England's men and women have both been eliminated before the semi-finals of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, marking the first time in tournament history that neither side has reached the last four. The men's team defeated Papua New Guinea 34-12 on Friday but fell short of the massive winning margin required to advance; their exit will be confirmed unless Tonga beat Samoa by more than 46 points on Sunday. Earlier, the women's side lost 24-6 to Samoa in a decisive pool match, ending a run that had seen England or Great Britain feature in every previous women's semi-final or top-four finish.
Men's campaign hampered by preparation chaos and injuries
The men's tournament, hosted by Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea after France withdrew for financial reasons, began with a sense of impending doom for England. Head coach Brian McDermott was appointed only in April, giving him six months to prepare with no mid-season international. Based in Australia as an assistant with the Gold Coast Titans, he relied on virtual meetings and managed just two full on-field sessions after UK-based players endured a 48-hour journey to Perth that McDermott likened to the film "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." England lost their opener 30-12 to Tonga, a result that effectively decided their fate. McDermott later said an extra two or three weeks of preparation would have made a significant difference.
Travel logistics and a format that pitted England against Tonga in a high-stakes opener have drawn criticism. The situation was compounded by the Super League Grand Final on 3 October, which limited the availability of England-based players; only three of the 14 domestic-based squad members participated. A decimated forward pack — missing Matty Lees, Mike McMeeken, Caleb Hamlin-Uele, Morgan Smithies, Morgan Knowles, Billy Smith, Jake Wardle, Ash Handley and Mikolaj Oledzki — left England physically outmatched. After the Tonga loss, England needed to win by huge margins against other opponents, a target they failed to meet against Papua New Guinea.
Women's side highlights investment gap and lack of competitive fixtures
Women's coach Stuart Barrow selected a youthful squad with 11 players aged 23 or under, many of whom hold full-time jobs outside rugby league. England were thrashed 78-0 by world champions Australia and then beaten by a Samoa side heavily populated with NRL Women's Premiership players. Barrow acknowledged the accelerating gap: "The investment into the NRLW is not only making the Jillaroos better but it's making all the Pacific nations better as well." He called for substantially more funding in England's Women's Super League, warning that token gestures are insufficient.
Geography and a sparse international calendar have also hindered development. Since the previous World Cup, England's women have played only six internationals — all against France and Wales — scoring 348 points while conceding four. Their only test against top-tier opposition before this tournament was a 90-4 loss to Australia in Las Vegas. Barrow stressed the need for more competitive matches against southern hemisphere nations to bridge the gap.
