Rugby League World Cup 2026: higher crowds and a profit, but format and coverage questioned

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup drew bigger average crowds and made a profit, but a reduced men’s tournament and limited free-to-air coverage left its success open to debate.

The men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions were held across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Australia won both the men’s and women’s titles for a fourth consecutive tournament, while England claimed the wheelchair crown.

Average crowds rose to 21,360 for the men’s group stage, up from 9,811 in 2022. The tournament also made a profit, unlike the previous competition, which had faced financial constraints in the aftermath of the pandemic.

But the men’s tournament was cut from 16 teams to 10 after France withdrew as host for financial reasons and Australia stepped in. The smaller format did not prevent lopsided results: France and the Cook Islands conceded more than 180 points each in the group stage.

England’s men were among those who missed out on the semi-finals despite winning two of their three group games. The format, which had two groups of different sizes and no quarter-finals, was criticised before the tournament began.

Former England international Ryan Hall said the reduced competition had lost the World Cup’s role as a “festival of the sport”. England captain George Williams described the format as “weird”.

There were also limits to the audience gains. The 52,000 crowd at the Brisbane finals was below the 67,000 who attended the 2022 final at Old Trafford. And while Australia had free-to-air live coverage, UK viewers needed a Premier Sports subscription for most matches; the BBC showed the wheelchair final live and offered selected highlights and radio coverage.

The women’s matches faced a separate challenge: some double-headers drew sparse crowds for the women’s fixtures. Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner urged spectators to stay and support the women’s game after many fans left following the men’s match at a double-header in Parramatta.

Australia captain Isaah Yeo praised the tournament, calling it the best and most competitive World Cup so far. The BBC’s assessment points to a split result: stronger crowds and a financial surplus, alongside concerns about the tournament’s scale, competitive balance and reach in the northern hemisphere.