Australia, England and New Zealand Confirmed for 2026 PDRL World Cup
Australia, England and New Zealand will contest the 2026 PDRL World Cup. See the round-robin fixtures, venues, format and defending champion.
Australia, England and New Zealand are the three confirmed teams for the 2026 Physical Disability Rugby League World Cup. The second PDRL World Cup will be staged in the Sydney area alongside the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments.
The official tournament announcement, published on 1 September 2026, confirms the field and format:
| Team | 2026 status | Inaugural World Cup record |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Host | Fourth in 2022 |
| England | Defending champion | Beat New Zealand 42–10 in the 2022 final |
| New Zealand | Returning team | Runner-up in 2022 |
Wales, who took third place at the inaugural tournament, are not in the announced 2026 field. The launch did not give a reason for their absence.
PDRL World Cup 2026 fixtures and format
The three teams will play one another once at AIIMS Stadium in Cabramatta. The top two then advance to the final, meaning every team plays two round-robin matches and the finalists play three matches in total.
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 30 October 2026 | Australia v England | AIIMS Stadium, Cabramatta | 6:30pm |
| Monday 2 November 2026 | England v New Zealand | AIIMS Stadium, Cabramatta | 6:30pm |
| Thursday 5 November 2026 | Australia v New Zealand | AIIMS Stadium, Cabramatta | 6:30pm |
| Sunday 8 November 2026 | First v second | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | To be confirmed |
The International Rugby League schedule confirms that the final will be played before the men’s and women’s semi-finals at Allianz Stadium.
There is no semi-final. One loss will not necessarily eliminate a team, because all three round-robin results determine the top two. However, the published announcement did not specify how teams level on competition points would be separated, so no tie-breaking method should be assumed until the regulations are available.
England return as champions
England won the first PDRL World Cup by defeating New Zealand 42–10 at Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington. The NRL’s final report records England as the first PDRL world champion and confirms that Wales beat Australia 32–18 in the third-place play-off.
The competition retained the 2021 Rugby League World Cup edition name but was played in October 2022 after postponement. Records may therefore call England either the 2021 champion, using the edition name, or the 2022 champion, using the year in which the matches were played. The 2026 organisers describe the inaugural event as the 2022 PDRL World Cup.
The RFL says the England Community Lions are preparing to defend their title and has published a 20-player 2026 squad. The World Cup launch confirmed Australia and New Zealand as teams but did not publish their tournament squads.
How the field differs from the first World Cup
The inaugural event featured Australia, England, New Zealand and Wales. Its published 2022 schedule comprised three round-robin matchdays, followed by a third-place play-off and the final.
The 2026 edition reduces the field from four teams to three and has no third-place match in the announced schedule. Australia, England and New Zealand return; Wales do not.
PDRL results should be kept separate from the men’s, women’s and wheelchair World Cups. The competitions share the RLWC2026 programme, but each has its own teams, format and title.