Jillaroos co-captain Kezie Apps is refusing to look beyond the NRLW season as Australia prepare to defend their World Cup crown on home soil, insisting every player must earn their place before thinking about lifting the trophy again.

WHEN you are the number one team in the world going into a home World Cup there is always going to be expectation that you can maintain those lofty heights while other countries are snapping at your heels.

Jillaroos co-captain Kezie Apps believes patience and focusing on the present will hold the team in good stead when the whips are cracking.

“I guess it’s just the standards that we hold here at the Jillaroos and wanting to keep maintaining them, but for us our full focus at the moment is playing good footy in club land and looking after ourselves there, then that will translate into our World Cup. Obviously we are going to be looking to retain the trophy, and we’ll be doing everything in our power to do that, but we’ve got to make sure we’re playing good club footy first, and then that will flow from that.”

The Jillaroos have won the last three World Cup tournaments. Their only slip-up in the last ten years came in a 12-6 loss to the Kiwi Ferns in Melbourne in 2023 at the Pacific Championships.

“That rivalry with New Zealand has been there for a very long time and there was a period where the Kiwi Ferns would always beat the Jillaroos, and that sort of shifted in 2013 when the Jillaroos beat them for the first time. It’s always a really tough and strong competition when we play the Kiwi Ferns, and obviously them gaining players under the revised eligibility rules will definitely strengthen their side.”

While New Zealand appear to be the biggest threat to Australia’s title, the 35-year-old Wests Tigers forward has been observing the rise of the Pacific nations as they gain more elite-level players. With Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea competing at the tournament, she is expecting them to be competitive.

“I think the more girls who are playing in the NRLW, it’s just a really strong competition, so whoever gets involved in that, it will definitely strengthen those nations up. That’s definitely helped the growth of our women’s rugby league and those sides are going to be strong contenders this year, but give them a little bit more time as well. When more opportunities arise for these girls who can play in stronger competitions, it will just be like the men’s space, where they’re very strong in all those nations.”

For the game to continue to grow and thrive, it is important to have strong international competition, and that includes competitive teams from the northern hemisphere, particularly England. Australia played England in Las Vegas last year, and it is unlikely anyone would have predicted the 90-4 result, demonstrating the gulf between the two nations.

“It would be good to have that robust competition, because that means hopefully we get to travel more, and not just play in Australia. It comes from grassroots and club land. It comes from investing in coaches and investing at that grassroots level, and I feel like we’ve done that quite well here in Australia with the Under 17s and Under 19s competitions, and you’re seeing those girls coming through our NRLW system, because it’s been around a while now. So if you invest in the grassroots, then it trickles up.

“I feel like our competition is ahead of England’s and it was probably a good thing that we did play them there, because I guess they were beating teams the way that we beat them over there, but at least they know what they’re going to be up against and they can put things in place, and they know how much harder they might need to work, or how much more they need to invest in their women’s game over there to fast-track them up to where we are in Australia.”

Australia will have a different coach for the 2026 World Cup, with Jess Skinner confirmed to lead the team in the tournament after taking over from Brad Donald on an interim basis prior to the Las Vegas international. She recently told NRL.com that “every jersey is up for grabs and no one owns a jersey” after being impressed with a number of young New South Wales and Queensland players in this year’s State of Origin.

“Anyone can make the squad,” Apps said, reaffirming the strength and depth of talent available to Skinner.

“Obviously Jess might have some idea of her team, but we’ve got an NRLW season ahead of ourselves and there could be girls who have worked really, really hard and who can earn themselves a jersey, so players should not write themselves off too early.

“For me I want to play consistent footy, obviously win the premiership, and then hopefully, if I play consistently good footy week in, week out, then hopefully that’ll put me in a good position to make the Jillaroos at the end of the year. I’m just focusing on the NRLW and each week as it comes, and whatever happens off the back of that, then that happens.”

While modesty prevents Apps from assuming she will be in the Jillaroos squad come October, let alone be named captain, she admits that it would be a career highlight if it came to pass.

“That would be a pretty special moment. Anytime you get to captain a side it’s very special and a huge honour, especially at Jillaroos level, especially with the tournament being at home. I was involved in the 2017 World Cup when it was in Australia, and that was really special, my very first World Cup, but to have it back in Australia, and nine years later, it’s definitely going to be a special moment.”

The Jillaroos are in Pool A of the 2026 World Cup, along with England, Samoa and Wales. They open their campaign against Samoa at Parramatta on 16th October, before meeting England in Perth on 24th October and Wales at Parramatta on 1st November.

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 523 (August 2026)