The Rugby League World Cup 2026 takes centre stage across October and November as nations head Down Under in the hope of getting their hands on silverware.
Co-hosts Australia will hope to defend the men’s and women’s titles on home turf, after wins four years ago, while England make the long journey to the Southern Hemisphere as the holders in the wheelchair event.
Whoever ends up with medals around their necks, viewers are guaranteed plenty of exciting and high-tempo action where both power and finesse are required for success.
Over the next month, heroes will rise, dreams will be crushed, and legacies will be written as teams look to write their name into the history books.
UK viewers will notice a difference to the coverage of this year’s tournament but you can still tune to see the best rugby league players in the world on show.
Radio Times brings you the complete Rugby League World Cup 2026 TV schedule in the UK, including every game you can watch live.
Rugby League World Cup 2026 on TV and live stream
Premier Sports is the exclusive broadcast partner of the Rugby League World Cup 2026 in the UK.
The platform, which had the rights in 2013 and 2017, will show all 18 men’s World Cup fixtures live, England matches from the women’s and wheelchair tournaments, as well as the semi-finals and finals from both those tournaments. The majority of matches will be shown on Premier Sports 1 and Premier Sports 2.
A subscription is required and starts from £12.99 per month. Subscribers can tune in to Premier Sports on TV, online or on a variety of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets via their app.
The BBC is no longer the broadcast home of the Rugby League World Cup, having opted against bidding for the broadcast rights.
Rugby League World Cup 2026 TV Schedule
All UK time. Subject to change.
Men’s
Thursday 15 October
Friday 16 October
Saturday 17 October
Sunday 18 October
Friday 23 October
Saturday 24 October
Sunday 25 October
Friday 30 October
Saturday 31 October
Sunday 1 November
Saturday 7 November
Sunday 8 November
Sunday 15 November
Women’s
Friday 16 October
Saturday 17 October
Sunday 18 October
Friday 23 October
Saturday 24 October
Sunday 25 October
Friday 30 October
Saturday 31 October
Sunday 1 November
Saturday 7 November
Sunday 8 November
Sunday 15 November
Wheelchair
Friday 30 October
Saturday 31 October
Tuesday 3 November
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Group stage: France Wheelchair v New Zealand Wheelchair (12am) Premier Sports TBC
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Group stage: Australia Wheelchair v Scotland Wheelchair (2:30am) Premier Sports TBC
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Group stage: Ireland Wheelchair v Wales Wheelchair (5am) Premier Sports TBC
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Group stage: England Wheelchair v USA Wheelchair (7:30am) Premier Sports TBC
Friday 6 November
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Group stage: Scotland Wheelchair v New Zealand Wheelchair (12am) Premier Sports TBC
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Group stage: Wales Wheelchair v USA Wheelchair (2:30am) Premier Sports TBC
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Group stage: England Wheelchair v Ireland Wheelchair (6am) Premier Sports TBC
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Group stage: France Wheelchair v Australia Wheelchair (8:30am) Premier Sports TBC
Monday 9 November
Tuesday 10 November
Thursday 12 November
Friday 13 November
Premier Sports has exclusive live broadcast rights for the Rugby League World Cup 2026, which begins on 15 October. Subscriptions start at £12.99 per month.
Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
