England's final group game at the 2026 women's Rugby League World Cup has been described as "do or die" by coach Stuart Barrow. The team must beat Samoa in Wollongong on Friday (06:45 GMT) to finish second in Group A and secure a semi-final spot.
England opened with a 70-6 win over Wales but were then thrashed 78-0 by reigning champions Australia in Perth. A victory over Samoa would likely set up a semi-final against New Zealand, who defeated England at the same stage in 2022.
Southern hemisphere dominance
The tournament has highlighted the gap between northern and southern hemisphere nations. Aside from England's win over Wales, heavy defeats have been inflicted by southern teams: Australia beat England 78-0, Samoa beat Wales 76-0, and New Zealand defeated France 92-0. Samoa's squad consists entirely of players from Australia's semi-professional NRLW, a higher standard than England's amateur Women's Super League.
Learning from the Australia loss
Barrow said his young squad has learned from the "annihilation" against Australia. "The speed of the ball caught our girls out. They have never played in a game so fast," he said. England have worked on defensive connectivity and aim to show a better attitude, having scrambled to prevent tries even when 70-0 down.
Injury updates
Key player Eva Hunter is out with a leg injury suffered against Australia, prompting a pack reshuffle: Hollie-Mae Dodd moves from prop to the back row, with Mary Coleman coming in at prop. Captain Jodie Cunningham, who suffered a nasty ear injury requiring hospital treatment and stitches, has recovered enough to be named on the bench. "Jodie's ear is reattached," Barrow confirmed.
