2026 Rugby League World Cup odds: Tournament winner, pool winner and top try scorer

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup gets underway on Thursday, with 12-time winners and co-hosts Australia the heavy favourites in the betting odds.

The Aussies are the reigning champions and will stage the majority of matches for the 10-team tournament, which runs until November 15.

New Zealand and Papa New Guinea are the other host nations and the Rugby League World Cup odds on betting sites position the Kiwis as the main challengers to the Kangaroos’ crown.

This page is the home of Rugby League World Cup betting, featuring the latest tournament winner, pool winner, and top try scorer odds. The Standard’s expert team have also explained the main rugby league betting markets and highlighted the best places to bet on the tournament.

Rugby League World Cup odds: Tournament winner

Australia are the clear favourites to retain their crown on the back of winning nine of the last 10 World Cups.

The injury to Nathan Cleary might throw some shade on Australia’s favouritism but Kevin Walters’ men should still be a formidable unit, especially on home soil.

If anyone is to stop the Kangaroos, New Zealand are the most likely at a current best price of 7/2 in the Rugby League World Cup betting. Other than that, the only other teams with betting odds under 20/1 in the Rugby League World Cup odds are England, Tonga and Samoa.

Previous Rugby League World Cup winners

Australia have dominated the tournament in recent times and are a short price in the Rugby League World Cup final odds betting market once again in 2026. An 80 per cent strike rate for the Kangaroos makes for ominous reading for their opponents. Only New Zealand spoiled the party, but that was way back in 2008.

Rugby League World Cup pool winner odds

The Rugby League World Cup format is a little complicated for 2026. Here is how it shakes up:

• Pool A is a straight group of four (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands) with the top two advancing to the semi-finals.
• Pool B (England, Samoa, Lebanon) and Pool C (Tonga, Papua New Guinea, France) are a linked group, where each team plays only the three teams in the other pool, and the top two from the combined Pool B/C table advance.

This means there is no quarter-final stage and the top group teams advance straight into the semis.

Here are the latest Rugby League World Cup pool winner odds:

Pool A winner odds

There doesn’t look like much of an upset will be on the cards in Pool A. Possibly a straight forecast, which should be available at rugby betting sites, is a solid betting option.

Pool B winner odds

From the combined group B and C, it looks like two from Samoa, England, and Tonga will advance to the semi-final stages to face off against Australia and New Zealand.

Pool C winner odds

Tonga are heavy odds-on to win this pool on betting apps, with Papua New Guinea and France both big outsiders. With the current format, though, it by no means guarantees Tonga a spot in the semi-finals.

Rugby League World Cup top try scorer odds

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup top try scorer odds are led by Tom Trbojevic of Australia. The Manly full-back is coming off the back of a season in which he scored eight tries in 14 games for the Sea Eagles, while he has gone over seven times in nine Tests for the Kangaroos.

Last time out, Australia’s Josh Addo-Carr won the gong with 12 tries, but he won’t be playing this year, leaving the market wide open. The table above points out the leading candidates to be the top try scorer for their nation at this year’s Rugby League World Cup and their best current prices, overall, to be Rugby League World Cup top try scorer in 2026.

English fans should pay particular attention to Dominic Young at a big each-way price of 25/1. In the 2021 tournament, Young scored nine tries, finishing second behind Addo-Carr.

Previous Rugby League World Cup top try scorers

Rugby bettors can see from the table above that Australian players have dominated the Rugby League World Cup top try scorer charts historically, which is useful context for the 2026 outright betting odds. Brett Morris and Jarryd Hayne, both Aussies, shared the top try scorer accolade in 2013.

Popular rugby league betting markets

There are numerous ways to bet on the Rugby League World Cup, both before the tournament gets underway and once it starts. Below are some of the most popular rugby league markets and explanations on how they work for those learning how to bet on sport.

• Outright/tournament winner: Backing which nation lifts the trophy. It's the headline market of the Rugby League World Cup betting and usually sees the heaviest early turnover, with Australia likely to receive lots of support, despite being short-priced favourites.
• Top try scorer: Betting on the player who scores the most tries across the whole tournament. Wingers and fullbacks from the stronger nations tend to dominate, especially those wearing the green and gold.
• Pool winner: Betting on which team tops its group. With pools often containing one dominant nation and weaker associate or emerging sides, it can be tough to find value in these markets.
• To reach the semi-final / to reach the final: Betting on a team progressing to a given stage rather than winning the tournament outright. These give bettors a way to back a side they fancy doing well without needing them to go all the way.
• Match betting: Backing the result of an individual fixture. Draws are rare in rugby league, so most money goes on the straight winner, with closer pool and knockout games drawing the most interest.
• Handicap betting: A points start or deficit applied to one side to even up a lopsided fixture. Useful when a heavyweight nation faces a weaker pool opponent and the straight match bet isn't competitive enough to be worth a wager.
• Total points scorer (over/under): Betting on whether the combined points in a match go over or under a set line. High-scoring pool mismatches and tighter knockout games sit at very different lines.
• First try scorer: Predicting which player touches down first in the match, a popular same-game bet that pays well given how early in a game it can be decided.
• Anytime try scorer: Backing a player to score a try at any point in the game, regardless of the final result, a lower-risk alternative to first try scorer.

Where to bet on the Rugby League World Cup

Betfred is the top choice for the Standard’s team of betting experts when it comes to Rugby League World Cup betting. The Betfred welcome bonus is one of the biggest on the UK market and can be wagered entirely on the World Cup.

Betfred are the top-priced UK bookie on all teams to win the World Cup, while they are running odds boosts for every game at the tournament.

Strong alternatives to Betfred for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup are Bet365 for their extensive rugby league coverage, competitive prices and wide spread of markets on the sport.

Responsible gambling

Gambling responsibly and safer gambling practices are addressed by modern bookmakers who are required by law to have a Responsible Gambling or Safer Gambling page with advice and guidance for dealing with problem gambling activity. All the best betting sites have responsible gambling tools implemented that can be found via the account section or Safer Gambling section.

It is important to treat betting as entertainment and set aside separate funds for betting. Below are typical responsible gambling tools at online bookmakers:

• Deposit limits
• Betting limits
• Reality checks
• Time-outs
• Self-exclusion

The Standard strongly advises bettors to take regular breaks, stick to a budget and never chase their losses. If you or anyone you know is having concerns over their gambling, help is available 24 hours a day from the following organisations:

• GambleAware
• GamCare
• Gamblers Anonymous
• NHS gambling support

Rugby League World Cup - frequently asked questions

When does the 2026 Rugby League World Cup start and finish?

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup runs for one month, beginning 15 October and ending 15 November.

Who are the favourites to win the Rugby League World Cup?

Australia are heavy favourites in the Rugby League World Cup betting odds at 4/5, followed by rivals New Zealand at 7/2.

How many teams are in the Rugby League World Cup?

There are ten teams in the men’s Rugby League World Cup tournament.

What are the pools for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup?

There are three pools for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup. Pool A consists of 4 teams and Pool B and C have three teams each. Four teams will advance from the group stages to the semi-final stage. There are no quarter-final matches.

Where can I bet on the Rugby League World Cup?

You can bet on the Rugby League World Cup at all our recommended best betting sites for Rugby by clicking through the betting odds in any of the tables on this page.

We aim to offer every online gambler and reader of The Standard a safe and fair platform through unbiased reviews and offers from the UK's best online gambling companies.

Gambling can be addictive, always play responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling sites have a number of tools to assist you to stay in control, including deposit limits and time outs. If you think you have a problem, advice and support is available for you now from BeGambleAware or Gamcare.

Any offers or odds listed in this article are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change. Terms & Conditions apply to all offers.