Historic: Neither England men nor women reach World Cup final four
England's women lost 24-6 to Samoa and the men, despite a 34-12 win over Papua New Guinea, failed to reach the semi-finals.
England's rugby league World Cup campaign has ended in historic disappointment. For the first time, neither England's men nor their women reach the semi-finals.
The women fell short against Samoa, losing 24-6. The men beat Papua New Guinea 34-12 on Friday.
But the margin was not enough to save them unless Tonga beats Samoa by more than 46 points on Sunday. For the men, this ends a run that began with Great Britain at the first tournament in 1954.
Coach Brian McDermott faced poor planning, including a gruelling 48-hour journey to Perth that left players exhausted before their opening loss to Tonga. Injuries also hurt the forward pack, leaving England short of physical strength.
- 24-6
- Women's loss to Samoa
- 34-12
- Men's win over PNG
- 1954
- First tournament
- Brian McDermott
- Coach
Why it mattersThe double elimination signals English rugby league is falling behind the southern hemisphere and needs serious investment to stay competitive.
AustraliaThe tournament continues in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, but England's early exit reduces the global competitive draw.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 11 h ago
