How England's rugby league bosses plan to avoid repeat of World Cup pain

After England exit the Men's and Women's Rugby League World Cups at the group stage, the RFL announces plans design to prevent a repeat. England's men won two of their three group games and finished with a points difference of +86, but it was not enough The time for excuses is over – and those in charge of English rugby league know it. There were mitigating circumstances behind England's early departures from the Men's and Women's Rugby League World Cups. But there is also an acknowledgement within the Rugby Football League that, for both the men and the women, a group-stage exit is just not good enough. Within minutes of the men's exit being confirmed on Sunday morning as Tonga defeated Samoa 20-18 in an epic, the RFL had announced a plan to map out the future of the English game.

Former Great Britain men's captain Paul Sculthorpe, retiring England women's skipper Jodie Cunningham and international great Adrian Morley will be among those helping to put together that plan. The RFL has promised more names will be confirmed on the panel in the coming days – to build on work started earlier in the year under a scheme it is calling One Game, One England. Its aims – to build a system that develops players from grassroots and academy level