Full details of the NRL’s proposed international calendar from 2018 to 2022

Drew Darbyshire

The NRL has released its proposed full international calendar from 2018 to 2022.

The calendar will start with the Prime Minister’s XIII taking on Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby, while Australia will face New Zealand in Auckland.

England’s three-match Test series against the Kiwis has been pencilled in to still go ahead at the end of the year.

But there is no mid-season Test in Denver in the entire schedule.

According to the NRL calendar, England will not have a mid-season game in 2019 but will take part in International Nines in Parramatta at the end of that year.

Australia would tour Great Britain at the end of the 2019 season, too, while Round Two of the Oceania Cup would take place.

The Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere Four Nations would go ahead throughout 2020.

In the 2021 mid-season break, England would face New Zealand in Auckland, while the Pacific Tests are played at the same time.

At the end of the 2021 season, Australia would host New Zealand, before the World Cup kicks off in the UK.

Round one of the Oceania Cup would take place in the middle of 2022, with the winner of the Cup facing Australia at the end of that season.

And England would go on a three-match Test tour of New Zealand.

The full details of the NRL’s proposed international calendar:

2018

  • October 6: PM’s XIII v PNG (Port Moresby)
  • October 14: Australia v NZ (Auckland)
  • October 27: England v NZ (Hull)
  • November 3: England v NZ (Liverpool)
  • November 11: England v NZ (Leeds)

2019 mid-season

  • PNG v Cook Islands (TBC)
    Oceania Cup Round 1
  • NZ v Fiji (Parramatta)
  • Samoa v Tonga (Parramatta)

2019 end of season

  • PM XIII v PNG (Port Moresby)
  • International Nines (Parramatta)
  • Australia v NZ (Australia)
  • Great Britain v Australia – 3 Tests (UK)
    Oceania Cup Round 2
  • Fiji v Tonga  (NZ)
  • NZ v Samoa  (NZ)
    Oceania Cup Round 3
  • NZ v Tonga (NZ)
  • Fiji v Samoa (NZ)

2020 mid-season

Southern Hemisphere Four Nations Round 1

  • NZ v Tonga (Auckland)
    Northern Hemisphere Four Nations Round 1
  • England v France (UK)
    Pacific Test double-header
  • Fiji v Samoa (Campbelltown)
  • PNG v Cook Islands (Campbelltown)

2020 end-of-season

  • PM XIII v Fiji (Suva)
    Southern Hemisphere 4 Nations Round 1
  • Australia v Samoa (Townsville)
    Southern Hemisphere 4 Nations Round 2
  • Australia v Tonga (Parramatta)
  • NZ v Samoa (Parramatta)
    Southern Hemisphere 4 Nations Round 3
  • Australia v NZ  (NZ)
  • Tonga v Samoa  (NZ)
    Northern Hemisphere 4 Nations Round 1
  • PNG v Fiji (Port Moresby)
    Northern Hemisphere 4 Nations Round 2
  • England v PNG (UK)
  • France v Fiji (UK)
    Northern Hemisphere 4 Nations Round 3
  • England v Fiji (UK)
  • France v PNG (UK)

2021 mid-season

  • NZ v England (Auckland)
    Pacific Test
  • Samoa v Tonga (Australia)
  • PNG v Fiji (Australia)

2021 end-of-season

  • PM XIII v PNG (Port Moresby)
  • Australia v NZ (Australia)
  • World Cup (UK)

2022 mid-season

Oceania Cup Round 1

  • PNG v Samoa (Campbelltown)
  • Fiji v Tonga (Campbelltown)

2022 end-of-season

  • PM XIII v Fiji (Suva)
  • Australia v NZ (Melbourne)
    Oceania Cup Round 2
  • PNG v Tonga (TBC)
  • Fiji v Samoa (TBC)
    Oceania Cup Round 3
  • PNG v Fiji (TBC)
  • Samoa v Tonga (TBC)
    Australia v Oceania Cup Winner (TBC)
  • NZ v England – 3 Tests (NZ)

What is your opinion on the proposed international calendar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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