Rugby League World Cup: England chase titles in three formats — SkimNews
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- Brian McDermott takes charge as England men's head coach for the Rugby League World Cup, leading a 23-man squad featuring 10 NRL-based players including Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth and freshly-crowned Grand Final winner Victor Radley of Sydney Roosters, with England seeking their first final since 1995 after a 27-26 golden-point semi-final loss to Samoa in 2021.
- The men's tournament opens Thursday (10:05 BST) with reigning champions Australia facing New Zealand in Sydney, while England begin Saturday against a Tonga side packed with NRL talent in Pool B-C alongside France and Papua New Guinea.
- England's women, ranked third in the world, face world champions Australia in a Group A rematch after a record 90-4 defeat in Las Vegas in March 2025, with only six of that squad retained and the side buoyed by heritage inclusions Jasmin Strange and Hope Millard.
- England's wheelchair team target a third title in a group with Wales, the USA, and Ireland, with head coach Tom Coyd's 10-player squad including five World Cup winners from the 2022 triumph.
- Wales make their women's World Cup debut as rank outsiders against Australia, Samoa and England — most of their squad taking unpaid leave, while the Welsh wheelchair squad raised over £10,000 via crowdfunding after losing their front-of-shirt sponsor at short notice.
- England's women revealed the financial toll of competing, with multiple players using all their annual leave for the tournament, while Keara Bennett said money and time 'would really benefit and boost us' as England try to inspire the next generation.
Why it matters: The article exposes the structural gap between professional men's rugby league and the women's and wheelchair games — England women's players burned all their annual leave and Wales' wheelchair squad crowdfunded £10,000 after losing their sponsor. For most nations, 'success' at this World Cup is measured in survival and visibility, not trophies, which the source contrasts with Australia's NRLW-dominated dominance.
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