Samoa Beat England 24-6 and Knock Them Out of the Women's Rugby League World Cup
England's women's rugby league team are out of the World Cup after losing 24-6 to Samoa on Friday. The match in Wollongong, Australia, was a group-stage game, the first round in which teams are split into pools and only the top finishers move on.
England needed a win to finish second in Group A and reach the semi-finals, the last four teams left in the tournament. They did not get it. The match kicked off at 06:45 GMT, and by the final whistle Samoa had the result they needed.
Samoa were already ahead at half-time, leading 12-0. Freedom Crichton Ropati was their standout, scoring three tries. A try, worth four points, is scored by grounding the ball over the opposition's line. Mercedez Taulelei-Siala and Fanua Rimoni also crossed for Samoa.
England's reply came through Evie Cousins, who scored their try. Isabel Rowe then kicked the goal, a kick worth two points that follows a try. It was not enough to close the gap.
BBC Sport reported the result. Samoa now move on to the semi-final, where they will face New Zealand.
England have been one of the strongest teams in the women's game for years. They had reached the semi-finals at each of the previous four Women's Rugby League World Cups. This time the journey ended in the group stage, a round that rewards consistency across three matches rather than one big performance.
The squad was also notably young. Eleven of England's players were aged 23 or under, a group that will have learned a lot from a tournament that asked hard questions of them. For a team in transition, the group stage can be a brutal teacher. There is also a longer view: players who gain experience at a World Cup often carry it into the next cycle of international rugby.
For neutral fans, Samoa's win is a reminder of how quickly a tournament can turn. One half-time lead, a few strong attacking raids and a clinical finish were enough to set the path to the semi-finals. England's campaign closes here, with the next chapter of their international story still to be written.
