australia
  Kick-0ff: 6.05am BST / 4.05pm AEDT / 6.05pm NZDT / 1.05am EDT / 10.05pm PDT (Saturday)

Other Rugby League World Cup viewing options around the world

• United Kingdom: In the UK every game of the competition is available via Premier Sports. You can watch online, or through your TV via Sky Q, Prime Video, STV Player or Virgin Media. Costs are £18.99 a month on a rolling basis, £13.99 a month on a year-long contract, or £130 a year (less than £11 per month) if you pay up front.
• Ireland: Premier Sports is also the Rugby League World Cup rights holder in Ireland. Existing Sky Sports customers can add the service to their subscription as part of the Sports Extra pack. This costs €10 per month for the first six months, before rising to €25 per month for the next six months.
• United States: Every Rugby League World Cup match is on Premier Sports in the US. You can get a RLWC26 Pass to watch every game for $25.
• New Zealand: You need to head to Sky Sport NZ to watch Rugby League World Cup live streams in New Zealand. Subscriptions cost $59.99 per month or $549.99 per year, though you can get day passes for $29.99 if you only want to tune into specific games. ThreeNow also have select fixtures available for free as alluded to above.
• Rest of the world: If you’re not sure where to find Rugby League World Cup live streams in your country, chances are it’s also on Premier Sports, which is showing the competition in over 120 countries around the world on its Premier Sports Player. Prices vary by region.

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