RLWC2017 co-hosts Australia and New Zealand will get the international weekend underway when they square off at Canberra Stadium on Friday night in a Test likely to determine favouritism for the World Cup.
England and Samoa will then headline a day of international action at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday, which also includes Test matches involving RLWC2017 nations Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
Fiji, who qualified for the semi-finals at the last World Cup in 2013, will take on Pacific rivals Tonga, while RLWC2017 hosting partner Papua New Guinea play Cook Islands.
The Test matches are the last chance for teams to claim bragging rights heading into the World Cup, while players will be looking to press for selection in what will be the most competitive tournament since the concept began in France in 1954.
“This weekend’s Test matches are just the entrée to the main event at the end of the season and teams will be looking to build from these matches towards the Rugby League World Cup,” RLWC2017 CEO Andrew Hill said.
Featuring teams from Europe, the Middle East, North America, the United Kingdom and the Pacific, as well as Australia and New Zealand, RLWC2017 will feature 28 games in 13 cities across three countries over five weeks from 27 October to 2 December 2017.
Among the Australian host cities are state capitals Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, while Canberra will host three games and a quarter-final will be played in Darwin.
Other quarter-finals will be played in Christchurch, Wellington and Melbourne, which hosts the opening RLWC2017 match between Australia and England on October 27, while matches will also be played in Cairns, Townsville, Hamilton and Port Moresby.
Auckland and Brisbane will host the semi-finals, with the final being in Brisbane on December 2 – where the final of the Women’s Rugby League World Cup 2017 will be contested as a double-header with the men.
An estimated 450,000 fans are expected to attend the RLWC2017, a tournament record.
Rugby League World Cup 2017 tickets start from $10 children/concessions, $20 adults and $45 for a family of four.
Tournament tickets and information available at RLWC2017.com
Rugby League World Cup 2017 | Media Release