England’s women dealt sobering reality of pecking order as World Cup dreams over

England’s women are OUT of the Rugby League World Cup after a humbling defeat to Samoa which further reaffirmed the gap between Stuart Barrow’s side and the southern hemisphere.

Victory over Wales in their first match had looked to put England on course to once again reach the semi-finals – before a hefty defeat to the Jillaroos last weekend set up a winner-takes-all showdown against Samoa.

The Samoans were looking to reach the final four for the very first time, while England were hoping to preserve their record of having always made the last four of every single women’s Rugby League World Cup.

But there was history created on two fronts in Wollongong on Friday morning.

England out of World Cup

Barrow’s side were arguably outsiders against the Samoans pre-match given the NRLW experience they had in their side, and the predictions England would struggle ultimately came true.

A hat-trick for Freedom Crichton Ropati did most of the damage inside the first half for the Samoans, and while they were unable to convert any of those tries, they still held a commanding 12-0 lead at the interval.

England simply had to score next, and while they did just that through a try for Evie Cousins, they were unable to take advantage of any further pressure on the Samoan line, with their execution letting them down at vital moments.

That meant two more tries for Samoa, courtesy of Mercedez Taulelei-Siala and Fanua Rimoni, were mere icing on the cake against an England side who head home having created unwanted history.

Super League-NRLW gap clear in England exit

The rise of Samoa to reach the semi-finals for the first time mirrors the situation in the men’s game, with the vast player pool of the NRLW proving to be significant in allowing new nations to challenge with England.

Ultimately, the investment into Women’s Super League falls way behind that of the NRLW, leading to England’s place in the international hierarchy slipping away.

It remains to be seen how England attempt to bridge that gap; potentially with more of their star players heading to the NRLW.

But there is now a lengthy road ahead to the next World Cup in four years time as they attempt to show they can once again compete with the world’s leading nations.