Former rivals meet again in the Rugby League World Cup final

Australia and New Zealand will meet in the 2026 Rugby League World Cup finals. The final matches will be played on Sunday, 16 November. Both the men's and women's teams will face the two nations in the finals.

Australia beat New Zealand 24-22 in the tournament's opening match. The game was played in front of the largest Test crowd seen since 1974.

New Zealand's men's team won the World Cup only once, in 2008. This year the team reached the final for the first time since 2013. The New Zealand women's team has won three titles but has not lifted the trophy in 18 years. Recently, Australia has maintained its dominance in both categories.

Tonga and Samoa have been highlighted as rising teams in the tournament. In the final group match, Tonga beat Samoa 20-18. Tonga later lost to New Zealand, and Samoa's men were beaten by Australia in the semi-final. The Samoa women's team, meanwhile, lost 32-0 to the New Zealand women's team. For both countries, the group match was something of a final.