England boss makes NRLW admission after World Cup exit - ‘It would enhance our national team’

England women’s coach Stuart Barrow believes more English players testing themselves in the NRLW would ‘enhance’ the national team and help bridge the gap between the two hemispheres.

Barrow’s side bowed out of the Women’s Rugby League World Cup on Friday after a 24-6 defeat to Samoa, with the coach admitting the tournament had highlighted the difference between Australia’s elite competition and the British game.

Former Leeds Rhinos pair Fran Goldthorp and Georgia Roche have both impressed in the NRLW since moving Down Under. Goldthorp was named North Queensland Cowboys’ Player of the Year in 2026, while Roche recently signed a long-term contract extension with Newcastle Knights.

Former York Valkyrie forward Hollie-Mae Dodd - now with Canberra Raiders - also featured against Samoa, alongside Canterbury Bulldogs prop Hope Millard, who was born in Widnes while her father Shane Millard, who also played for Wigan Warriors, was with the Vikings in Super League.

Jasmin Strange - a three-time NRLW champion - was also part of England’s squad before suffering an injury, while the rest of Barrow’s players were based in the Women’s Super League.

Speaking after England’s World Cup exit, Barrow believes more players making the move to Australia would benefit the national team moving forward.

“I think we need more players playing in the best competition in the world, yeah,” said Barrow. “If we’ve got more players playing over here, they’re only going to get better.

“The challenge is, because of the growth over here in the women’s game, it’s probably harder now to get picked up by an NRLW side if I’m being really honest, because they’ve got players crossing from other sports - they’ve got a really wide pool of players now.

“But I think there are players in our England group who could definitely go and get an NRLW contract, and I think that would enhance our national team.”

England reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup on home soil, but failed to progress from the group stage this time around.

Barrow believes the women’s game in England has continued to progress and develop, although he feels the southern hemisphere is moving forward at a faster rate.

“I think the game in England has progressed,” said Barrow. “I think the Super League has progressed to a certain level that we’re bringing new players through, and they are young players coming through, so that then creeps into the national team, who are a young team, but I’ve got no complaints with that - I think that’s good and refreshing.

“But at the same rate we’re progressing, it’s probably accelerating quicker on this side of the world (southern hemisphere) if I’m really honest.

“The investment into the NRLW is not only making the Jillaroos better, but it’s making all of the Pacific nations better as well. I think every player who played for Samoa tonight was probably playing NRLW at some stage.

“That competition is improving everyone at a rate of knots, so we’ll have to go back and look at what we can do in our domestic competition.

“We put the Super Fours in this year and that improved and helped - it’s not for me to make those decisions - but we’ve just got to try to keep pace with what’s happening over here, whether that’s more investment into the women’s game - that’s not for me to say at the moment - but we definitely need to do something because the acceleration of the game over here at the moment is phenomenal.

“I came over in July to watch the Magic Weekend, and I was just blown away by it, if I’m being really honest, so I knew from that moment we had a tough task when we were to come to this World Cup.”

England began their campaign with a 70-6 victory over Wales before suffering a 78-0 defeat to defending champions Australia.

Their final group game against Samoa was effectively a must-win, but a 24-6 loss brought their tournament to an end.

Barrow admitted the pool had presented a difficult challenge but believes the experience can help a young England side develop ahead of the next World Cup in 2030.

“I think it was a real tough group,” Barrow reflected. “We started with Wales, and we were expected to win, and we did by a large margin, then we played the Jillaroos, and I thought we were more competitive than we were the last time we played them (in Las Vegas), but obviously still a big scoreline.

“It shows the gulf between the two sides of the world, and we knew this would be a real competitive game (against Samoa) that there might be a chance we could get a win if we could get everything right on the night.

“Unfortunately, I think we did 80 per cent really well, but we were just a little bit off, they took a bit off, and they took advantage of that - they executed better than us.

“But I think as a group, this young group is making progress all the time, and I think in four years’ time they could be an exciting group, and there are youngsters behind them putting the pressure on.

“I’ve just said to them in the changing rooms, ‘It’s your shirt now - you need to learn from this experience in this World Cup and make sure it’s your shirt in four years’ time’.”