Best Rugby League World Cup 2026 Betting Sites, Odds and Tips

Oct 13th, 2026 7:34 AM EDT

The NRL season is behind us and now the international game takes centre stage for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.

Australia have lifted the last three World Cups, winning every game along the way, and are favourites to do so once again. The competition is largely being hosted in Australia but with Papua New Guinea and New Zealand providing some group stage assistance.

It promises to be an exciting tournament and Australian betting sites have an exciting range of markets for the night of action. Read on to find the top betting sites in Australia for all your World Cup bets ahead of Thursday's opening match between Australia and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.

Rugby BEtting Site	Why Sign Up?
🏉 bet365 World Cup Betting	The World's Favourite Betting Company
🏉 Betfair World Cup Betting	Betfair SP Beat The Best Tote By 11.9% Last Spring
🏉 Unibet World Cup Betting	Check The Unibet Vault To See All Your Rewards In One Place

Rugby League World Cup 2026 Betting Odds

Given Australia's dominance in international rugby over the years, it's hardly a surprise they're strong favourites to retain the World Cup once again.

New Zealand are close behind and will be confident of their own chances, having demolished the Kangaroos 30-0 in the Pacific Cup final three years ago. Samoa were shock finalists in 2022 and are considered dark horses alongside Tonga, who reached the semi-finals in 2017.

Little is expected of England, who have yet to win a World Cup since competing as a single nation instead of as Great Britain and offered little in last year's 3-0 Ashes drubbing.

COUNTRY	ODDS	BOOKMAKER
Australia	1.75	Unibet
New Zealand	3.25	bet365
Samoa	11.00	bet365
Tonga	12.00	Unibet
England	17.00	bet365
Papua New Guinea	301.00	bet365
France	501.00	Unibet
Fiji	501.00	Unibet
Lebanon	501.00	bet365
Cook Islands	1001.00	bet365

Bet365 Rugby League World Cup Betting

bet365 is one of the biggest sports betting sites not just in Australia, but in the world. Given that, it's no surprise the site has some of the best World Cup betting markets around with player props, 10 minute markets and even same-game multis for those who love to combine various selections into a single wager.

There are also a range of futures markets usually available outside of the regular World Cup Winner, including top tryscorer and Stage of Elimination.

Betfair Rugby League Betting

Betfair is unique in Australia as this is the only betting site in the country that operates as a betting exchange, rather than as a fixed-odds betting site like the other options on this page. A betting exchange allows you to place bets on the Rugby League World Cup as usual, but it also allows you to lay them, which effectively turns you into the bookmaker.

Unibet Rugby League World Cup Markets

Another betting site with operations all over the world, Unibet is active in Australia and puts its all into rugby betting with competitive markets and some great options for World Cup betting. Each game has around 100 markets to choose from, many of which can be put into Same Game Multis or you can choose one of the Same Game Combos to save some time.

How to Bet on the Rugby League World Cup in Australia

After you've decided which NRL betting site, or sites, you want to use, the next step is simply signing up. Click on one of the links on this page to go to your preference and follow the steps on the landing page.

Register by entering the relevant personal details such as name, date of birth and address, then choose a payment method and deposit to start wagering on Rugby League World Cup. Finally, navigate your way to the rugby league section of the betting site and click on the World Cup. Here you'll find the full range of betting markets available. Click on the odds for the selection you want to back, enter your stake and place your bet.

Rugby League Betting Apps

The great thing about Rugby League World Cup betting sites is that there are always betting apps for people who prefer to make wagers on their phone rather than on a computer. Mobile apps are generally designed to feel exactly the same as the main desktop site so you can seamlessly switch between the two, with apps also having the added beauty of push notifications for upcoming events and updates on your bets.

They're also perfect for using on the move if you aren't able to access a computer and they also usually have some sort of biometric login like Face ID for added security and speedy logging in.

Rugby League World Cup Betting Markets

There's usually upwards of 100 Rugby League World Cup betting markets on any single game and this number gets even bigger for the final. From match result and handicaps to points totals and anytime tryscorers, there's something for everyone.

Same Game Multis are a fun innovation of recent years as these allow you to combine a few selections from the same game into a single bet. For example, you could choose which team will win in tandem with the scorer of the first try in the game.

Rugby League World Cup 2026 Betting Tips

Rather than picking a winner, given the likelihood of Australia running away with it all once again, it looks worth heading to the Top Tryscorer market and backing Jamayne Isaako to continue his excellent form.

The Dolphins winger scored 23 tries in the NRL this season and was a key part of New Zealand's Pacific Championships victory, scoring twice in the final, and will surely be the Kiwis' dangerman in this World Cup.

Back Jamayne Isaako to be Top Tryscorer at 11.00 with bet365.

About the Author

Oliver Lines

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Oliver has been involved in sports betting writing since 2017 and has covered all manner of events during that time, including football, NFL, golf, cricket and horse racing. It’s no surprise that he holds an interest in most sports and loves finding underappreciated markets to have a punt on. Oliver also has years of experience on the casino side of things and can spot a poor bonus from a mile away.