The Rugby League World Cup began with a sense of mission improbable for England, but after one game, it already represents something more like mission impossible.
The talk pre-tournament from Brian McDermott had been about being different. Going against the grain of how the national team has played against the world’s best and falling short; having a creative spark that would be significant in crucial moments. For all the talk of change, the most important thing of all remained the same in Perth on Saturday: the result.
It was a Bledisloe Cup mauling at the arena where Australia will host a home World Cup at which they must perform or perish as a rugby power
The honeymoon is over for Les Kiss and Doomsday protocols have been activated. Australia’s embarrassing capitulation to the All Blacks – their 13th in a row – is a cold reminder of where the Wallabies sit in rugby’s world order. In a year these teams meet in Sydney again at a World Cup. But the gulf between them remains massive.
The Kiss Army’s defeat of world No 1 South Africa last month filled the golden sails with wind and left the Wallabies unbeaten after six Tests. Last week at Eden Park they at least held the All Blacks to parity at half-time before giving up 26 unanswered points. But this was an understrength All Blacks and the men in gold still got monstered.
Concerns mount for Les Kiss’s side with World Cup on horizon
The ruthless All Blacks embarrassed the Wallabies in their final home Test of the year, brushing aside the golden pretenders 43-21 in Sydney, a second thrashing in a week that makes a mockery of the hosts’ ambitions for next year’s World Cup.
The All Blacks were too fast at the breakdown, the ball hardly slowing as the New Zealanders appeared to advance it at will. They spoiled all but three Wallaby attacking forays, aided by errors and execution failures.
Kalyn Ponga stars for New Zealand but Australia edge Sydney clash as tournament promises fireworks on the pitch as well as off
Under new rules introduced for this World Cup, nation-swapping is not only possible, it is virtually encouraged. And like the cheeseburger spring rolls at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night, it’s a culture clash that delights as many people as it offends. But based on the intensity of last night’s Cup opener, it’s players and fans who are the winners.
Fireworks. Lasers. Shimmering projections. Allianz Stadium was lit up like a Las Vegas casino. This was intended to be a bold new era for rugby league. They had rejigged the tournament format to distil the talent pool, reducing the competing nations from 16 to 10 and boiling down the number of matches from 31 to 18.
Jack Bostock scores three tries including match-winner in Sydney
Debutant Jack Bostock almost single-handedly stole the Rugby League World Cup opener, with three tries and one crucial try assist in a 24-22 victory over New Zealand that might generously be described as undeserved.
The Dolphins player wrestled a Cameron Munster kick away from Jamayne Isaako in the air with five minutes to go to complete his treble, putting his side in the match-winning lead. It was a carbon copy of his second try, as he proved damaging under the high ball. But it was his first four-pointer – a length of the field intercept midway through the opening half – that told the story of this extraordinary match.
Tonight’s referee is Adam Gee, the man in the middle of the recent NRL grand final. He excelled quietly on that occasion and the big match rewards keep flowing his direction.
The 2026 men’s RLWC features ten teams. Eight of these qualified via their performances at the last world cup, back in 2022. That is: Australia, New Zealand, England, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, PNG, and Lebanon. The first seven countries in that list also happen to be the top seven on the IRL rankings; Lebanon are a lowly 23rd.
The remaining qualifiers, France and Cook Islands, won regional playoffs. Cook Islands are ranked eighth in the world, by the way, France recently held that position but have slipped to 11th. In other words, the cream of the crop will be on display.
The tournament will be played under NRL rules, including six players on the interchange bench with up to four to be used.
The ten teams have been distributed into three pools.
Pool A contains Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Cook Islands. The top two from this group qualify for the semi-finals.
The teams in Pool B (England, Samoa, Lebanon) play the teams in Pool C (Tonga, PNG, France) with the top two on a combined group table qualifying for the semi-finals.
The winner of Pool A takes on the runner-up from Pool B&C in Sydney.
The winner of Pool B&C takes on the runner-up from Pool A in Newcastle.
The world cup final is in Brisbane on 15 November.
The group phase will take place over the following three weekends. After tonight, remaining matches will be staged only on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
The fourth weekend will feature the semi-finals, with the final wrapping up proceedings the following Sunday.
10 locations will host matches. Eight of these are in Australia: Sydney (Allianz Arena), Sydney (Commbank Arena), Brisbane, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Townsville, Wollongong, and Perth; while Port Moresby will host two Papua New Guinea matches, and Christchurch will stage one New Zealand fixture.
Tucked away on a Peak District hillside is an inn bursting with memorabilia and stories left by touring teams
As the modern cricketer hops from Crowne Plaza to Holiday Inn, well rewarded and with plenty of time for golf, he or she might feel perfectly content. But life has not always been a merry-go-round of air-con and airports.
Hop off the train at Grindleford, where homemade bunting loops along the platform fence, highlighting books about trains in this national year of reading, and you’re in the Peak District. There’s been early morning rain and the trees, damply beautiful, are on the turn. Golden beech, rusty horse chestnut, hues of greens and yellows, disappear up the slopes of Padley Gorge and into the valleys.
After every stunning Scott Boland performance of recent years, many of them in place of an injured Josh Hazlewood, a reasonable question does the rounds: why isn’t Boland the automatic pick in the Test side, and why does Hazlewood take precedence when fit? In truth, Hazlewood has given a dozen years of answers, but on the fifth day of the Durban Test he provided one more reminder with a career-best six for 49, overcoming South African resistance to bowl them out for 206 and seal an Australia win by 214 runs.
Boland is good enough for a full-time spot, and may have been influential if picked. But in the side selected, Hazlewood was essential as South Africa blunted his colleagues. In a noticeable dip given his brilliant past few seasons, Mitchell Starc had radar issues: better around the wicket, though without the swerving reverse swing from his last visit to the ground, but over the wicket he often went too steeply across the right-handers, or down the leg side.
What a few days it has been in the life of Matt Renshaw. His comeback to the Test team had consisted of one innings, edged to slip for eight, before he made the trip to South Africa, where his job as opener suddenly changed to batting five.
His first two days of the first Test in Durban were spent compiling his epic 190 to rescue Australia. Then came his fourth day, hammering in the nails on a declaration by top scoring again with 82. Pulling out at 316 for six, Australia set South Africa 421 to win, then took four wickets for 102 by the close; Aiden Markram on 45 will be the main obstacle to an Australian series lead on the final day.
Australia are six wickets away from victory after another dream day – with bat and ball – for Matt Renshaw
10th over, Australia 71-1 (Maddinson 48, Labuschagne 5) The Maddo Express keeps rolling, loaded heavy with receipts. South Africa turn to spin, Maddinson puts one foot down the track and lofts Harmer down the ground for six. This is a spectacle. Follows up with a couple more hits down the ground for two runs apiece. His score keeps rattling the loose shingle numbers on the board.
9th over, Australia 59-1 (Maddinson 37, Labuschagne 4) Another edge, Labuschagne this time, getting lucky against Jansen, down through the cordon for three runs, hauled back just in time. That brings Maddinson back on strike… and he immediately whacks another one! Again width, and he plays the same shot he kept trying in the first innings, except that this time he hits the ball. Top edgy, over the cordon, four.
Fowler pulled out of Australia squad for ‘personal reasons’
Attacker is now back in Australia with injured NRL star post-surgery
Injured rugby league player Nathan Cleary has expressed deep appreciation to Matildas forward Mary Fowler, his partner who flew to Australia to spend time with him as he recovers from major surgery.
Fowler withdrew from international duty with the Australian national team, who lost 4-2 to Germany in a friendly on Saturday, and has been spending time with Cleary in Sydney.
Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon share nine wickets
As a fractured news environment demonstrates, observations can be made from just about any perspective. One view of Australia’s Test team could focus on age, with the principal bowlers all having more than 33 years to their names. Another could focus on them all having more than 300 wickets.
At the first Test in Durban, an unprecedented achievement by Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon is continuing, one that they began in Mackay two months ago: being the only quartet in history to walk on to Test fields as members of the 300 club. By the end of day three they had taken another nine, South Africa bowled out for 284, trailing by 139 runs by the time bad light stopped play with Australia 33 without loss.
The Australian surfing champion was monstered by a great white shark while competing against fellow Aussie Julian Wilson in the 2015 world tour event final at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa. The attack was broadcast live on TV. Here, in an extract from his memoir, All Heart, he relives the encounter
I’m locked in on my take-off spot in the J-Bay lineup, scanning the horizon, biding my time. Assessing my position against the rippling lines of the oncoming set, I decide to move slightly further inside.
As I move, there’s a big splash behind me. Glancing over my left shoulder, I catch a glimpse of a huge dark shape in the water. A jolt of fear grips me. What the hell is that?
Start time is 9.30am local/6.30pm AEDT | Email Rob
12th over: South Africa 37-1 (Markram 24, Bedingham 13) Beautiful batting from Markram. Hazlewood was fractionally too straight, no more than that, and Markram put him away through midwicket with an understated flick of the wrists.
How can Aiden Markram have a Test average of 36? The guy is so good.
Kenyan breaks Melbourne Marathon record by two seconds
‘I’m happy to run with the gen Zs,’ 41-year-old says
Marathon’s greatest competitor, Eliud Kipchoge, has sent a message to the next generation declaring that he’s not done yet.
The 41-year-old Kenyan revelled in his Melbourne Marathon debut on Sunday, breaking the race record and delighting thousands of fans at the MCG finish.
Old habits resurface as Australia fritter away advantage and allow All Blacks to mount aerial assault at Eden Park
Les Kiss stood forlornly in the middle of Eden Park wearing a thousand-yard stare. The past 10 Wallabies coaches had all been where he was now, shaking their heads and cursing after a failed attempt to storm the fortress of New Zealand rugby. This was Kiss’s first loss as Australia coach and the little bloke was nursing a big hurt.
His side had arrived on a six-game unbeaten streak, fresh from stomping the world champions South Africa a fortnight before. Conversely, their old enemy were facing a fourth consecutive defeat after falling three times to that same Springboks side. After 25 years of Trans-Tasman pain, the Bledisloe Cup finally looked within reach.
If the choice to ask Nic Maddinson to open in Durban was a bust, the upside for Australia was that it pushed Matthew Renshaw down to number five. From there, the Queenslander returned from 10 years on the periphery to the centre of the spotlight in the first Test against South Africa, with an innings of 190 that saved Australia from peril, settled them into stability, then lifted them to dominance.
Staunch support from the lower order was the other part of the equation, as Renshaw batted through two extended sessions until he was last man out, just after tea, with Australia’s 390 followed by South Africa’s 27 for one before stumps.
New Zealand 50-19 Australia to continue unbeaten run at Eden Park
Les Kiss’s side start bright but given reality check in second half
New Zealand preserved rugby’s established hierarchy with a 50-19 blowoutvictory over Australia that secures the Bledisloe Cup for a 24th year and pushes the All Blacks’ unbeaten run over the Wallabies at Eden Park into a fifth decade.
The Wallabies lost touch with their hosts in the second half despite a valiant but futiledefensive performance led by the captain Harry Wilson, who had scored a try just before half-time to keep his side in the contest.
Out come the Wallabies into the arena. The response, as you might expect, is muted. The Eden Park floodlights are starting to take effect as a beautiful evening transitions into a gloaming.
Tonight’s referee is the Cardiff-born, former Belgium international, now Irish Rugby Football Union official Andrew Brace.
69th over: Australia 198-6 (Renshaw 51, Cummins 39) Jansen sees how Nortje is operating and he wants a piece too. The ball is old, why not? Unsociable bouncer at Cummins, who tries to get over it like he did previously but instead wears it inside the curve of his shoulder. Then good fielding behind point denies him a run from the yorker, which is how he escaped Nortje. All of that makes Cummins uncomfortable enough to play and miss outside off stump, but the edge doesn’t come. He’s not daunted though: fifth ball of the over, dropping back past the bowler, you could forgive a lower order player for not belting through for a single. But Cummins does.
68th over: Australia 197-6 (Renshaw 51, Cummins 38) Nortje is firing up, and Renshaw is staying cool. Cummins starts the over, getting a nasty short one that he just about rides the bounce of, then a full straight one that he squeezes out behind square well enough to get off strike. Renshaw though looks absolutely perfect as he defends a mid-level short ball, then goes under a bouncer, then swishes his bat over a wider line to leave.
Opener’s painful duck gets tourists’ series off to bad start
Renshaw and Cummins keep hosts’ attack at bay
If we accept that sporting tenures are results-based, then the Australian selectors George Bailey and Tony Dodemaide should be conferring with the coach Andrew McDonald to submit a mass resignation. The opening moments of the first Test in Durban were enough to return the predictable harvest of one of the most bizarre selection decisions ever made for the national XI, with Nic Maddinson bowled for a torturous 33-ball duck, early impetus for Australia’s slide to 187 for 6 by the time bad light ended play.
Maddinson should not have lasted half that long, nailed on the pad by Wiaan Mulder after 15 balls but spared by umpire error and a timid South African non-review. Even that huge slice of luck never looked like becoming anything more. His innings went nowhere, shuffling, defensive, missing opportunities on his legs, dealing in extras. His only shots were a few cuts hurled at wild width, all air-swings until the bottom edge that took out his stumps.
The sun is belting down in Durban at the moment with the forecast for a high of 27C. But a hint of cloud is expected to drift across Kingsmead Stadium during the afternoon. Rain was forecast for day two but the latest forecast suggests that has cleared up.
Nic Maddinson will open for Australia alongside Travis Head. The senior partner of that duo had some choice words for the former greats who have criticised the current side for a lack of runs in recent times.
I think it’s unfairly judged a fair bit from a group of past players, pretty much, that put the bullet through a lot of players. But that’s what they’re paid to do. Some of them need a job, so they go after us and that’s totally fine. This group is strong enough to deal with those sort of things. That’s how it is.
It’s unfortunate sometimes to have some of that feedback from a generation of players that we have huge respect for, but that’s the caper.
Former Test opener is writing a new book released next month
Australia captain Cummins confirms conversation with Khawaja
Pat Cummins has suggested he is unfazed by the prospect of the sandpaper scandal being raised in Usman Khawaja’s autobiography, which will be the first from any Australian player who played in that 2018 Cape Town Test.
Cummins confirmed that Khawaja had called to inform him he would be writing the book, which will be released days after the end of Australia’s first Test tour of South Africa since the infamous match.
The Test series shapes as one of unforced errors and modest scores with both sides unconvincing with the bat and relying on their bowling attack
Lost among the looking back to Australia’s Test tour of South Africa in 2018, there lies a similarity to the team about to take on that challenge in 2026. The previous side relied on a primo bowling quartet of Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, along with David Warner’s power as opener and the middle-order ballast of Steve Smith. The rest of the batting was makeshift: Cameron Bancroft the recently added opener, Usman Khawaja with at that stage a parlous record away from home, and the Marsh brothers an entirely unknowable quantity at five and six.
This time around, the same four bowlers have burnished their careers by a further 998 Test wickets, the proven batting still consists of one aggressive left-handed opener plus Smith, and Australia otherwise remain makeshift.
Login
