After the painful defeat to Australia in Las Vegas, England are determined to show how far they have come at the Women’s World Cup. 

SUCCESS can be measured in many different ways. It isn’t always about winning trophies and titles; it can often be about small accomplishments, achieving a desired goal, or reaching an outcome that is positive for everyone involved.

It is not as black and white as saying that this World Cup will have been a successful one for the side that lifts the trophy in Brisbane on Sunday, 15th November, and unsuccessful for the seven nations that don’t.

Every nation will have their own aims and ambitions that they hope to have achieved by the time they leave the tournament, and England will be no different.

“We got through to the semi-finals at the last World Cup, so anything less than that this time would be a negative for us,” 14-time international prop Vicky Whitfield told Rugby League World.

“So other than winning it, going over there, doing the shirt proud and putting in our best performances would make it a successful World Cup for us.

“Obviously, we want to be competing with the likes of Australia, but we’re not unrealistic; we know that they are light years ahead of the rest of the world.

“But if we can go out there, put in a performance against them that is a damn sight better than what we put on in Vegas, and close that margin, that would still be a win for us.”

Of course, given what happened in Vegas in March 2025, when England went down 90-4 to a rampant Australian side, all eyes will be on the second round of group games when the two sides meet again in Perth.

It will be the first time the sides have met since that day in the Sin City, and will arguably prove to be England’s biggest test since then too. And while the squad will have changed somewhat in the intervening 19 months, with head coach Stuart Barrow handing even more of Super League’s young talent their shot at international rugby, as well as perhaps the introduction of some heritage players, Whitfield knows how important it is that the result alters too, and believes the changes made to the domestic season in 2026 will have an impact on that.

“I think the idea of the Super Four came from a meeting we had after Vegas as a way to give us that run of intense games to make sure that we were battle-ready for the World Cup and that we were used to those more intense and tight games where you have to be mentally strong as well as physically,” added Whitfield, who was a big fan of the mid-season split that led to the top four sides then playing each other back-to-back for the last six weeks of the season.

“That has been the biggest change in our preparation this year.

“Having that sustained run of tough games is something we’ve not really had in Super League before, and it gave the end of the season a completely different feel as well, because it wasn’t just physically that we had to be resilient.

“In the tighter games, where it is end to end and set for set, you’ve got to be able to stick in them, and that’s what the harder run of games has brought to our game ahead of what will be a really tough World Cup.

“Of course everyone will be looking ahead to the game against Australia, but if we dwell too much on that last game against them, it will have a negative impact on how we play this time around.

“We can’t go into that game scared of the same thing potentially happening again; instead we need to learn from it, and we have taken a lot of lessons from it.

“Before Vegas we hadn’t played Australia since 2017, and I think a lot of the girls went into a bit of shock during the game at just how quick the Australians play.

“Nothing could have prepared us for that, other than actually playing them, so now when we come to play them again we’re aware of that and know what to expect.”

While England could benefit from the level of fearlessness that the younger generation of players could well add to the squad, it also means that the older heads like Whitfield, who will turn 32 just days before the tournament kicks off, will find themselves having to play a slightly different role within it.

“For the senior players, there is that role of making sure that everyone sticks to the process and sticks to the plan when the games are getting quicker and harder,” added Whitfield.

“Those of us who have experienced those sorts of games before will almost have to put our arms around the younger girls who haven’t and make sure they stay on track and stick to the game plan.

“But the younger girls that are in the squad are all talented players, and they are more than equipped to be out on that field and play how they do best.

“A big part of it is going to be about how they deal with the mental side of it all. It’s going to be a long time away from home, and some of the girls still rely on parents and the support network they have at home. So this is going to be a new experience for a lot of them, and some of us older ones might have to play that big sister role some of the time as well and help them through that the best we can.

“But when we played France we saw a fearlessness from some of the younger players, and that meant we were playing out of areas of the field that we might not have done in previous England set-ups.

“That means the older girls on the field might have to rein that in when needed, but also let them go and play how they play best when the time is right for that.

“That is something I am looking forward to seeing, and maybe that’s going to be a bit of an unknown for other sides and something we can exploit a little bit to take a few teams by surprise a little.”

As well as offering a chance for the squad to get together ahead of the World Cup, the 38-4 win over France in July also gave England the chance to experience what they’ll be facing when their tournament gets underway against Wales on Saturday, 17th October.

It was announced earlier this year that the Women’s World Cup would adopt NRLW rules rather than international rules, meaning games will last 70 minutes as opposed to the usual 80, alongside a host of other smaller rule amendments, such as no six agains, 50/30s rather than 40/20s and more interchanges.

To most supporters watching on from the outside, these differences might not seem too noticeable, especially the five minutes less per half, but the subtle changes do make a difference out on the pitch, so Whitfield is grateful the squad has had a chance to trial them ahead of getting on the plane.

“It was interesting playing under the different rules against France. We got caught out quite early on with a 50/30, so we learnt from that and now know a bit more of what to expect with certain aspects of a kicking game and the reduced minutes, so that helped us prepare for this tournament as well.

“Five minutes less per half doesn’t seem like much, but for me as an interchange and impact player I did notice a difference. Usually I’d be looking at playing for maybe the last 15 minutes of the first half, and then the first 15 to 20 minutes of the second half, but I really felt the difference. It felt like I was on one minute, and off the next.

“But with the shorter time on the field, you can front-load your energy a lot better and hopefully be more impactful and cause a little bit more damage in the shorter time you’re out there.”

For Whitfield, the tournament also gives her a chance to extend her season after a premature end to the campaign with St Helens.

The once-dominant side in Super League ended this season in fourth place, and with it missed out on the semi-finals for a chance to feature in the Grand Final against League Leaders’ Shield winners Wigan Warriors.

That early end to the domestic season also meant that soon-to-retire St Helens and England captain Jodie Cunningham didn’t get the dream finale to her club career, something Whitfield is hoping to put right over the coming weeks.

“For me, England has always been separate to club rugby,” added Whitfield.

“When you put that shirt on for England, it’s something else – a completely different experience – and the thing that drives me to do the shirt justice.

“So if I can go out there and play again this year, and produce some of my best rugby, it’ll be a good end to the year for me personally.

“I have looked up to Jodie and loved playing alongside her for many years, so I’d love the opportunity to have one last hurrah alongside her and send her out on a high.”

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 525 (October 2026)