England require near-impossible result after 34-12 win over Papua New Guinea in Wollongong
England need a near-impossible run to remain in the Rugby League World Cup after a 34-12 victory over Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on 30 October 2026 left them short of the points required to progress.
England went into the final group game needing not only to beat the Kumuls but also for Tonga to defeat Samoa on Sunday and to overturn a 68-point swing on the Samoans. Technically still possible, the 22-point margin of victory means England now require a 46-point Tongan win, a result that would restore their slim hopes of qualification. It is the first time in World Cup history the semi-finals will take place without England, with both the men’s and women’s sides effectively consigned to early exits within hours of one another.
England produced a commanding start, scoring four unanswered tries to lead 22-0 after 21 minutes. Matty Ashton opened the scoring after six minutes and AJ Brimson crossed five minutes later before George Williams laid the platform for Dom Young to touch down and Harry Smith and Kai Pearce-Paul combined to send the former through a gap. With such an early advantage, England squandered further chances, bombing three more gilt-edged opportunities as half-time approached.
Their game-plan deteriorated after the restart and England did not score another try for 50 minutes, allowing Papua New Guinea to gain a foothold in the contest. Dudley Dotoi and Gairo Voro crossed to halve a 24-0 deficit at the interval, and England were left to prioritise securing the win rather than achieving the required margin. Morgan Knowles and Mikey Lewis added late tries to ensure the final score was 34-12, but the 22-point victory left qualification dependent on other results.
England’s women failed to reach the final stages of the World Cup for the first time after losing a winner-takes-all match in Wollongong to Samoa. Samoa, described as a star-studded side packed with NRLW talent, struck early when Freedom Crichton Ropati crossed twice in the opening exchanges and completed her hat-trick on the stroke of half-time. Mercedez Taulelei-Siala extended the lead to make it 16-0 after the break, Evie Cousins replied following a Hollie-Mae Dodd break, and Fanua Rimoni’s late try sealed the win for Samoa.
The women’s group exit follows England’s 78-0 defeat to Australia last week and prompted the article’s assertion that there will be a lengthy inquest for both squads. Stuart Barrow had taken a young squad to Australia, with 11 of the group that travelled aged 23 or under, while the piece notes the NRLW’s increasing professionalism and a slower rate of progress in England, with only a handful of competitive teams and none yet professional.
Barring an extraordinary turnaround in Sunday’s fixture, England are heading home: their only remaining route to the semi-finals is for Tonga to beat Samoa by 46 points on Sunday.