# England face ‘do or die’ World Cup game with Samoa

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/england-face-do-or-die-world-cup-game-with-samoa/
- Published: 2026-10-27T11:56:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-27T12:58:48+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Sport (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/c674p3v4v9vmo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Art, Culture, Sport, UK, World

## Key points

- England must beat Samoa to qualify for the semi-finals.
- They lost 78-0 to defending champions Australia.
- Eva Hunter is out; captain Jodie Cunningham is available.

## Summary

England need to beat Samoa on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup, making their final group match a “do or die” game, coach Stuart Barrow says. After opening with a 70-6 win over Wales, England lost 78-0 to defending champions Australia, and must now respond to stay in the tournament.

The match in Wollongong starts at 06:45 GMT; victory would secure second place in Group A and likely set up a semi-final against New Zealand. England’s defeat to Australia exposed the gulf between the southern hemisphere sides and England’s amateur league, while Samoa’s squad is made up of players from Australia’s semi-professional NRLW. Eva Hunter is out with a leg injury, but captain Jodie Cunningham has been named on the bench after treatment for an injured ear.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.