Stuart Barrow says excitement is building within the England Women’s camp as his side prepare to begin their Rugby League World Cup campaign, with the head coach enthused by the talent at his disposal and the female development pathways that continue to produce international players.
England Women have arrived in Perth, Australia ahead of their tournament opener against Wales on Saturday, and after months of anticipation, Barrow is relishing the opportunity to finally get underway:
“We’re really excited. It seemed like a long way away, not so long ago, and then suddenly it came upon us really quickly.
“And after a long journey, we’re all glad to be here and the excitement's already building within the camp. We've had a couple of sessions and that's been really great so far.
“We’re ticking along nicely.”
Barrow heads into the competition with a squad featuring a blend of experienced internationals, emerging stars and promising young prospects, as well as players who have progressed through England's performance pathway system.
The England coach believes the foundations laid in recent years, alongside developments in the domestic game, are helping more players reach the international stage:
“I think the pathways that have been established over the last few years - I've really encouraged that kind of development.
“There are 11 girls, I think, out of the 23 here who've come through our pathway and our DiSE programme. So, I've known these girls for a long time as well, but to see some of them emerge so quickly in the Women's Super League is testament to them too.
“But it's not possible to do that without people leading the way, like our captain Jodie Cunningham, making people want to join a pathway, and making them want to stay in rugby league.
“We're also excited to bring that little bit of knowledge the NRLW girls have got, and that little bit of experience from the NRLW to mix that with our girls, is really good.”
While his players have spent much of the domestic season competing against one another, Barrow says any club allegiances quickly disappear once the squad comes together for England duty:
“You’re always thinking about what's gone before in club land. It's been a really competitive back end of the Women’s Super League as well with the new Super Four Competition this year. So, they've all been playing each other regularly, but they all know that putting that England badge on your chest makes you one united team. Club rivalries are soon forgotten when you're at the airport - then all the talk is about England.
“It’s really easy, especially with this group of girls, because they get on so well together.”
For Barrow, leading his country at a World Cup is an experience he is determined to savour:
“I’m much enjoying it and I think it's made more enjoyable by the group we've got and the quality of people we've got, not just players. To coach your country is a greatest honour and I'm making sure that I enjoy every moment of being here."
England captain Jodie Cunningham, who accompanied Barrow in press conference, echoed that excitement but warned her side will not underestimate Wales at the weekend, despite recording a 62-0 victory over them in their mid-season international last year:
“We know what Wales are about previously, but they've added a lot to that squad.
“We we aren't taking them lightly. This is tournament rugby league now and every game is going to be tough. We're going to have to be at our best and we're going into this game knowing that we've got to be at 100%. All the girls are fighting for shirts as well.
“It’s going to be a huge test for us, but we're really excited for it.”
Cunningham also believes England have assembled a squad capable of competing with the very best, although she stressed performance remains the priority:
“This is a really strong squad and fills me with so much excitement and I'm really hopeful we can go out and do a really good job.
“But we've got to perform like any team has to. They have to come here, and they have to put the best foot forward. And that's what we've got to focus on doing.
“We've got to Wales first and then we know then we've got another two really tough games to get out of the group stages.
“The pressure is always on in a World Cup no matter what, wearing an England badge. There are high expectations that come with that and externally we know that everyone will put high expectations on us.
“We just need to focus on us and if we do that and we all play together and get that connectivity that we know we can have, that we're building already in training, then who knows what we can do. But we’re ready.”
With Women's World Cup matches played over 70 minutes rather than the 80-minute format used in the Women's Super League back home, the England captain believes teams will have an opportunity to play with even greater intensity throughout each contest:
“We want to go really intense. We want to play a really strong middle game. We know that there's some rotations available.
"I think it's the coaches that have the tactical decisions to make there on when those interchanges are and how do you do it at the right times. But as a player, 70 or 80 minutes, we just want to go out there and give it our all for the whole thing, but maybe gives us a chance to do that a little bit more intensely.”
Click here to view the England Women squad named for their World Cup opener against Wales.
England Women's fixtures are as follows:
Saturday 17 October
England v Wales – 7.35am
HBF Park, Perth
Saturday 24 October
England v Australia – 10.05am
HBF Park, Perth
Friday 30 October
England v Samoa – 6.45am
WIN Stadium, Wollongong
The top two teams from Group A will progress to the semi-finals, with the Rugby League World Cup Final taking place at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on Sunday 15 November.
Follow England's journey and watch the 2026 Rugby League World Cup LIVE with a Premier Sports subscription.
Follow England RL on social media for all the latest news and updates - we are on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. You can also subscribe to the official England Rugby League YouTube channel here!
Wear England's new kit with pride in 2026. Get yours here!
