Rugby League

“We have a really young group, who will be better for this experience,” he said. “They now know what the game looks like against the best in the world. It was humbling, but the response has been positive. “The speed of the ball for Australia caught our girls out. The …

Australia edged to a 36-22 victory in a pulsating match against Fiji to book their place in the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals. Having lost their previous five meetings against Australia by an aggregate score of 246-16, a stunned Brisbane crowd watched Fiji enjoy territorial advantage in the first half …

England thrash France 82-0 in Perth to keep their World Cup hopes alive but they still need to beat Papua New Guinea on Friday and require Tonga to defeat Samoa next Sunday to reach the semi-finals. MATCH REPORT: England thrash France to keep alive World Cup hopes Available to UK …

“What we have done today is enormous, given the context,” McDermott told his post-match media conference in Perth. “Knowing we had to win big – and we have had candid conversations about that this week – we have done that without getting hot. Everything was measured and planned. “Whatever the …

Australia (36) 78 Tries: Chapman 2, Kelleher 2, Church 2, Kelly 2, Robinson, Aiken, Kernick, Dodd, Weale, Penitani Gray, Bent Goals: Kelleher 9 England (0) 0 After talk of lessons learned and improvements made, reality struck fast for England. They conceded a penalty just one second into their match against …

St Helens have signed experienced NRL hooker Tom Starling on a three-year contract. The 28-year-old will join Saints from Canberra Raiders, with whom he has spent the past eight seasons after joining them from Newcastle Knights in 2018. Starling is the fourth close-season signing for Saints, who missed the Super …

Liam Hood has signed a one-year extension to his contract at Castleford Tigers. The 34-year-old Scotland international is the second player in a week that the West Yorkshire club have tied down for next season, with Ashton Golding signing a two-year extension on Tuesday. Hood scored four tries in 17 …

England winger Matty Ashton has stressed the need to balance the chase for points with retaining discipline when they face France in Perth on Saturday in their second World Cup group fixture. Defeat by Tonga last weekend has left England needing results elsewhere to go in their favour over rounds …

Mention of Las Vegas is enough to send a shiver down the spine of any England women’s rugby league supporter. Not because of lost life savings on the slot machines or undercooked food at the buffet, but because England fell to a record 90-4 defeat by Australia at the Allegiant …

England head coach Brian McDermott has called for Super League to accept investment from Australia’s NRL in order to improve the English game. Talks are currently ongoing after Super League clubs rejected a £35m package from the Australian Rugby League Commission and a second deadline of 15 October was allowed …

Leeds Rhinos have signed Halifax Panthers prop Delaine Gittens on a one-year deal. The 25-year-old Jamaica international made 26 appearances in 2026 for Workington and the Panthers after spending time training with Leigh in the off-season. Gittens is the second player to join the Rhinos this week after France international …

Jasmin Strange’s withdrawal from the England squad with a knee injury is a “devastating blow” to their World Cup prospects says head coach Stuart Barrow. The Sydney Roosters second-row forward impressed on her debut, scoring a try as England thrashed Wales 70-6 in their World Cup opener. Strange, 23, whose …

Castleford Tigers hooker Ashton Golding has signed a two-year contract extension. The 30-year-old former Leeds and Huddersfield man joined the Tigers on a deal until the end of the season in February and scored four tries in 13 appearances. “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve been able to re-sign Ashton,” director …

Leeds Rhinos full-back Fergus McCormack has signed a new three-year contract. The 20-year-old made his debut for the Rhinos against Widnes in the Challenge Cup in February. He made three Super League appearances in May and June before injuries gave him the chance to start in the play-off semi-final defeat …

In just her fourth ever game of rugby league on Saturday, Hannah Bluck became a Wales international in a fourth sport, and her fifth sport overall. As well as 15 rugby union caps, she has international football caps at under-16, under-17 and under-19 age levels, as well as in basketball. …

England beat Women;s Rugby League World Cup debutants Wales 70-6 in their Group A opening game in Perth, Australia. BBC News

England (0) 12 Try: Brimson, Young Goal: Savala 2 Tonga (10) 30 Tries: Olakau’atu 2, Utoikamanu, Koula Goals: Katoa 3 Penalties: Katoa 4 Four years ago, England were left shocked and shattered by Samoa in the Rugby League World Cup semi-finals. Now in 2026, Tonga – another Pacific island nation …

England will relish their underdog tag when they take on a powerful Tonga side in their World Cup opener in Perth on Saturday, captain George Williams says. They defeated the Pacific Islanders 3-0 in a hard-fought Test series at home three years ago – having previously edged to victory in …

Veteran York Knights winger Ben Jones-Bishop has extended his contract through to the end of next season. The 38-year-old is in his second spell with the Knights and scored six tries in 11 appearances in 2026. He started his career with Leeds Rhinos and made his senior debut against Celtic …

New Zealand have refused to rule Kalyn Ponga out of the rest of the Rugby League World Cup as he prepares to have surgery on a broken forearm. The full-back played on for around 20 minutes with the injury, sustained during Thursday’s epic tournament opener against co-hosts Australia, which the …