England Defeats Wales in Women's Rugby League World Cup Opener

UPDATE - follow-up to England crush Women's World Cup debutants Wales: England bounced back from an early shock to secure a 70-6 victory over Wales in their Group A Women's Rugby League World Cup opener in Perth.

Match Details

Paige Travis scored an early try for tournament debutants Wales within the first ten minutes after taking advantage of multiple English mistakes, briefly leveling the score at 6-6 following Amelia Brown's opening try for England. That early setback prompted a sharp response from coach Stu Barrow's team, who went on to score seven tries before half-time and 13 in total. Wing Anna Davies and debutant Connie Boyd both scored hat-tricks, while Amelia Brown and Izzy Rowe added two tries each. Izzy Rowe also kicked nine conversions, totaling 26 points and matching the record for the most points by an individual English player in a World Cup match. Additional tries came from Georgia Wilson, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Jasmin Strange, and Emily Strange.

Reactions and Next Steps

England coach Stu Barrow stated after the match that his team played good football once they settled down after the first ten minutes, noting he was pleased they achieved 70 to 80 percent of what he wanted. England now turns its focus to facing co-hosts Australia next Saturday.

Context

Teams competing in the Rugby League World Cup must balance strong attacking plays with disciplined defense to advance through the group stages. England is aiming to reach a World Cup final for the first time in their history.