Australia and New Zealand set to open 2026 Rugby League World Cup

Australia and New Zealand were scheduled to open the 2026 men’s Rugby League World Cup at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on October 15, with kickoff listed for 8:05 p.m. local time. The supplied coverage does not report a result, so the match outcome is not established here. The tournament begins in Australia after a change of host and a reduction in its size. According to one account, the competition was originally due to take place in France in 2025, but France withdrew after the government pulled its funding. The tournament was postponed by a year and moved to Australia; the field was reduced from 16 nations to 10, and the schedule from 31 matches to 18. Australia entered the opener as defending men’s champions. New Zealand, world champions in 2008, were seeking another title, according to a match preview. The teams were described in the preview coverage as tournament favourites, setting up a high-profile first fixture, but no post-match account or score is included in the available reports. The reduced format leaves 18 men’s fixtures on the schedule.