Leeds Rhinos, St Helens & Wigan Warriors stars named in England squad ahead of Women's World Cup

The 33-player group, which will meet in Leeds this weekend, includes Rhinos’ Keara Bennett, Ruby Bruce, Evie Cousins, Ella Donnell, Lucy Murray, Izzy Northrop and Bella Sykes. St Helens’ former Rhinos trio Caitlin Casey, Amy Hardcastle and Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth also feature, along with ex-Leeds star Fran Goldthorp, now of North Queensland Cowboys. Former Rhinos and Castleford Tigers stand-off Georgia Roche, who plays for Newcastle Knights in the southern hemisphere NRL Women’s competition, lives permanently in Australia and will join the squad later in the year.

The squad are set to gather at Leeds Beckett University on Saturday for their first training camp of the year and will meet monthly before the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup resumes in March. Unlike the men, England’s women will play a mid-season game ahead of the World Cup, with France lined up as opponents on the weekend of July 25-26.

Coach Stuart Barrow said: “This is another huge year for the England Women squad with the Rugby League World Cup taking place in October. Our preparations are stepping up a notch now we are less than 10 months away from our opening game against Wales.

“With players currently still in the off-season, this squad will continue to grow and develop throughout the year, based on individual performances in Betfred Women’s Super League and Challenge Cup. As part of our ongoing preparations, we’re very much looking forward to travelling to France in July. The timing of this fixture gives us a great opportunity to assess where we are as a squad just a few months out from the World Cup.”

England Women performance squad: Savannah Andrade (York Valkyrie), Mia-Jayne Atherton (Wigan), Grace Banks (Wigan), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Ruby Bruce (Leeds), Leah Burke (St Helens), Caitlin Casey (St Helens), Mary Coleman (Wigan), Evie Cousins (Leeds), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies (Wigan), Ellise Derbyshire (Wigan), Hollie-Mae Dodd (Canberra Raiders), Ella Donnelly (Leeds) Jenna Foubister (Wigan), Fran Goldthorp (North Queensland Cowboys), Amy Hardcastle (St Helens), Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth (St Helens), Eva Hunter (Wigan), Molly Jones (Wigan), Erin McDonald (St Helens), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lucy Murray (Leeds), Izzy Northrop (Leeds), Eboni Partington (York), Tamzin Renouf (York), Isable Rowe (Wigan), Bella Sykes (Leeds), Paige Travis (St Helens), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens), Megan Williams (Wigan), Georgia Wilson (Wigan), Liv Wood (York).