ENGLAND’S men will begin their World Cup campaign next year against Tonga in Perth.
It’s a repeat of England’s last victory down under – a dramatic 20-18 Auckland success in the 2017 semi-finals – and likely a must-win affair under a new competition structure.
They go on to face France, also at HBF Park in Perth, and Papua New Guinea in the first phase of the ten-team competition.
A new format sees one group of four teams – involving Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Cook Islands – play each other for two semi-final spots.
The other six nations are divided into two pools with each facing the three sides in the opposite group, rather than teams in their own, and the best two of the half dozen progressing.
After the opener with Tonga on Saturday, October 17, England face France on Saturday, October 24 and Papua New Guinea at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium on Friday, October 30.
All three matches are double headers also involving England’s women, who have a treacherous route to the last four.
After opening against Wales, they will face Australia – who beat them 90-4 in Las Vegas in March – before concluding the group stage against emerging force Samoa.
The Welsh go on to play Samoa on Friday, October 23 then Australia on Sunday, November 1, both at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta.
Two teams progress from each of the four-team groups in the women’s tournament, a repeat of the format in 2022.
The men’s and women’s semi-finals will be played as double headers, with one at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday, November 7 and the other the following day at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
Like in 2017, when Australia beat England 6-0 in the men’s final, the World Cup will end at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, which hosts both the men’s and women’s deciders on Sunday, November 15.
Allianz Stadium launches the event on Thursday, October 15 with the blockbuster clash between the two top-ranked men’s nations, Australia and New Zealand.
The entire wheelchair tournament, which follows the same format as the women’s, will take place at WIN Entertainment Centre, adjacent to the stadium in Wollongong.
That means England fans can take in all three of their teams on October 30, when the defending wheelchair champions start against Wales.
England go on to face USA on Tuesday, November 3 and Ireland on Friday, November 6 as part of quadruple headers.
Ireland kick off the wheelchair tournament against USA on October 30 before facing Wales second.
Scotland, in the other group, open with France on Sunday, October 31 before playing Australia and New Zealand in turn.
All wheelchair sides will have five games over a fortnight, with eliminated nations playing each other around the semi-finals on Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10, then the final on Friday, November 13.
World Cup 2026 pools
MEN
Pool A
Australia
New Zealand
Fiji
Cook Islands
Pool B
England
Samoa
Lebanon
Pool C
Tonga
Papua New Guinea
France
WOMEN
Pool A
Australia
England
Samoa
Wales
Pool B
New Zealand
PNG
France
Fiji
WHEELCHAIR
Pool A
England
Ireland
Wales
USA
Pool B
France
Australia
Scotland
New Zealand
World Cup 2026 schedule
(All UK time)
Thursday 15 October
Australia v New Zealand (M) 10:05
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Friday 16 October
Samoa v France (M) 07:45
Australia v Samoa (W) 10:05
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
Saturday 17 October
Papua New Guinea v France (W) 03:15
Papua New Guinea v Lebanon (M) 05:25
Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
England v Wales (W) 07:35
England v Tonga (M) 10:05
HBF Park, Perth
Sunday 18 October
New Zealand v Fiji (W) 03:50
Fiji v Cook Islands (M) 06:05
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Friday 23 October
Samoa v Wales (W) 07:50
Tonga v Lebanon (M) 10:05
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
Saturday 24 October
Fiji v Papua New Guinea (W) 03:15
Papua New Guinea v Samoa (M) 05:25
Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby
England v France (M) 07:35
Australia v England (W) 10:05
HBF Park, Perth
Sunday 25 October
New Zealand v France (W) 02:50
New Zealand v Cook Islands (M) 05:05
One NZ Stadium, Christchurch
Australia v Fiji (M) 09:05
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Friday 30 October
Ireland v USA (Wh) 02:00
England v Wales (Wh) 04:30
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
England v Samoa (W) 06:50
England v Papua New Guinea (M) 09:05
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
Saturday 31 October
Fiji v France (W) 02:35
New Zealand v Fiji (M) 04:45
New Zealand v Papua New Guinea (W) 06:55
Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
France v Scotland (Wh) 04:00
Australia v New Zealand (Wh) 06:30
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Australia v Cook Islands (M) 09:05
Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Sunday 1 November
Australia v Wales (W) 04:45
Lebanon v France (M) 06:50
Tonga v Samoa (M) 09:05
CommBank Stadium, Parramatta
Tuesday 3 November
France v New Zealand (Wh) 12:00
Australia v Scotland (Wh) 02:30
Ireland v Wales (Wh) 05:00
England v USA (Wh) 07:30
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Friday 6 November
Scotland v New Zealand (Wh) 12:00
Wales v USA (Wh) 02:30
England v Ireland (Wh) 06:00
France v Australia (Wh) 08:30
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Saturday 7 November
Semi-final (W) 06:55
Semi-final (M) 09:05
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Sunday 8 November
Semi-final (W) 06:55
Semi-final (M) 09:05
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Monday 9 November
Semi-final (Wh) 02:30
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Tuesday 10 November
Semi-final (Wh) 08:30
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Thursday 12 November
Final (Wh) 08:30
WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Sunday 15 November
Final (W) 05:15
Final (M) 08:35
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
