LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium is poised to secure the hosting rights for the final of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
The tournament, which has been delayed and relocated multiple times, will primarily be held in Australia, with limited contributions from New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. The men's World Cup will see a reduced number of teams, shrinking from 16 in the last tournament in England to just ten in 2026.
Although initially anticipated that Sydney, particularly Allianz Stadium, would host the final, recent reports from News Corp suggest that the Queensland government has made a last-minute bid to claim the match.
Suncorp Stadium, while not officially confirmed as the venue, has a rich history of hosting significant events, including State of Origin matches and previous World Cup finals. Notably, Brisbane held the finals during Australia's last two home competitions, in 2008 and 2017.
In those finals, Australia faced New Zealand and suffered a defeat of 34-20 in 2008, while in 2017 they overcame England with a score of 6-0 in a tightly contested match.
This weekend, the final ten teams for the 2026 tournament will be determined, with the Cook Islands battling South Africa for the last qualifying spot. France recently secured their place after defeating Jamaica, while the other eight teams have already qualified based on their performance in the previous World Cup: Australia, England, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Lebanon, and Fiji.
Following the team announcements, the draw will be revealed, as the NRL aims to capitalize on the growing support for international rugby league, evidenced by increased crowd attendance in both hemispheres.