Channel 7 Rugby League World Cup 2026 guide: live times and broadcast team – The Rugby League World Cup 2026 starts on Thursday, 15 October with Australia’s Kangaroos facing New Zealand, and Channel 7 and 7plus will carry the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions live and free. Seven’s newly released 29-page media kit sets out its match coverage times. Its listings are in AEDT, so TV Central has converted the key Australian fixtures below for Queensland and Western Australian viewers.
This is the Rugby League World Cup, not the separate rugby union tournament. The five-week event involves 26 teams from 14 nations, with 53 matches announced across venues in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. It ends with the men’s and women’s finals at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, 15 November.
Australia fixtures and final broadcast times by market
The media-kit times are the start of Seven’s live coverage, not necessarily kick-off. AEDT applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra on these dates. Adelaide is 30 minutes behind on ACDT, Queensland is one hour behind on AEST, and Perth is three hours behind on AWST. The local-time columns are conversions of the supplied AEDT feed time. Check your local Channel 7 guide for any market-specific channel placement or last-minute change; 7plus is also promoted as a live viewing option.
| Date | Match | NSW/Vic/Tas/ACT (AEDT) | South Australia (ACDT) | Queensland (AEST) | Western Australia (AWST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 15 Oct | Men: Australia v New Zealand | 7.00pm | 6.30pm | 6.00pm | 4.00pm |
| Fri 16 Oct | Women: Australia v Samoa | 7.45pm | 7.15pm | 6.45pm | 4.45pm |
| Sat 24 Oct | Women: Australia v England | 7.30pm | 7.00pm | 6.30pm | 4.30pm |
| Sun 25 Oct | Men: Australia v Fiji | 7.00pm | 6.30pm | 6.00pm | 4.00pm |
| Sat 31 Oct | Men: Australia v Cook Islands | 7.30pm | 7.00pm | 6.30pm | 4.30pm |
| Sat 31 Oct | Wheelchair: Australia v New Zealand | 5.30pm | 5.00pm | 4.30pm | 2.30pm |
| Sun 1 Nov | Women: Australia v Wales | 3.00pm | 2.30pm | 2.00pm | 12 noon |
| Tue 3 Nov | Wheelchair: Australia v Scotland | 1.30pm | 1.00pm | 12.30pm | 10.30am |
| Fri 6 Nov | Wheelchair: Australia v France | 1.30pm | 1.00pm | 12.30pm | 10.30am |
| Fri 13 Nov | Wheelchair final | 7.30pm | 7.00pm | 6.30pm | 4.30pm |
| Sun 15 Nov | Women’s final | 3.30pm | 3.00pm | 2.30pm | 12.30pm |
| Sun 15 Nov | Men’s final | 6.30pm | 6.00pm | 5.30pm | 3.30pm |
A striking part of the schedule is Perth’s early-afternoon viewing for several eastern-state evening matches: the Kangaroos–Kiwis opener is 4.00pm AWST, while the men’s final coverage begins at 3.30pm AWST. Meanwhile, Australia–England in the women’s competition takes place at HBF Park in Perth on Saturday, 24 October; Seven lists coverage from 7.30pm AEDT, which is 4.30pm locally.
What else is on the tournament schedule?
The men’s opening round also includes Samoa–France on Friday, 16 October at 5.00pm AEDT, Papua New Guinea–Lebanon on Saturday, 17 October at 3.00pm AEDT, England–Tonga in Perth that Saturday at 7.30pm AEDT, and Fiji–Cook Islands on Sunday, 18 October at 3.30pm AEDT. Australia’s later pool matches are Fiji in Brisbane and Cook Islands in Townsville.
The women’s opening round puts Australia–Samoa on Friday, 16 October at 7.45pm AEDT, followed by Papua New Guinea–France and England–Wales on Saturday, 17 October, then New Zealand–Fiji on Sunday, 18 October. Australia’s remaining pool fixtures are against England in Perth and Wales on Sunday, 1 November.
Wheelchair matches begin on Friday, 30 October at Wollongong Entertainment Centre. Australia opens against New Zealand the following day, then meets Scotland on Tuesday, 3 November and France on Friday, 6 November. The wheelchair final is listed for Friday, 13 November at 7.30pm AEDT. The men’s and women’s semi-finals are scheduled for 7–8 November; the official draw and local listings will identify the finalists once known.
Who is presenting Channel 7’s coverage?
Mel McLaughlin, Matt White, Matt Shirvington and 2013 World Cup winner Corey Parker lead the broadcast. Seven’s extended line-up includes former players and commentators such as Luke Keary, Shaun Johnson, Aaron Woods, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Yasmin Meakes and Brad Grove, as well as reporters across the venues. The kit gives individual profiles for the on-air team and players to watch in all three competitions.
The expanded coverage also has an audio choice. For 11 matches, 7plus will make Triple M’s rugby league commentary available alongside Seven’s call, allowing viewers to select their preferred commentary while watching the live stream. Seven has not provided a match-by-match list of those 11 alternative-audio fixtures in the email announcement.
Watch the Channel 7 preview
For the full current fixture draw, including teams and venues beyond the Australian matches highlighted here, use the official public Rugby League World Cup draw. Seven’s published coverage times may be updated as the competition progresses, particularly once knockout teams are known.
For more TV Central Channel 7 coverage, head here, and consult the official Rugby League World Cup draw for the latest fixtures.
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