It’s been around for 72 years and is older than both the Rugby World Cup and the Cricket World Cup.
From humble origins in 1954, and masterminded by former French Resistance fighter Paul Barriere, the first Rugby League World Cup took place with Great Britain prevailing in the inaugural four-team tournament, after defeating France in the Paris final.
The latest edition is just weeks away, and yet there is no UK TV deal and marketing outside host country Australia has been minimal. Not for the first time, rugby league has taken careful aim and shot itself squarely in the foot.
From humble beginnings, the Rugby League World Cup has grown and evolved, experimenting with different formats over the decades, but now includes men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions every four years, all taking place at the same time.
There will be trophies up for grabs in the wheelchair, men’s and women’s tournament (Photo: Getty)The 17th World Cup will be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with the tournament kicking off in Sydney on 15 October.
There will be 10 nations battling it out in the men’s competition, eight in the women’s section, and the same number in the wheelchair format. Matches will be played across stadiums in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Perth, Townsville, the Gold Coast, as well as in Port Moresby and Christchurch, with the final set as a double-header in Brisbane on 15 November.
The World Cup should be the high point of the rugby league calendar, an event where all of the sport’s global eyes are fixed on the action on the field. But just 59 days before it starts, the World Cup’s profile is tiny.
There are a few reasons for this: the Rugby Football League (RFL) is currently focused on its key negotiations with the National Rugby League (NRL) over what would be a historic merger. The RFL is also deep in talks about securing a vital new domestic TV deal, expected to be with Sky Sports, with its current deal finishing at the end of this year.
Further complicating matters is a long-running legal squabble between the RFL and International Rugby League (IRL) over the last World Cup, held in England in 2022. The IRL claims the RFL still owes it £400,000 in unpaid fees from hosting four years ago, which the RFL denies.
England were knocked out at the semi-final stage four years ago (Photo: Getty)Meanwhile, the NRL, which is organising the 2026 World Cup, also has competing priorities. It is launching new clubs in Western Australia and Papua New Guinea, considering bringing in another new team in New Zealand, and planning a global round where it takes NRL matches to the UK, the United States and Japan. For a cashed-up but staff-poor organisation, it may be spread too thin.
The result is a tournament that is failing to capture the public imagination, or grab any wider media attention. The BBC showcased all 61 matches of the 2022 World Cup live in full, but sources have told The i Paper that the public broadcaster has limited interest in the 2026 version, with pay TV operator Premier Sports now the favourite to pick up the rights when a decision is finally made.
Officials at International Rugby League (IRL) have told The i Paper that an announcement on a UK broadcaster is “imminent”, but time is clearly running out. With no broadcaster or dedicated public relations push, the World Cup in its second-biggest market has almost disappeared from view.
The RFL has done little to push the tournament publicly either, apart from the announcement of Brian McDermott as the new England men’s coach in April and of a 38-player performance programme in June. McDermott will have no warm-up games with his team, and just three training sessions, before England’s World Cup opener against Tonga.
James Graham reflects on England's matchup against Tonga at RLWC 2017 England will face Tonga at #RLWC26 England vs Tonga | HBF Park, Perth | 17 October pic.twitter.com/ovBzbONYeG
— Rugby League World Cup 2026 (@rugbyleaguewcup) June 11, 2026In early July the World Cup claimed more than 100,000 tickets have been sold, and IRL officials insist privately that sales have been “great”. But the 2022 World Cup in the UK lost money, despite attracting a total tournament attendance of 473,477, and this year’s version will do well to hit that target.
The 2026 tournament has been heavily condensed compared with 2022, with 16 teams cut to just 10, to save on costs. Tickets for this year’s World Cup are relatively cheap, available from as little as £9.50 for the opener at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
However, with fans focused on their club competitions in the NRL and Super League, and little advertising or World Cup content grabbing headlines, visibility is low. Even Australian broadcaster Channel 7’s recent ad for the tournament, featuring former Neighbours actor Daniel McPherson, was heavily criticised because it used footage of fans celebrating at the Fifa World Cup.
For rugby league’s faithful, this is déjà vu. Most recognise the importance of the international game, of how it can be used to generate growth and attract new audiences across the globe, but the same mistakes are being repeated.
Unless the Rugby League World Cup receives proper love and attention, it will be forgotten in an increasingly competitive sporting marketplace.
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