England avoid Australia and NZ in 2026 RL World Cup draw

In the men’s draw for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, which will be held alongside the women’s and wheelchair competitions, England has drawn drawn Australia and New Zealand.

In their opening matches of the tournament, which will take place between October 15 and November, Shaun Wane’s team will face Tonga, France, and Papua New Guinea.

Australia, the 12-time champion, defeated Fiji and the Cook Islands to draw them in the same group as close-ups New Zealand, who defeated Australia 3-0 in the recent Ashes series in England.

The men’s competition, which was scheduled to take place this year in France but the hosts pulled out due to financial constraints, will feature a total of 10 teams, including Samoa and Lebanon, the other two teams.

Group A teams compete against each other in Group B matches, which is a part of the tournament structure, and vice versa.

The top two from Group A will advance to the semi-finals, along with the top two from Group B and Group C combined tables.

In Group B of the women’s World Cup, France, Fiji, Australia, and Samoa are drawn together while England and Wales are drawn separately for Group A.

Australia or New Zealand have won each of the six women’s titles.