Different paths to success at the Rugby League World Cup

Teams in the men's, women's and wheelchair Rugby League World Cup begin competition in Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand between 15 October and 15 November, with the men's tournament opening on Thursday in Sydney when Australia face New Zealand. England's new men's head coach Brian McDermott has expressed guarded optimism about his side's chances, while other coaches and squads have set a range of objectives for the three tournaments.

England's men arrive in the southern hemisphere carrying recent highs and lows: a 27-26 golden-point World Cup semi-final loss to Samoa four years ago, series wins over Tonga in 2023 and Samoa in 2024, and a 3-0 home series defeat by Australia last autumn that preceded Shaun Wane's departure. McDermott, who took the job after that series, acknowledged the belief in the squad, saying: "Do I believe we can win? It's not a no. Anybody who says we can't win with a finality to it - that's not my belief." He also faces preparation challenges, having not had a training session with the players before the squad's arrival and without a mid-season international this year.

England open their World Cup in a combined Pool B-C group that begins with a Saturday match against Tonga and includes France and Papua New Guinea, with the top two teams progressing to the semi-finals. McDermott's 23-man selection contains 10 NRL-based players, including Dolphins centre Herbie Farnworth and Roosters lock Victor Radley, and relies on heritage selections such as Roosters back Hugo Savala and Brisbane prop Ben Talty. Canterbury prop Max King and Wigan's Harry Smith are among the names providing experience; Smith said: "He's showed us clips from the Ashes series, where there were opportunities to go at Australia. Big opportunities to break open the game which we didn't quite grab. [It's] Probably just a bit more eyes up, a bit more playing on the gainline. In big games, you've got to take your chances with two hands and come away with points." McDermott added a tactical caveat: "We have got to do things differently... You have to play with a point of difference and attack into certain areas. I don't believe too many England teams have done that over the years."

England's women, ranked third globally, travel with the memory of a 90-4 defeat by Australia in Las Vegas in March 2025 and will face the world champions again in Group A, alongside Wales and Samoa in a schedule that could determine a place in the last four for a fifth time. Stuart Barrow has rebuilt the squad substantially, with only six players remaining from the Nevada match and new inclusions such as Australia-born Jasmin Strange and Hope Millard, plus the returns of Fran Goldthorp, Georgia Roche and Hollie-Mae Dodd; St Helens loose forward Jodie Cunningham, 34, is set for a fourth and final World Cup. The side features emerging talent including Wigan's 19-year-old Woman of Steel Jenna Foubister, Megan Williams and Eva Hunter; Cunningham said: "It's a huge difference in a short period of time. The result [against Australia] enhanced the desire to make change. We have lots of youth and enthusiasm." She added: "As a squad we are probably going to be underestimated by Australia and other nations whose players predominantly play in the NRLW - and Eva [Hunter] could be one that does shock them with her physicality. She is so strong, powerful and really quick with it as well. Maybe that's the benefit of that scoreline in Vegas - people won't realise the talent we've got." Matches in the women's tournament will be 70 minutes, rather than the 80-minute format used in the Women's Super League, and many England players balance full-time jobs; Leeds hooker Keara Bennett said: "I know some of the girls have had to take all of their annual leave for the tournament, so they've not had a holiday all year because they've been saving it up... We're trying to create a platform and inspire the next generation, but you can't not acknowledge that money and time would really benefit and boost us." Wigan scrum-half Isabel Rowe added: "It's definitely a struggle we have trying to make sure everybody's free and available to play. I don't like to use the word 'sacrifice' because we're making a choice and we choose to do it because we want to play for our country, but you have to take it into account."

England enter the wheelchair competition aiming for a third title after defeating France 28-24 in the 2022 final and are drawn with Wales, the USA and Ireland in a group stage from which they expect to advance. Head coach Tom Coyd has picked a 10-player squad that includes five World Cup winners; Luis Domingos, one of two Sheffield Eagles players selected, said: "We're going there with the attitude that we want to win... My goal in life is to create moments and memories, and to leave a mark. I'm confident we can win but I'm more excited about creating that memory that I can remember in 20 years. Me and my family - the team-mates and the staff - can create that moment, and the next generation can say: I want to do something like that." Wales' women's team reached the finals after qualifying but will be outsiders in a group also containing Australia and Samoa; England beat Wales 82-0 at Headingley in 2024 and 62-0 in Neath last year. Tom Brindle has named Leanne Burnell, Kathryn Salter and Emily Hughes from Wales' first-ever 2021 side and supplemented the squad with North Queensland Cowboys winger Sian Williams, second rower Paige Travis and Canterbury Bulldogs half-back Tayla Preston, who said: "My grandfather was born in Wales and grew up in Wales before moving here when he was about 20... I feel really honoured to be able to play for Wales in a World Cup, and hopefully we can help grow the game for girls back in Wales and inspire them to want to play." The Welsh wheelchair squad raised over £10,000 via crowdfunding after losing a front-of-shirt sponsor.

The tournament's format and wider health of the game remain topics of debate: the men's event has been reduced from 16 teams to 10 to curb lopsided group matches, while the women's and wheelchair competitions remain at eight teams. Newer nations such as Greece and Jamaica were noted for adding a feelgood factor at the previous World Cup, yet organisers face financial and calendar pressures after plans to stage the tournament in the US and Canada in 2025 were shelved for financial reasons and French organisers subsequently pulled out, prompting the International Rugby League to shift the event back a year and move it to the southern hemisphere. England's men have played just nine matches since 2022, including two high-scoring wins over France, and Australia's men also had a long gap without Tests before 2022 and have played nine since; with Australia's men and women the overwhelming favourites to triumph, organisers aim to deliver a competitive and profitable event. On the broader challenge McDermott said: "I don't think the future of the game rests on this World Cup. If England win the World Cup, it'd be good. But does that mean Sky is going to treble the money that they give the clubs? The answer is no. And the answer would be, you know, growing the game. It's a long term [thing]. [We need to] Get in better and more sustainable investment, and there are a few more things that the game needs to do."

The men's tournament opens on Thursday at 10:05 BST with Australia v New Zealand in Sydney, the women's competition begins on Friday at 10:05 BST with Australia v Samoa in Sydney, and England's wheelchair side start against Wales in Wollongong on Friday 30 October at 04:30 BST; the men's final is scheduled for Brisbane on 15 November.