Key Points
- England Women beat Wales 70-6 in the first Group A game in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Perth at HBF Park on Saturday, 17 October 2026.
- Isabel Rowe made two tries and also added nine conversions to score 26 points, tying a record for the most points in a match for an England women’s international player.
- England made 13 tries, including seven in the first half, to lead 40-6 at halftime.
- Connie Boyd and winger Anna Davies scored three tries each for their debut.
- Amelia Brown made two tries, including one from end-to-end.
- Georgia Wilson, Hollie-Mae Dodd and Jasmin Strange also scored tries for England.
- The only try for Wales was scored by Paige Travis, who used to play for England; she converted her try through Tayla Preston. This is Wales’ first try in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup.
- England’s next match will be against Australia at HBF Park on 25 October, while Wales will play Samoa on 24 October.
Sports (Wales Times) October 17, 2026 – England Women began their Rugby League World Cup campaign with a 70-6 victory over Wales at HBF Park, with Isabel Rowe producing a record-equalling 26-point performance as Stuart Barrow’s side scored 13 tries in their Group A opener.
How Did England Overwhelm Wales In Perth?
England set the tone almost immediately. As reported by Rugby League.com, Betfred Women’s Super League leading try-scorer Amelia Brown crossed inside the opening two minutes, although BBC Sport’s match report recorded the opening try in the third minute.
Wales briefly responded. According to Sky uk/sports/">Sports, England handling errors and a penalty gave former England international Paige Travis the opportunity to level the scores, with Tayla Preston adding the conversion. NRL.com reported that Travis charged onto a Preston short ball to score, securing Wales’ first try at a Women’s Rugby League World Cup.
England’s response was decisive. Sky Sports described neat attacking play involving Megan Williams, Jasmin Strange and Isabel Rowe that created space for centre Georgia Wilson, before Hollie-Mae Dodd’s offload sent debutant Connie Boyd over three minutes later. That gave England a 10-point lead after 24 minutes.
From there, England’s tempo proved too much for Wales. Sky Sports reported that Dodd, Boyd’s second try, a solo effort from Anna Davies and Rowe’s try on the stroke of half-time added 24 points, with Rowe’s goal-kicking helping England establish a 40-6 half-time advantage. BBC Sport confirmed that England had scored seven tries before the break.
Who Stood Out For England?
Isabel Rowe was the match’s leading individual scorer. Rugby League.com reported that the half-back scored two tries and kicked nine goals for 26 points, equalling the record for the most points scored by an England women’s player in an international match. NRL.com similarly stated that Rowe equalled the record for the most points by an English woman in an international match.
Connie Boyd enjoyed a memorable England debut. Rugby League.com reported that the Women’s Super League Young Player of the Year scored twice in the first half before completing her hat-trick after the interval. BBC Sport listed Boyd among England’s try-scorers with three.
Anna Davies also completed a hat-trick. According to Rugby League.com, the winger crossed twice in quick succession late in the contest to complete her treble and round off England’s attacking display. NRL.com reported that Davies scored England’s final try of the match.
Amelia Brown added a second try in spectacular fashion. The Canberra Times reported that Brown collected a bouncing ball in her own in-goal area and ran the length of the field to score England’s ninth try in the 57th minute. NRL.com described the effort as a 109-metre runaway try and one of the plays of the tournament.
What Happened After Half-Time?
England showed no sign of easing off after the interval. Rugby League.com reported that debutant Jasmin Strange opened the second-half scoring before Brown’s length-of-the-field effort extended England’s lead.
Rowe then crossed for her second try. NRL.com reported that her score brought up England’s half-century in the 47th minute.
Boyd completed her hat-trick, before Anna Davies took centre stage late on. Rugby League.com reported that Davies crossed twice in quick succession, while BBC Sport stated that Boyd and Davies completed their hat-tricks in the final five minutes.
How Did Wales Respond?
Wales’ best moment came early. BBC Sport reported that a series of England errors allowed Wales to apply pressure, and Travis deservedly scored after previously representing England at the World Cup four years earlier.
Travis’s try carried historical significance. NRL.com reported that it was Wales’ first try at a Women’s Rugby League World Cup, while Sky Sports described the celebrations that followed her score.
Wales could not sustain that spell. After Preston’s conversion made the score level, England scored repeatedly, and Wales did not add to their tally for the remainder of the match.
What Did The Scoreline Mean?
The final score was England 70, Wales 6. BBC Sport’s full scoring record listed England’s tries as Boyd (3), Davies (3), Brown (2), Rowe (2), Wilson, Dodd and Strange, with Rowe converting nine attempts; Wales’ points came from Travis’s try and Preston’s conversion.
Rugby League.com characterised the contest as one-sided, noting that England produced a dominant display at HBF Park. The Canberra Times reported that England, ranked third in the world, piled on 13 tries to one.
Background Of The Development
This was England’s opening match in Group A of the Women’s Rugby League World Cup, played at HBF Park in Perth on 17 October 2026. Wales entered the fixture as tournament debutants, with BBC Sport reporting before kick-off that the match marked the country’s Rugby League World Cup debut.
Paige Travis was a notable figure for Wales, having previously represented England at the delayed 2021 Rugby League World Cup. BBC Sport reported that she was named in Wales’ second row for the fixture. England’s squad included Rowe, Davies, Brown, Boyd, Wilson, Dodd and Strange, among others.
England’s next Group A opponent is Australia, with the match scheduled for HBF Park on 25 October. Sky Sports reported that Wales will face Samoa the day before. Rugby League.com described the Australia fixture as a major test of England’s World Cup credentials.
Prediction: What Does This Mean For England And Wales?
For England supporters, the result strengthens confidence ahead of the meeting with Australia. England’s attacking depth was evident through hat-tricks from Boyd and Davies, two tries from Brown and Rowe, and further scores from Wilson, Dodd and Strange. However, the next match against Australia will provide a much stronger measure of England’s World Cup prospects than this opening victory.
For Wales fans, the scoreline underlines the scale of the challenge at their first Women’s World Cup, but Travis’s historic try offers a positive reference point. Wales will now prepare for Samoa, where limiting early errors and building sustained possession are likely to be central to their chances of competing more closely.
For neutral followers of women’s rugby league, England’s performance signals that they will enter the Australia fixture with momentum, while Wales’ tournament remains at an early stage despite the heavy defeat.
