Robins to Face Broncos in 2026 Betfred World Club Challenge
Rugby League Commercial has confirmed that the Betfred World Club Challenge will return in 2026. Hull KR will host the Brisbane Broncos at the MKM Stadium on Thursday, February 19.
The match will feature the 2025 champions of the Betfred Super League and the NRL’s Telstra Premiership. Some Australian stars from the Ashes series, including Reece Walsh, Kotoni Staggs, and Patrick Carrigan, will compete against Hull KR’s England trio: Mikey Lewis, Jez Litten, and Joe Burgess.
“We are delighted that Hull KR and Brisbane Broncos have confirmed the return of the Betfred World Club Challenge in 2026.
Rugby League’s Anglo-Australian rivalry takes the sport to a wider audience, as we have seen in the current Ashes series, and it’s wonderful to see the World Club Challenge heading for the first time to the great Rugby League city of Hull.
Hull KR will become only the sixth British club to earn the privilege of playing in the World Club Challenge, a fitting reward for the outstanding progress they have made in recent seasons.
They could have no more attractive opposition than Brisbane Broncos, one of the most resonant names in Australian sport.”
— Nigel Wood OBE, Chair of RL Commercial
The event marks a significant occasion as Hull KR joins an elite group of British clubs to participate in the competition, bringing top-tier international rugby to the city of Hull.
Author's summary: The 2026 Betfred World Club Challenge will showcase the champions Hull KR and Brisbane Broncos, highlighting key Australian and English talents in a historic UK clash hosted in Hull.