International Rugby League have announced that Premier Sports has secured the exclusive broadcast rights for IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026 in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Premier Sports has a strong association with the IRL Rugby League World Cup, having previously broadcast RLWC2013 and RLWC2017, the latter of which, like this year’s event, was staged in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026 will kick off in Sydney on October 15 with Australia, the 2025 Ashes Series winners, taking on Pacific Cup champions New Zealand. RLWC2026 comprises 53 matches in three tournaments – Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair.
England take on Tonga in their opening match on October 17 at Perth’s HBF Park – the first World Cup clash between the two nations since their epic 2017 semi-final in Auckland.
Brian McDermott’s men then face France in Perth on October 24 before travelling to Wollongong to play Papua New Guinea on October 30 in a match that is likely to determine a semi-final berth for both nations.
England Women also play in Perth on October 17 against Wales and October 24 against Australia, before meeting Fetu Samoa at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium in what is also expected to be a must-win match on October 30.
IRL secretary general Danny Kazandjian said: “Premier Sports has had a strong partnership with international rugby league events for many years and has showcased some of the sport’s elite tournaments – none more so than the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. IRL is really excited about renewing that relationship as we continue to develop our business, increasing the IF’s capacity to invest consistently and in a meaningful way in the global game. We have no doubt that Premier Sports’ customers will be enthralled by what promises to be one of the most competitive world cups in history.”
Premier Sports will broadcast all 18 matches of the Men's World Cup live, as well as all England matches in the Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments, along with the semi-finals and finals of both tournaments. There is provision for Premier Sports to broadcast more Women’s and Wheelchair World Cup matches live, depending on scheduling commitments.
The Men's and Women's finals will be played as a double-header on November 15 at Suncorp Stadium, while the Wheelchair final will be on November 13 at Wollongong's
WIN Entertainment Centre, where the Wheelchair tournament is being staged in its entirety from October 30.
Richard Sweeney, CEO of Premier Sports, said: “We are delighted to be bringing the Rugby League World Cup back to Premier Sports viewers, having previously broadcast the tournament in 2013 and 2017.
“This is one of the major events in the international sporting calendar and we are looking forward to showing every match from the men’s tournament live, alongside extensive coverage of the IRL Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments. England’s opening match against Tonga promises to be a fascinating contest, and our full studio presentation around every England fixture will give supporters expert insight, analysis and reaction throughout the tournament.
“Premier Sports has a proud history with rugby league, from the 2013 and 2017 World Cups to our more recent coverage of the Rugby League Championship. We are excited to bring that experience and commitment to this tournament and to showcase the very best of the international game.”
The UK and Ireland deal follows the announcement that Premier Sports would broadcast RLWC2026 in Canada and 20 countries in South-East Asia. The deals were negotiated by global sports marketing agency, IMG, IRL’s exclusive global media rights partner for IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026. IRL will be making further global broadcast announcements in due course.
