What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas for England

England face Australia at the Women's Rugby League World Cup on Saturday determined to show they have moved on from the nightmare of their last meeting in Las Vegas 19 months ago. England will face Australia for the first time since a 90-4 loss in March 2025 Mention of Las Vegas is enough to send a shiver down the spine of any England women's rugby league supporter. Not because of lost life savings on the slot machines or undercooked food at the buffet, but because England fell to a record 90-4 defeat by Australia at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada. The meeting between England and Australia in March 2025 had been touted as the first in a three-match Test series.

It was meant to be the beginning of a regular Women's Ashes competition between two historic rivals and form a large part of world rugby league's charm offensive in the US. Instead it served up a sobering reminder of the gulf between the Jillaroos – the winners of the previous three World Cups – and England, who shipped 17 tries in a lopsided affair. The sight of Georgia Roche, who scored England's only try, in tears at the final whistle and being consoled by her opponents only added to the suffering of English fans who made the trip. The outcome