England Women Name National Performance Squad Ahead of 2026 Rugby League World Cup Preparations

England Women Head Coach Stuart Barrow has named a 33-strong National Performance Squad ahead of the team’s first training camp of the year, which takes place this Saturday in Leeds (10 January).

The squad features 31 players from the Betfred Women’s Super League (BWSL), including 11 who have progressed through England’s Diploma of Sporting Excellence (DiSE) pathway, underlining the strength and depth of the national development system.

Dual-code star Fran Goldthorp returns to the England setup for the first time since 2024 - the 22-year-old made history ahead of the 2023 campaign when she became one of the first English players to sign in the NRLW, joining North Queensland Cowboys. Goldthorp has since made 28 appearances and scored nine tries in Australia.

Former York Valkyrie second-row Hollie-Mae Dodd is also included before she returns to Australia for her fourth season with Canberra Raiders. The 22-year-old continues to be a key figure in England’s forward plans.

After missing last season through injury, winger Leah Burke returns to the national setup for the first time since 2024. Burke has six England caps and 10 international tries to her name and will represent St Helens in the squad alongside eight of her club teammates.

Betfred Women’s Super League champions Wigan Warriors are strongly represented, with 11 players selected, including reigning Woman of Steel Eva Hunter and Young Player of the Year Isabel Rowe.

The squad will meet at Leeds Beckett University on Saturday for their first training camp of the year. England Women will then continue to meet monthly before the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup resumes in March.

England Women will then reconvene for a Mid-Season International against France on the weekend of 25/26 July with the match serving as a key warm-up ahead of preparations intensifying for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.

Speaking on the announcement, Head Coach Stuart Barrow said:

“2026 is another huge year for the England Women squad with the Rugby League World Cup taking place in October, and our preparations are stepping up a notch now that we are less than 10 months away from our opening game against Wales.

“With players currently still in the off-season, this squad will continue to grow and develop throughout the year based on individual performances in the Betfred Women’s Super League and Challenge Cup.

“As part of our ongoing preparations, we’re very much looking forward to travelling to France in July. The timing of this fixture gives us a great opportunity to assess where we are as a squad just a few months out from the World Cup.”

England Women performance squad

Savannah Andrade (York Valkyrie), Mia-Jayne Atherton (Wigan Warriors), Grace Banks (Wigan Warriors), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Ruby Bruce (Leeds Rhinos), Leah Burke (St Helens), Caitlin Casey (St Helens), Mary Coleman (Wigan Warriors), Evie Cousins (Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors), Ellise Derbyshire (Wigan Warriors), Hollie-Mae Dodd (Canberra Raiders), Ella Donnelly (Leeds Rhinos) Jenna Foubister (Wigan Warriors), Fran Goldthorp (North Queensland Cowboys), Amy Hardcastle (St Helens), Shona Hoyle Holdsworth (St Helens), Eva Hunter (Wigan Warriors), Molly Jones (Wigan Warriors), Erin McDonald (St Helens), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lucy Murray (Leeds Rhinos), Izzy Northrop (Leeds Rhinos), Eboni Partington (York Valkyrie), Tamzin Renouf (York Valkyrie), Isable Rowe (Wigan Warriors), Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos), Paige Travis (St Helens), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens), Megan Williams (Wigan Warriors), Georgia Wilson (Wigan Warriors), Liv Wood (York Valkyrie)