Head Coach Craig Richards has named his 19-strong England squad to take on Brazil at Headingley on Tuesday (2 November) in the opening game of the Women’s Rugby League World Cup (KO 2.30pm).
Emily Rudge, the most experienced player in the squad, will captain the side on her 27th international appearance in this her fourth Rugby League World Cup. The 31-year-old St Helens forward made her England debut against Australia in the 2008 tournament and was handed the captaincy in 2019 for the Papua New Guinea tour, during which she memorably scored four tries in a single game against the Orchids.
Richards has named all four winners of the Woman of Steel Award introduced in 2018 – Leeds Rhinos’ half-backs Georgia Roche and Courtney Winfield-Hill (award winners in 2018 and 2019 respectively), St Helens’ Jodie Cunningham (2020) and this year’s winner Tara-Jane Stanley of York City Knights.
Other notable selections include Leeds Rhinos’ Caitlin Beevers who at 21 has already won two Women’s Super League titles and a Challenge Cup, England’s all-time leading try-scorer Amy Hardcastle of St Helens and Wigan's Vicky Molyneux – the sole survivor of England Women’s very first international outing against France in 2007.
England Women 19-player squad
12 Emily Rudge (Captain)
1 Tara Stanley
2 Caitlin Beevers
3 Fran Goldthorp
4 Amy Hardcastle
5 Leah Burke
6 Georgia Roche
7 Courtney Winfield-Hill
8 Grace Field
9 Tara Jones
11 Hollie Dodd
13 Jodie Cunningham
14 Vicky Molyneux
15 Vicky Whitfield
17 Shona Hoyle
18 Olivia Wood
21 Keara Bennett
22 Zoe Harris
24 Zoe Hornby
England’s women’s tournament opener against Brazil is set to be watched by a record attendance for a Women’s Rugby League fixture in this country. The side will then face Canada at Wigan’s DW Stadium on Saturday 5 November, before a final group stage fixture back in Leeds against Papua New Guinea on Wednesday 9 November. Tickets are available via the Rugby League World Cup website.
