Why Tonga's rugby league team can't use 'Mate Ma'a Tonga' brand at World Cup

The Rugby League World Cup 2026 is currently taking place in the southern hemisphere, with matches scheduled to be held from October 15 to November 15 across venues in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. The tournament features teams from around the world, with Australia currently reigning champions in both the men's and women's events.

For fans in Canada, the Rugby League World Cup 2026 can be watched through the Premier Sports streaming service. This exclusive rights holder offers a monthly subscription for $29.99, granting access to all matches during the tournament.

The tournament is divided into groups, with Group A featuring Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and the Cook Islands. Group B includes England, Samoa, and Lebanon, while Group C is comprised of Tonga, Papua New Guinea, and France. Teams within each group will play a round-robin format, with Group B teams facing all teams from Group C, and vice versa.

The match schedule for the men's tournament is as follows:

- Group A: Australia vs. New Zealand (Oct 15), Fiji vs. Cook Islands (Oct 18), Papua New Guinea vs. Lebanon (Oct 17), England vs. Tonga (Oct 17)

- Group B: Samoa vs. France (Oct 16), England vs. Papua New Guinea (Oct 30)

- Group C: Tonga vs. Samoa (Oct 16), Fiji vs. Papua New Guinea (Oct 23), New Zealand vs. France (Oct 17), Australia vs. Cook Islands (Oct 31)

The women's tournament features groups with different teams. Group A includes Australia, England, Samoa, and Wales, while Group B consists of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France, and Fiji. Matches for the women's tournament will also follow a round-robin format within each group, with semi-finals and a final to be determined after the group stages.

The women's match schedule follows a similar pattern to the men's, with kickoff times in the early morning hours Eastern Time (ET) in the United States. Key matches include Australia vs. Samoa (Oct 16), England vs. Wales (Oct 17), New Zealand vs. Fiji (Oct 17), and Australia vs. England (Oct 30). The women's final is scheduled for November 15 at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.