After the thrills and spills of Super League, attention has quickly switched to a Rugby League World Cup Down Under.
Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are the host nations for a tournament that brings together the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions.
It all gets under way tomorrow with a mouthwatering clash between powerhouses Australia and New Zealand, setting the tone for a month of international action.
Here is what to expect, the key games to look out for and the teams that could shape the tournament – including those with Yorkshire connections.
How the new format works
As ever in rugby league, nothing stays the same for long.
The delayed World Cup held on these shores in 2022 featured emerging nations such as Greece and Jamaica in a 16-team men’s tournament with a straightforward four-group format.
This time, the International Rugby League has taken a different approach, reverting to a 10-team competition for the first time since 2008.
That means no quarter-finals and real jeopardy in the group stage.
This is where it gets complicated following the introduction of an inter-group format.
Whereas Group A – featuring Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands and Fiji – follows the familiar round-robin format, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals, the thinking behind Groups B and C is anything but straightforward.
Both groups contain three teams but in the most rugby league plot twist imaginable, those sides do not play each other. Instead, they face the three teams in the other group.
That means England – drawn in Group B with Lebanon and Samoa – take on Tonga, France and Papua New Guinea.
In what is effectively a six-team group with two semi-finalists, there is little margin for error.
That puts huge pressure on England's opening group game against a strong Tonga side. Lose and Brian McDermott's team may already be on their way home.
What to expect
That is the million-dollar question in the wonderful world of international rugby league.
With no warm-up games in 2026, there is no form book to speak of heading into the sport's showpiece event.
To complicate matters further, England have a new head coach and only came together as a group for the first time in Australia.
It would be fair to say expectations are modest, not least after a 3-0 Ashes whitewash on home soil this time last year.
McDermott has largely kept faith with the creative players who struggled against the Kangaroos under Shaun Wane, backing himself to get more out of the likes of George Williams, Harry Smith and AJ Brimson.
That creates an intriguing subplot as the former Leeds Rhinos head coach tackles one of the toughest jobs in international rugby league with precious little preparation time.
As ever, Australia are the teams to beat in the men's and women's tournaments.
England famously secured the wheelchair trophy in Manchester four years ago and head into the 2026 edition as favourites to retain their crown.
What to look out for
For starters, how about Australia versus New Zealand in the very first game?
The result is unlikely to define either side’s tournament, with both expected to reach the semi-finals, but this is a blockbuster way to kick off the 2026 World Cup.
England versus Tonga offers a contest with genuine consequences on the opening weekend, the first of two testing games for the Pacific Island nation.
Tonga meet rivals Samoa in their final group fixture, leaving them with one of the toughest routes to the semi-finals.
In the women’s tournament, England have an early opportunity to show they have closed the gap on Australia since their Las Vegas mauling when they face the defending champions in their second group game.
Those who follow the wheelchair game will be hoping England and France get the chance to renew their intense rivalry in the latter stages of the tournament.
Contenders and dark horses
The old World Cup adage, certainly when it comes to tournaments played on grass, is that 26 players chase a ball around for 80 minutes and in the end Australia always win.
It is hard to look past the Australian teams in the men’s and women’s tournaments, as boring as that sounds. They are the dominant forces in both competitions and will take some stopping on home soil.
There are threats to the Kangaroos in the men’s tournament, led by their opening-day opponents New Zealand.
Tonga and Samoa pose a significant threat to England’s hopes of maintaining their record of reaching at least the semi-finals in every tournament since 1995.
Yorkshire interest
Simply put, there isn't much, particularly where England are concerned.
Hull KR pair Jez Litten and Mikey Lewis are the only representatives from Yorkshire’s eight Super League clubs in the England squad, although Dom Young and Max King are flying the flag for the county in their own ways.
Esan Marsters is representing Cook Islands, while Bradford Bulls team-mate Waqa Blake and Castleford Tigers outside back Semi Valemei line up for Fiji.
Wakefield Trinity’s Grand Final-winning forward Jazz Tevaga is part of Samoa’s squad and Tui Lolohea, recently released by Huddersfield Giants, features for Tonga.
How to watch
This is a bone of contention for rugby league fans after the BBC failed to secure the rights to the tournament.
Anyone planning to watch will instead need to subscribe to Premier Sports. To sweeten the deal, the broadcaster is offering three months for the price of one.