'We had to change after Vegas' - but England suffer another humbling — SkimNews
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- England lost 78-0 to Australia in a Women's Rugby League World Cup match, marking another heavy defeat after a 90-4 loss in Las Vegas in March 2025.
- Stuart Barrow acknowledged the need for change after the Vegas loss and fielded a young England squad with 11 players aged 23 or under, including two 19-year-olds in the starting half-back pairing.
- Australia demonstrated their dominance as world champions, with an average squad age of nearly 28 and most players drawn from the fully professional NRLW competition.
- England only included three NRLW players in their squad, with most athletes balancing rugby alongside full-time jobs outside the sport.
- Stuart Barrow emphasized long-term development, stating the current team is being prepared for the 2030 World Cup despite the lopsided loss.
Why it matters: The 78-0 scoreline underscores a structural disadvantage for England, whose amateur players face a professional Australian squad week in, week out. With 11 of 17 players under 23, the loss is framed not as a failure but as a necessary step in a rebuild aimed at 2030—delaying competitiveness at the cost of present results.
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