International
rugby league matches were played throughout 2018.
A † denotes a recognised, but unofficial match that did not contribute to the
RLIF World Rankings.
Men
January
''No men's international test matches were played.''
----
February
----
----
March
''No men's international test matches were played.''
----
April
----
May
''No men's international test matches were played.''
----
June
Notes:
* ''Paul Wani became the first Papua New Guinean to referee an international match since
Graham Ainui in 1991.''
----
----
Notes:
* ''
Rhadley Brawa,
Junior Rau (both Papua New Guinea),
King Vuniyayawa
King Vuniyayawa (born 13 March 1995) is a Fijian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for Hull F.C., on loan for the remainder of the 2024 season from the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League and Fiji at internat ...
, and
Pio Sokobalavu (both Fiji) made their Test debuts.''
----
Notes:
* ''
Robert Jennings,
Tevita Tatola
Tevita "Junior" Tatola (born 10 November 1996) is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.
Background
Tatola was born in Auburn, New South Wales, Australia. He is of Tongan de ...
(both Tonga),
Josh Aloiai
Josh Aloiai (born 11 November 1995) is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the NRL.
He previously played for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League.
Background
Aloiai wa ...
,
Michael Chee-Kam
Michael Chee-Kam (born 26 February 1992) is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a forward or for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.
He previously played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Wests Tigers in t ...
,
Christian Crichton,
Tyrone May,
Isaiah Papali'i, and
Ligi Sao (all Samoa) made their Test debuts, while
Jorge Taufua made his debut for Samoa having previously represented Tonga.''
----
Notes:
* ''Newly appointed New Zealand coach
Michael Maguire opted not to name a captain for this Test match.
Issac Luke
Issac Luke (born 29 May 1987) is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer
He previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, New Zealand Warriors, St. George Illawarra Dragons, and the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugb ...
took de facto control of the role.''
* ''
Jake Connor
Jake Connor (born 18 October 1994) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League, and and at international level.
He has also played as a and in his career.
He sta ...
,
Thomas Makinson (both England),
Slade Griffin, and
Jamayne Isaako
Jamayne Isaako (born 5 June 1996) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er and for the Dolphins in the NRL.
He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos and the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League. ...
(both New Zealand) made their Test debuts, while
Leeson Ah Mau
Leeson Ah Mau (born 20 December 1989) is a former professional rugby league footballer, who has represented both Samoa and New Zealand at international level.
He previously played for the Warriors, North Queensland Cowboys and the St George Il ...
,
Herman Ese'ese
Herman Ese'ese (born 7 September 1994) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League. He has played for both New Zealand and Samoa at international level.
He previously played fo ...
,
Raymond Faitala-Mariner
Raymond Faitala-Mariner (born 26 July 1993) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL. He has played for both Samoa and New Zealand at international level.
He previously ...
,
Esan Marsters
Esan Marsters (born 17 August 1996) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League. He has played for the Cook Islands, New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori at international level.
...
,
Ken Maumalo made their debuts for New Zealand having previously represented another nation (Samoa in all cases, except Cook Islands for Marsters).''
* ''This match set the highest attendance for a standalone rugby league match played in the United States, eclipsing the 12,349 that attended the
1987 State of Origin exhibition match at
Veterans Memorial Stadium in
Long Beach and the ≈12,000-12,500 that attended the 2008 pre-season trial between the
South Sydney Rabbitohs and the
Leeds Rhinos at
Hodges Stadium in
Jacksonville. An international between the United States and Canada at
Baltimore Memorial Stadium in 1995, which acted as a curtain raiser for a
CFL match between the
Baltimore Stallions and
Toronto Argonauts, posted a crowd of 27,853.''
----
----
----
----
July
Notes:
* ''Bartek Sierota became the first Pole to referee an international match.''
----
August
----
September
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
October
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
Notes:
* ''
Joseph Manu
Joseph Manu is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a er or for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League (NRL), and New Zealand at international level.
Manu was a member of the 2018 and 2019 NRL Grand Fina ...
,
Brandon Smith (both New Zealand),
Damien Cook
Damien Cook (born 23 June 1991) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL and Australia at international level.
He previously played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons ...
,
Luke Keary, and
Latrell Mitchell (all Australia) made their Test debuts, while
James Tedesco
James Tedesco (born 8 January 1993), nicknamed "Teddy", is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and captains the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, New South Wales rugby league team and Australia.
He previously played for the We ...
made his debut for Australia having previously represented Italy.''
----
----
----
Notes:
* ''
Oliver Holmes,
Tom Johnstone
Tom Johnstone (born 13 August 1995) is an England international rugby league footballer who plays as a er for Catalans Dragons in the Super League.
He has spent time on loan from Wakefield at Featherstone Rovers in the Championship. Johnstone ...
,
Reece Lyne,
Adam Milner
Adam Milner (born 19 December 1991) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League. He has represented England at international level.
He had previously played his entire ...
,
Jamie Shaul
Jamie Shaul (born 1 July 1992) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for Hull F.C. in the Super League and England national rugby league team.
Shaul spent time on loan at the York City Knights in the Kingstone Pre ...
,
Liam Sutcliffe,
Luke Thompson (all England),
Lambert Belmas
Lambert Belmas (born 11 August 1997) is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for Toulouse Olympique in the Super League and French national rugby league team, France at international level.
He previously played for the ...
,
Paul Marcon
Paul Marcon (born 10 July 1995) is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship and France at international level.
Background
He is a relative of former French internat ...
, and
Anthony Marion (all France) made their Test debuts, while
Robbie Mulhern
Robert "Robbie" Mulhern (born 18 October 1994) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Leigh Leopards in the Super League. Mulhern has represented Ireland, England and the England Knights at international level.
He h ...
made his debut for England having previously represented Ireland.
----
----
Notes:
* ''The Australian players agreed to a one-time reduction of their $20,000 match payments in order to make this match financially viable.''
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
November
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
Notes:
* ''In their seventh meeting, this was the first time
Jamaica has won against the
United States.''
* ''Jamaica became the 11th team to qualify for the
2021 Rugby League World Cup
The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received £2 ...
.''
----
Notes:
* This was a part of the
2018 South American Cup.
----
Notes:
* This was a part of the
2018 South American Cup.
----
Notes:
* This was a part of the
2018 South American Cup.
----
December
''No men's international test matches were played.''
----
Women
----
----
----
----
----
References
{{International rugby league seasons
2018 in rugby league