Experienced journalist and editor covering the sports and betting industry. A football, NFL and rugby specialist, he is a FWA member and judge at the Football Content Awards.
Rugby League World Cup Information
In this Rugby League Betting Guide, we will be taking a look at the 17th edition of the Rugby League World Cup tournament, which will take place in 2026.
This tournament was created back in 1954 when it was hosted in France, and it was Great Britain that won its first of three World Cups.
Below, we are going to look at the upcoming season, look back at past champions and look at betting odds to enhance your betting experience with the RL World Cup.
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Rugby League World Cup Preview
Who won the Rugby League World Cup?
The reigning champions of the Rugby League World Cup are Australia, their win in 2022 was their twelfth success, and when considering that was only the sixteenth tournament, that shows their dominance.
When is the Rugby League World Cup?
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup was originally planned to take place in 2025 and hosted by France, however, they pulled out, and it was moved to 2026, with Australia and Papua New Guinea given co-hosting duties.
Who are the favourites to win the Rugby League World Cup?
Given their dominance at the tournament, when the event is priced up, it would be very surprising, given they are now also hosting it, if Australia were not short-priced favourites for another success.
Who will win the Rugby League World Cup?
OLBG's knowledgeable rugby tipsters provide Rugby League World Cup predictions with analysis on the tournament winner market and the matches throughout, so be sure to check their 2026 Rugby League World Cup tips before deciding on your Rugby League World Cup bets.
You can also head over to the Best Rugby Tipsters page, not only for this tournament but throughout the year too. This page only shows tips from profitable rugby tipsters.
What is the Rugby League World Cup Format?
Due to all of the rescheduling, there will only be ten teams competing at the tournament this year, but this will increase back to the normal sixteen for the next tournament.
How they are going to play the matches is yet to be announced; it could be something like two groups of five with the top four advancing to the knockouts.
Where will the 2026 Rugby League World Cup final be played?
Whilst it was confirmed that Australia and Papua New Guinea would be co-hosting the rescheduled tournament, the venues are yet to be announced.
Rugby League World Cup Broadcast & Scheduling Info
The 2026 Rugby League Union World Cup TV schedule is to be confirmed.
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Rugby League World Cup Past Winners
When was the first Rugby League World Cup?
The first Rugby League World Cup featured just four teams and was in 1954 when Great Britain defeated the hosts France 16-12 in the final.
How many teams have won the Rugby League World Cup?
Only three countries have ever won the RLWC, Australia have been dominant, winning it twelve times, Great Britain has three wins to their name, whilst New Zealand has just the one win.
Previous Rugby League World Cup Winners:
| Year | Winner | Score | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021* | Australia | 30–10 | Samoa | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 2017 | Australia | 6–0 | England | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 2013 | Australia | 34–2 | New Zealand | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 2008 | New Zealand | 34–20 | Australia | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| 2000 | Australia | 40–12 | New Zealand | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 1995 | Australia | 16–8 | England | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1992 | Australia | 10–6 | Great Britain | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 1988 | Australia | 25–12 | New Zealand | Auckland, New Zealand |
| 1985–88† | Australia | 25–12 | New Zealand | Carlaw Park, Auckland |
| 1985 | Australia | 18–6 | New Zealand | Lang Park, Brisbane |
*Held in 2022 due to COVID-19 postponement.
†Final of a tournament played over multiple years.
Rugby League World Cup Favourite Statistics
The favourites have been fairly steady over the last two tournaments, with 86% of favourites winning in 2017 and then 84% in 2021. The two tournaments prior both saw figures of under 80%.
If looking at which countries have been the most reliable, then it is Australia who have won twenty of their twenty-one games when favourites, that is a 95% success rate.
England also boasts a success rate of over 90% and is undefeated in their eleven games with ten wins and one tie, that is a 91% success rate.
| Year | Favourites | Winners | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 10 | 7 | 70.00% |
| 2013 | 28 | 22 | 78.57% |
| 2017 | 28 | 24 | 85.71% |
| 2021 | 31 | 26 | 83.87% |
| Total | 97 | 79 | 81.44% |
Tournament Betting Comparison
Here is a comparison between some of the top rugby league tournaments (Knockouts) for winning favourites.
| League | Games | Winning Favs | Overall Fav % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Womens World Cup | 27 | 24 | 88.89% |
| World Cup | 97 | 79 | 81.44% |
| Challenge Cup | 499 | 371 | 74.35% |
Rugby League World Cup Teams
The first eight qualifiers for the World Cup are the top two teams from each of the four groups at the 2021 WC. The other two will be decided via the Northern Hemisphere playoffs and the Southern Hemisphere playoffs.
Qualified teams for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup
- New Zealand
- 17 Apps, Champions in 2008
- England
- 8 Apps, Runners-Up in 1975, 1995 & 2017
- Australia
- 17 Apps, Twelve-time Champions
- Fiji
- 7 Apps, Semi-finalists in 2008, 2013 & 2017
- Lebanon
- 4 Apps, Quarter-finalists in 2017 & 2021
- Tonga
- 7 Apps, Semi-finalists in 2017
- Samao
- 7 Apps, Runners-up in 2021
- Papua New Guinea
- 9 Apps, Quarter-finalists in 2000, 2017 & 2021
- TBC
- TBC
Rugby League World Cup Records
Most Career Matches in the Rugby League World Cup
New Zealander Kurt Sorensen holds the record for the most appearances in the Rugby League World Cup, having competed in a total of 25 matches.
That is well clear of the next group who are on 17 matches which features John Atkinson, Bob Fulton and Cameron Smith.
Most Rugby League World Cup Career Points
Just four points separate the top two when it comes to most career points in the Rugby League World Cup.
Top of the pile with 124 points is the Australian Johnathan Thurston, who scored those points between 2008 & 2017.
Four points behind with 120 is Shaun Johnson, the New Zealander who played between 2013 & 2017.
Most Rugby League World Cup Career Tries
Billy Slater leads the way for tries, he scored a total of 16 during his career (2008-17) for Australia.
Second on the list is the dual-national Jarryd Hayne, who scored 14 combined for Australia and Fiji.
Also on fourteen tries is the Englishman Ryan Hall, who is technically still playing at the age of 37.
2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup
2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup Preview
The 2026 Women's Rugby League World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and Papua New Guinea and will run at the same time as a the men's tournament.
Due to reorganising, the planned expansion has been put on hold, then plan was to double the number of teams to 16, however, for this tournament, it will remain at the eight teams.
The last five Women's Rugby League World Cup Champions
| Year/Host | Champions | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 England | Australia | 54 - 4 | New Zealand |
| 2017 Australia | Australia | 23 - 16 | New Zealand |
| 2013 England | Australia | 22 - 12 | New Zealand |
| 2008 Australia | New Zealand | 34 - 0 | Australia |
| 2003 New Zealand | New Zealand | 58 - 0 | New Zealand Maori |
Australia & New Zealand have dominated the Women's Rugby League World Cup, winning all six tournaments between them, with three wins apiece.
The last four finals have been those two teams competing; the only other two teams to make the final are the New Zealand Maori's (2003) and Great Britain (2000).
2025 Women's Rugby League World Cup Teams
Seven of the eight teams have been decided, the semi-finalists from the last tournament all got an automatic spot making up the first four places.
During the European qualifications both Wales and France booked their spots whilst the 2024 Pacific Bowl winners, Samao got their spot.
The final spot will go to the winners of the 2025 Women's Rugby League World Series.
- Australia
- England
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Wales
- France
- Samao
- TBC
Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. The data in this Rugby League World Cup Preview & Betting Guide is managed by Andy Powell, who looks after the Rugby Tipsters and results in the Rugby Tips Section. Our Commercial Content Manager, Luke Bradshaw-Lee, is a keen Rugby fan; he fact-checks the article for accuracy and publication. Together, they produce our Rugby Union Previews and Rugby League Previews.
Andy Powell
Content Editor
Luke Bradshaw Lee
Senior Sports Betting Editor
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