Category: Rugby League

Electrifying full-backs take centre stage in men’s final before Australia and New Zealand meet again in the women’s decider

In so many ways this has been a Rugby League World Cup of change. New formats, new stories, new nations rising and even a rarity for this tournament: a financial profit. But for all the evolution and growth witnessed in the past month, the final acts arrive with a familiar international comfort blanket.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that, while the men’s final in Brisbane is the one everyone expected, Australia and New Zealand are contesting it for the first time since 2013. In 2017, England tried and failed to dethrone the Kangaroos while four years ago it was Samoa who were beaten finalists. Now the Kiwis are next to try.

• England prevail 50-38 over France in Wollongong final

• Joe Coyd scores four tries to set successful title defence

England men’s wheelchair rugby league team completed an historic defence of their World Cup title, defeating their great rivals France in a thrilling final in Wollongong which underlined the overwhelming positives of the sport.

The English and the French have been the two dominant nations in the wheelchair game, sharing the previous four World Cup titles between them. On the field, they have produced thunderous and often controversial encounters but off it, there is great respect in a sport that allows disabled and able-bodied athletes to compete alongside one another.

England go into Friday’s final against France hopeful of retaining their title – and inspiring more to take up their fast-growing, compelling sport

Sport in Britain is so often judged on various key metrics. Attendances, TV viewing figures, revenue and, arguably the most important one of all, trophies. On Friday morning, a group of men will represent England in a World Cup final against France, hoping to retain the trophy they won in 2022 while still playing for something far more important.

The captain of England’s rugby league wheelchair team, Lewis King, remembers what things used to be like as a wheelchair athlete. His life changed in 2009 when, aged 24, he was left partially paralysed after a blood clot on his spine that required an emergency operation. At that stage, playing sport felt impossible.

• Reece Walsh scores hat-trick in comfortable win at Allianz Stadium

• Kangaroos will play New Zealand next weekend for world title

The NRL’s form referee, Adam Gee, is in charge of tonight’s proceedings.

Conditions: The south east of Australia is experiencing an unseasonal cold snap so tonight’s temperature will be around 15C, but made to feel much colder thanks to a serious southerly. We saw last night how much a strong wind can impact a game so both teams will need to be wise to the conditions and adjust accordingly.

• New Zealand 34-10 Tonga

• Kiwis come from behind and will face Australia or Samoa

What had been billed as one of the most intriguing Rugby League World Cup semi-finals in history was, in the end, a brutal exposé of the standards the world’s chasing nations must rise to in order to match Australia and New Zealand.

Few nations have as close a connection to the rise of international rugby league quite like the Kiwis and Tonga. After all, it was Jason Taumalolo’s decision to switch his international allegiance from New Zealand to the Mate Ma’a in 2017 which lit the touchpaper for the rise of nations such as Samoa and Tonga, leading to a plethora of the world’s best players following suit.

• Kiwi Ferns defeat Fetu Samoa 32-0 in semi-final

• Centre Waaka scores three of Kiwi Ferns’ seven tries

A Stacey Waaka hat-trick has helped secure New Zealand their place in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup final.

The Kiwi Ferns were rarely threatened in their 32-0 victory over an inexperienced Fetu Samoa in Newcastle, running away with it late with four tries in the final 12 minutes on Saturday afternoon. The dual international Waaka made the most of her opportunities, setting up New Zealand’s early first try, before securing three of her own. With her hat-trick, Waaka drew level with Australia winger Jaime Chapman atop the tournament’s try-scoring tally with nine.

• Veteran full-back named on bench for Kangaroos’ clash with Samoa

• Kayln Ponga in New Zealand’s extended squad to face Tonga

Reece Walsh and Kayln Ponga are on track to resume their compelling rivalry after two huge coach calls ahead of the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals.

Walsh on Tuesday retained the Australian No 1 jumper ahead of James Tedesco for the Kangaroos’ semi-final against Samoa in Sydney on Sunday.

English rugby league needs systemic change and national side must be a higher priority after early exit

“England have gone backwards over the last eight to 10 years.” Damning words about the state of English rugby league, from an Australia head coach, no less. But what should be most troubling for anyone with any sort of power within the sport is that these comments are not recent: they were made by the then Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart, almost two decades ago.

Stuart was speaking after England’s men were beaten in the semi-finals of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup but, as the national team head home from the tournament once again, his stance still holds weight today. England have failed to make it to the last four for the first time, having failed to qualify from a farcical group-stage format.

• Match report: Records tumble as merciless Jillaroos destroy Wales in Rugby League World Cup

And the two teams are out in the glorious spring sunshine. Smiles all round as Australia prepare to fill their boots and Wales soak up the occasion.

The Jillaroos are wearing gold jerseys this afternoon, with green chevrons and shorts. Wales are in red with white and dark green accents.

• Kangaroos shake off a slow start to defeat Cook Islands in Townsville

• Australia cruise into the semi-finals on top of Pool A

The Kangaroos will be wearing their familiar dark green uniform with gold accents. Plenty of green in the Cook Islands outfit as well, but it is the secondary colour to a majority white base.

Tonight’s referee is NRL veteran Ashley Klein.

• Pool B + C: England 34-12 Papua New Guinea

• Women’s side crash out after defeat by Samoa

Game over. Two ultimately straightforward victories from three group games would ordinarily be enough to secure qualification in the Rugby League World Cup, but the format means that, barring a rugby league miracle from Tonga on Sunday, England are heading home early.

That format – 10 teams in lopsided groups and England in a unique position of being effectively out after defeat on the opening weekend – has been a point of discussion since that defeat by the Tongans a fortnight ago. But at some stage, the attention has to turn internally and the tough, uncompromising questions have to be asked of English rugby league.