Rugby League World Cup opens with Australia against New Zealand
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The Rugby League World Cup opens on Thursday, October 15, with Australia vs New Zealand.
- Kickoff is at 8:05pm AEDT at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
- New eligibility rules let State of Origin stars play for the Kiwis for the first time.
The Rugby League World Cup starts tonight. Australia plays New Zealand in the opening match. It is the biggest game of the group stage.
The two top-ranked teams meet on day one.
Kickoff is at 8:05pm AEDT on Thursday, October 15. The game is at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. Australia are the favourites. New Zealand want to upset them.
The whole tournament starts with this rivalry.
This is rugby league, not rugby union. The two codes look alike. But they have different rules.
League has 13 players per side. Union has 15. League has six tackles per set. The World Cup is a league event.
What happened
The build-up to the opener has been full of team news. Both coaches named their sides. Both sides have fresh faces.
Both sides have big names.
Australia coach Kevin Walters named a loyal side. He kept most of his Ashes-winning team from last year. Reece Walsh starts at fullback.
He wears the number 1 shirt. Latrell Mitchell starts at centre. Cameron Munster starts at five-eighth.
Isaah Yeo captains the side from lock.
Two Kangaroos will make their Test debuts. Jack Bostock starts on the wing. He wears number 2. Jacob Preston starts in the second row.
He wears number 11. Both men earn their first caps in the biggest game of the year.
Mitchell Moses starts at halfback. He wears number 7. He gets the role after an injury to Nathan Cleary. Cleary is out.
Moses steps up. Tom Dearden plays a utility role off the bench. He wears number 14. He can cover many spots.
The full Australian side is:
- Starters: Reece Walsh, Jack Bostock, Latrell Mitchell, Kotoni Staggs, Tom Trbojevic, Cameron Munster, Mitchell Moses, Patrick Carrigan, Harry Grant, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Jacob Preston, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo.
- Bench: Tom Dearden, Cameron Murray, Reuben Cotter, Keaon Koloamatangi, David Fifita, Bradman Best.
New Zealand named a side full of stories. Kalyn Ponga starts at fullback. He wears number 1. Dane Gagai starts at centre.
He wears number 3. Both men make their Kiwi debuts. Both men played for Queensland in State of Origin for years.
That is now possible because of new rules. Under the changed eligibility rules, State of Origin players can now play for New Zealand or England. In the past, Origin players could not then play for New Zealand or England.
The rules have changed. Ponga and Gagai are the first big names to use them.
Casey McLean starts at centre. He wears number 4. Briton Nikora starts in the second row. He wears number 12. Both men have played Tests for the Kiwis before.
Both men got their first State of Origin chance earlier this year. They now play under the new rules too.
Jahrome Hughes starts at halfback. He wears number 7. James Fisher-Harris starts at prop. He wears number 8. Joseph Tapine starts at lock.
He wears number 13.
The full New Zealand side is:
- Starters: Kalyn Ponga, Jamayne Isaako, Dane Gagai, Casey McLean, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Kodi Nikorima, Jahrome Hughes, James Fisher-Harris, Jeremy Marshall-King, Moses Leota, Isaiah Papali'i, Briton Nikora, Joseph Tapine.
- Bench: Te Maire Martin, Naufahu Whyte, Erin Clark, Xavier Willison, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Keano Kini.
As of early afternoon in Pakistan, the game had not yet started. No score had been posted. The ABC live blog was still in pre-match mode.
Fans were still waiting for kickoff.
Why it matters
Australia vs New Zealand is the fiercest rivalry in rugby league. The two nations sit at the top of the world rankings. They meet in the first game.
That sets the tone for the whole Cup.
Australia have owned this event. They won the last World Cup in England in 2022. They beat Samoa 30-10 in the final at Old Trafford. They have won the Cup many times.
They start as favourites again.
New Zealand have a long drought to break. They have never beaten Australia in a World Cup final. Their last Cup win came in 2008. That win was famous.
They came back from 10-0 down to win. Benji Marshall scored the key try. Kiwi fans still talk about that night.
The new eligibility rules add spice. Ponga and Gagai give New Zealand more firepower. They know Origin football.
They know big games. Their presence makes the Kiwis stronger. It also makes the rivalry deeper.
Men who once played for Queensland now wear black and white.
The opener also matters for the group. The men's event has 10 teams. Group A has Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Cook Islands.
Group B has England, Samoa, and Lebanon. Group C has Tonga, PNG, and France. Group A teams play each other.
Group B teams play Group C teams.
The top two teams from Group A reach the semi-finals. The top two teams from the combined Group B and C table also reach the semis. A win tonight gives a head start.
A loss makes the road harder.
The women's event starts on Friday, October 16. The Jillaroos play Samoa at CommBank Stadium. The women's event has eight teams. It runs beside the men's event.
For more on the Cup, read about England's injury change. For another World Cup story, see Poland's shootout win over Belgium.
What happens next
The tournament runs for four weeks. The semi-finals are on November 7 and 8. The final is on November 15. The final takes place at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Tickets for group games start from $19 for adults.
Family tickets start from $49. Final tickets start from $39 for adults.
New Zealand play again soon. The Kiwis meet Cook Islands on October 25. That game is at the new One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. They then face Fiji on October 31. That game is at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.
The opening weekend has more big games. England play Tonga on Saturday, October 17. That game is at HBF Park in Perth. Games will take place in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle, Christchurch, Wollongong, Gold Coast, Townsville, and Port Moresby.
Tonight is just the start. Four weeks of league lie ahead. The Kangaroos want another title.
The Kiwis want to end a long wait. It all begins with one game in Sydney.
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