Set up to fail? Where England’s World Cup campaign went wrong
England’s men beat Papua New Guinea 34-12 but are likely to be eliminated from the Rugby League World Cup because they needed a much larger win. England’s women had already lost 24-6 to Samoa, leaving both teams on course to miss the semi-finals for the first time in World Cup history. The results have renewed calls for English rugby league to examine its preparation and invest to keep pace with the southern hemisphere.
The men’s campaign began with a 30-12 defeat by Tonga, a result that put them under pressure in a format with little room for error. Coach Brian McDermott was appointed in April and had no matches to prepare with the team before the tournament; travel delays also left players exhausted and reduced planned training in Australia to two full sessions. England’s elimination would be confirmed unless Tonga beat Samoa by more than 46 points.
In short
- England’s men won but are likely out of the tournament.
- The women lost to Samoa and missed the semi-finals.
- Short preparation and travel problems compounded the challenge.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
England’s poor prospects reflect a campaign that left little margin for error: the opening defeat by Tonga, limited preparation under a newly appointed coach and disrupted travel all hindered the team. The results strengthen the case for better planning and sustained investment if English rugby league is to compete with southern hemisphere sides.
The case against
Preparation problems may have contributed, but they do not fully explain the results: England still had to perform on the pitch, and the men’s campaign was placed under pressure by their defeat to Tonga. Calls for major changes should be weighed against the uncertainty of what would have changed the outcome, and assessed alongside the teams’ performances and the tournament format.
Explained simply
The Rugby League World Cup is an international tournament for national teams, with separate men’s and women’s competitions. England are one of the sport’s established sides, while teams from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands have often been among the strongest.
England’s men entered the tournament under new coach Brian McDermott, appointed in April, without playing a warm-up match together. Travel delays also cut short their training in Australia. These factors have prompted questions about how the teams were prepared and whether English rugby league has enough investment to compete with southern hemisphere nations.
A team’s results in the group stage determine whether it advances to the semi-finals, so an early defeat can leave little room to recover. The men’s and women’s results have put England’s record of reaching the semi-finals in every previous World Cup in doubt.
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