This was not the end England Women needed, and it certainly was not the performance of a side ready to keep climbing the Rugby League World Cup ladder. Instead, Friday in Wollongong delivered a blunt reality check: Samoa were better, sharper and far more ruthless in a 24-6 win that ended England’s campaign and sent Samoa into the semi-finals for the first time.
The first meeting between England Women and Samoa was always going to carry a bit of history with it. What it produced, though, was a mismatch in execution. England simply could not live with the early burst from Freedom Crichton Ropati, whose first-half hat-trick on her World Cup debut ripped the contest open before it had properly settled.
Samoa seized control early and never let it go
By the break, Samoa were already 0-12 ahead, and that scoreline felt like a warning rather than a cushion. England needed a response after the restart. Instead, Mercedez Taulelei-Siala extended Samoa’s lead to 0-16, turning a difficult task into a near-impossible one.
England did at least show some fight midway through the second half when Evie Cousins scored their only try. But even that brief flicker never looked like it would change the outcome. When Samoa added a penalty goal 20 minutes from time to move 6-18 clear, the contest was effectively over. Fanua Rimoni then finished the job in the closing minutes, completing the scoring and confirming a result that was as deserved as it was decisive.
A painful farewell for Jodie Cunningham
There was one final, more personal detail to the night: England captain Jodie Cunningham’s playing career ended after the match. That gives the defeat an even sharper edge. This was not just the close of a tournament run; it was the final chapter of Cunningham’s time on the field, and it ended with England stranded well short of where they wanted to be.
Samoa deserve the bigger applause. They had the composure, the pace and the finishing power to make a first-ever meeting look almost routine. England, by contrast, are left to stare at the gap between where they are and where they wanted to be. On a night when the stakes were plain, Samoa rose to them. England did not.
