IRL confirms global coverage for IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026

• Every game from the men's, women's and wheelchair tournaments will be streamed live on Premier Sports Player in 129 more countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas
• Coverage runs from 15 October to 15 November as the tournament is staged in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
• The global launch adds to Premier Sports' live and exclusive coverage in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Canada, and Premier Sports Asia's coverage across 22 Asian territories

International Rugby League has confirmed that it will bring the IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026 to fans around the world, streaming every game from all three tournaments live on the Premier Sports Player platform in 129 more countries.

The move means rugby league supporters across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, including major markets such as the United States, France, Japan, Brazil and South Africa, can follow the sport's biggest international event live as it happens.

IRL Secretary General Danny Kazandjian said: “It was very important that rugby league fans all around the world have the opportunity to watch the Rugby League World Cup and we are pleased to extend our partnership with Premier Sport to provide that service.”

Richard Webb, Director of Operations, said: "We're delighted to use our Premier Sports Player platform to bring the Rugby League World Cup to fans in 129 more countries. Rugby league has a passionate following well beyond its heartlands, and we want to make sure supporters in every corner of the globe don't miss a moment of the sport's biggest tournament."

The tournament gets under way on Thursday 15 October, when defending champions Australia face New Zealand in Sydney. The world's leading rugby league nations will then compete across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea before the finals on Sunday 15 November.

The global launch builds on Premier Sports' long association with the Rugby League World Cup. Premier Sports is the official broadcaster of the tournament in the UK and Ireland for the third time, having previously covered the 2013 and 2017 editions, and is also showing this year's tournament in Canada, as well as in 22 Asian territories through Premier Sports Asia.

In the 129 countries listed below, Premier Sports Player is available at www.premiersports.com and on desktop, iOS and Android apps, with a Rugby League World Cup Tournament Pass priced at US$25. Apps will launch ahead of the tournament with release date dependent on territory.

Africa (45): Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Asia (12): Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Europe (38): Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City.

Americas (34): Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

The tournament is also available through Premier Sports Asia in 22 territories: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Subscriptions start from US$25 per month, with details at www.premiersports.com