“People will be surprised with just how well we can compete with the world’s best”.
England captain Emily Rudge is backing her side to mount a huge bid for World Cup glory when the competition showcases the sport to an unprecedented audience this week.
Craig Richards’ side host first-timers Brazil on Tuesday afternoon at Headingley, with England reaping the rewards of an increasingly elevated domestic game.
And PE teacher Rudge will be a mixture of pride and belief, when she leads her side out in front of the BBC cameras.
“The domestic game has grown so much in the last couple of years and has put us into a good position going into this World Cup,” the St Helens forward told The Sportsman.
“We have incredible players who own the Women’s Super League, which fills us with a lot of confidence looking around the changing room.”
England will be expected to produce a strong start against Brazil, a nation whose women’s rugby league side only formed four years ago and a quarter of whose squad only started playing the game this year. This will be Brazil’s third international game ever.
“This game has grown so much and the World Cup is really about equality,” says the 30-year old Rudge, for whom this tournament already feels unrecognisable to the three previous World Cups she has played in since her debut as a 16-year old in 2008.
“As players we need to see growth in the international game. We have never played Australia outside of a World Cup and it is so difficult to compete with the world’s best when you only play them every four years.
“People will be surprised with just how well we can compete with the world’s best. Some people have handed the trophy back to Australia already but we have some of the world’s best athletes in their position. I hope they get the opportunity to show that.”
Defending champions Australia are huge favourites again, with New Zealand well backed having beaten England at the semi-final stage in 2017. England may be the best of the rest in many eyes, but Rudge feels they can go even better than that, given the exciting growth of the domestic game in the last two seasons.
“We have never been in such a great position, and every year it is going to improve. In five or ten years time the standard of the game is going to be absolutely incredible, and right now it is the best it has ever been.
“This is such a special World Cup to be a part of and to captain the side is such an honour. We want to lift that trophy, and to do that on home soil would be the ultimate dream.”
For the first time the players will receive equal participation fees, prize money and the same global platform of exposure as the men. England’s second match on Saturday will be played alongside the mens’ quarter-final as part of a double-header.
For coach Craig Richards this is the latest milestone in what has already been a long journey full of sacrifice and hard work, and he is right behind his captain’s claims about the talent and potential within the squad.
“Every time I look at the girls it’s almost surreal that I’m about to lead such a great bunch of women into a World Cup,” he told The Sportsman.
“There are a lot of people who don’t realise the quality we have within this squad. These players have worked so hard. The older players are fitter, stronger, faster and we have really exciting young talent that can light up this World Cup and drive us to success.
“We are really confident that no matter what teams throw at us we are prepared.”
Richards believes this World Cup represents an incredible opportunity to create a legacy and a platform to ensure continued growth of a sport that has evolved massively since the pandemic.
“I want to thank the Super League clubs, Championship clubs and community clubs because the work they have done to embrace the women and take it to that next level has been crucial to what we need to do,” he added.
“That was one of my frustrations in 2018 when I took over. You looked at where the girls were playing and we just needed them on a bigger stage in pressurised games. This has to be the biggest and best World Cup and it is filled with the best players that we have ever seen.
“I talk to the girls all the time about being fantastic ambassadors off the field. We are now getting really good, young, sporty girls who want to take up rugby league and are walking around with players’ names on their shirts.
“What we do is crucial to inspire that next generation.”
England v Brazil is live on BBC2, Tuesday November 1, kick-off 2:30pm.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
