Senior International Matches (Women)

Sat 9th August 2025   - KO  17:30 - The Gnoll, Neath , Wales
Official: Geoff Poumes (France)

Wales

0

FT

62

Half Time
0 - 22

England

Tries

Anna Davies (19,60)
Georgia Wilson (68)
Molly Jones (8)
Lucy Murray (30)
Eva Hunter (41,72)
Isabella Sykes (54)
Eboni Partington (54)
Jenna Foubister (6)
Isabel Rowe (51)

Goals

Isabel Rowe (9/11)

Wales v England Squads name for weekend clash

Wales head coach Tom Brindle has named his 19-player squad to face England at The Lextan Gnoll on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm).

There are just three potential changes to the Wales side from their win over England last Sunday with Cardiff Demons trio, Leanne Burnell, Rhi Parker and Sioned Young coming into the squad, the latter being in line for her first cap.

Brindle said: "I thought we put in a good performance against Scotland. We did the things that we wanted to do in the main.

"The structure and the formation of our squad's really good. There are a few areas we needed to fix up and there are a few executions that clearly could have been better and would have put some more points on the board.

"But in the main, I'm happy with what we put out on there last Sunday.

“We know that England are going to be a lot tougher than last week. They have a side with lot of new faces, but their squad features players who are putting in strong performances in Super League and players who are benefiting from the significant investment and growth over the last decade across England."

"Our job is to concentrate on us and how we play our best version of our game. If we can do that, then I'll be happy."

The big match is the second of a double header at the ground on Saturday, with South Wales Jets U14 girls playing their first ever full match as they take on Oulton Raidettes U14 in the curtain raiser match at 3.30pm.

"It will be good to see potential Wales stars of the future on the pitch in Neath on Saturday in addition to the full Wales side," Brindle said. "Hopefully, this will be the first of many games as we start to build a youth development structure for Cardiff Demons and the women's game in Wales.

"It's also excellent that a couple of our players in Amberley Ruck and Ffion Jenkins have been involved in the coaching.

"Well done to South Wales Jets for leading all of this and organising the game."

Tickets can be bought by going to https://ticketpass.org/o/324959259/wales-rugby-league/events. All tickets must be bought on the app or website and can be saved to a phone's Google Wallet or equivalent. No cash or cards will be taken on the gate.

Wales Women's Squad 

Leanne Burnell, Lucia Davies, Jasmine Gibbons, Ffion Jenkins, Hannah Jones, Charlie Mundy, Rhi Parker, Amy Price, Amberley Ruck, Meg Whittaker, Olivia Williams, Sioned Young* (all Cardiff Demons), Gracie Hobbs (Huddersfield Giants), Bethan Dainton (Leeds Rhinos, captain), Kathryn Salter (London Broncos), Georgia Taylor (Sheffield Eagles), Dani McGifford (St Helens), Carys Marsh (Wigan Warriors), Agnes Wood (York Valkyrie).

 

England Women Head Coach, Stuart Barrow, has named his 20-player squad who will travel to face Wales at The Lextan Gnoll in Neath this Saturday (9 August, KO 5.30pm) – with the fixture to be broadcast live on S4C.

Wigan’s 19-year-old full-back Grace Banks is named for the first time following her Player of the Match performance during Lancashire’s 50-8 victory in the Women’s Origin fixture on Saturday (2 August). She’s been enjoying a prolific season for her club and was also named Player of the Match in this year’s Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley – she’s been selected alongside six of her Wigan teammates. 

2024 Woman of Steel nominee Lucy Murray is also in line to make her international debut after her impressive start to the Betfred Women’s Super League season. The 22-year-old second-rower, one of five Leeds players in the squad, has become a key player for the Rhinos since making her debut back in 2021 and was named their 2024 Player of the Year. 

Reigning Super League champions York Valkyrie are represented through Eboni Partington, Liv Wood and Savannah Andrade, who is called up to the national team for the first time since 2021.

St Helens have five of their key players selected including their captain Jodie Cunningham, who missed the Origin match with injury and 22-year-old Phoebe Hook who is called up to the international team for the first time.

Saturday will be England’s first trip to Wales since 2022, with both teams preparing for the Rugby League World Cup in Australia in late 2026 – which will be Wales’s first appearance in the tournament.

England Women Head Coach, Stuart Barrow, says:

“It’s been incredibly difficult to decide who will travel to face Wales this Saturday especially after we have just played a really intense Origin fixture that pushed both sides to their limits.

“I think we have a strong squad going into the fixture and we’re looking forward to returning to Wales for the first time since 2022 as we continue our preparations for next year’s World Cup.

“We have some new names coming into the squad which reflects the form shown in Super League this year and it’s going to be really exciting for everyone involved welcoming them into camp - I’ll be looking to the senior internationals to help settle them in and show them what it means to be an England player.”
 
Tickets for the fixture against Wales are on sale here, priced at:

  • Adults: £10
  • 11 and under: Free
  • Concessions: £7
  • Ages 12-16: £5
  • Family (two adults and two ages 12-16): £25 

England Women squad:

Savannah Andrade (York Valkyrie), Grace Banks (Wigan Warriors), Ruby Bruce, Evie Cousins (both Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies, Jenna Foubister, Eva Hunter (Wigan Warriors), Molly Jones (Wigan Warriors), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lucy Murray, Izzy Northrop (both Leeds Rhinos), Eboni Partington (York Valkyrie), Emily Rudge (St Helens), Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors), Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos), Georgia Wilson (Wigan Warriors), Liv Wood (York Valkyrie), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens)

1 Leanne Burnell
Full Back
Gracie Banks 1
21 Lucia Davies
Right Wing
Anna Davies 2
3 Olivia Williams
Right Centre
Georgia Wilson 3
4 Kathryn Salter
Left Centre
Molly Jones 4
5 Danielle Mc Gifford
Left Wing
Eboni Partington 5
6 Megan Whittaker
Stand Off
Jenna Foubister 6
7 Amberley Ruck
Scrum Half
Isabel Rowe 7
10 Agnes Wood
Prop
Olivia Wood 8
9 Carys Marsh
Hooker
Katie Mottershead 9
15 Gracie Hobbs
Prop
Isabel Northorp 10
11 Georgia Cussons
Second Row
Lucy Murray 11
12 Charlie Mundy
Second Row
Eva Hunter 12
13 Bethan Dainton
Loose Forward
Jodie Cunningham 13
14 Jasmine Gibbon
Int 1
Ruby Bruce 14
8 Ffion Jenkins
Int 2
Victoria Whitfield 15
17 Amy Price
Int 3
Isabella Sykes 18
20 Hannah Janes
Int 4
Savannah Andrade 17
19 Rhiannon Parker
Reserve 1
Emily Rudge 18

A powerful performance by a new-look England women’s side saw them run in eleven tries to defeat Wales 62-0 at the Lextan Gnoll, Neath. Four of their six debutants were on the scoresheet, player of the match, Wigan teenager Isabel Rowe, landing 22 points from a try and nine goals.

This fixture is really important,” said England women’s head coach Stuart Barrow. “Wales were really good, and it gave me the opportunity to give out more caps who all performed well, while the leadership of Jodie Cunningham was really important. Our player pool is developing and competition is getting better. Our aim is to close the gap before the World Cup.”

The visitors, rebuilding after their shellacking against the Jillaroos in Las Vegas in March, led 22-0 at the break, first time starters Jenna Foubister – from a kick by Rowe, Molly Jones and Leeds’s Lucy Murray among their try scorers.

 

 

Another debutant, Eva Hunter, crossed twice in the second period as England’s superior fitness told late on, all their player coming from Super League. Anna Davies - who scored five times when England earned their biggest-ever win against Wales at Headingley last November - also crossed twice, Bella Sykes going over for her first try in the national colours.

 

 

“I probably wasn't the happiest with my performance the first half, but for the second I just told myself to enjoy it. I'm playing with some amazing girls so that made my job really easy,” said 18-year-old Rowe. “Everyone wants to play in a World Cup for England, there's a lot of competition and I'm really looking forward to doing all that I can to get on that plane.”

Wales, who beat Scotland the week before, showed distinct improvement from their last time out against England as they build for appearing in their first Women’s World Cup next year, going close on a number of occasions, Charlie Munday with their best chance, just halted by a fine try saving tackle from Grace Banks.

Wales women’s head coach, Tom Brindle, commented: “Our metric wasn’t the scoreline, we set some challenges on ourselves and part of that was we wanted to own our version of that game and I think we did, we competed for as long as we could, the effort and commitment for the badge never faltered.

“We've learned a lot and got to get fitter, faster, stronger, but where we are at the moment, they've done everything to their absolute maximum. I can't ask for more.”

WALES

Leanne Burnell, Lucia Davies, Olivia Williams , Kathryn Salter , Danielle McGifford, Megan Whittaker, Amberly Ruck, Anges Wood, Carys Marsh, Gracie Hobbs, Georgia Cussons, Charlie Mundy, Bethan Dainton. Subs: Jasmine Gibbon, Ffion Jenkins, Amy Price, Hannah Janes

ENGLAND

Grace Banks, Anna Davies, Georgia Wilson, Molly Jones, Eboni Partington, Isabel Rowe, Jenna Foubister, Olivia Wood, Katie Mottershead, Issie Northorp, Lucy Murray, Eva Hunter Jodie Cunningham Subs: Ruby Bruce, Vicky Whitfield, Bella Sykes, Savannah Andrade

Tries: Foubister (6), Jones (8), Davies (19, 60), Murray (30), Hunter (41,72), Rowe (51), Sykes (54), Partington (64), Wilson (68)

Goals: Rowe 9/11

Half time: 0-22