Mention of Las Vegas is enough to send a shiver down the spine of any England women’s rugby league supporter. But when England face Australia at the Women’s Rugby League World Cup on Saturday (10:05 BST), this is a side determined to show they have moved on from the nightmare of their last meeting 19 months ago.
England Women’s Rugby League (Credits: BBC Sport)
England vs Australia: The Vegas Nightmare
Back in March 2025, England fell to a record 90-4 defeat by the Jillaroos at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada. The match — meant to launch a regular Women’s Ashes series — instead became a sobering reminder of the gulf between Australia, winners of the previous three World Cups, and England, who shipped 17 tries in a lopsided affair. Georgia Roche, who scored England’s only try, was left in tears at the final whistle, consoled by her opponents.
The outcome led many to believe the game in the northern hemisphere had reached a new nadir — but it also delivered a seismic shift in head coach Stuart Barrow’s thinking. Few of those selected for this tournament bear the scars of that encounter: the youthful, dynamic squad features only six players from the Sin City debacle.
Young England Fear Nothing Against the Jillaroos
Barrow says excitement, not trepidation, is the feeling in the England camp as they prepare to face the World Cup co-hosts in Perth. “The youngsters coming in think that they can do better than what we did last time and I fully back that and believe them as well,” he said. “People were saying, ‘do we want to avoid teams?’ When you come all this way, you want to pit yourself as an athlete against the best.”
England thrashed Wales 70-6 in their World Cup opener, but their preparations took a “devastating blow” when Jasmin Strange picked up a serious knee injury in training on Tuesday, ruling her out of the rest of the tournament. The Sydney Roosters second-row forward will be sharply missed against opponents who have lost just once since 2016 and remain the benchmark at international level.
Also Read: England’s World Cup Suffers ‘Devastating Blow’ as Jasmin Strange Ruled Out With Knee Injury | Brian McDermott Urges Super League to Accept NRL Investment After £35m Offer Rejected
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
