England's national rugby league team is set to face an unprecedented challenge ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with confirmation they will not play a single Test match for almost an entire year before the tournament begins.
Fixture Calendar Leaves No Room for England
The Rugby Football League has confirmed that the expanded Super League schedule for 2026 provides no opportunity for a mid-season international break. With the league expanding to 14 teams, Magic Weekend remaining in the calendar, and the Grand Final moving earlier to accommodate the World Cup, officials admitted there is simply no available weekend for England to play.
This means England will have no mid-season training camp or international games before their opening World Cup fixture against Tonga in Perth next October. By that point, it will have been nearly twelve months since the national team last took to the field competitively.
Wane's Frustration Following Ashes Defeat
The scheduling crisis comes fresh from England's whitewash defeat to Australia in the Ashes series earlier this month. England coach Shaun Wane, whose own position remains under review, has been vocal about the need for greater priority for the national team.
Wane insisted that more opportunities are essential if England are to bridge the gap to the dominant Australian side. However, his preparations will now be limited to off-feet meetings with players at hotels, an approach he has previously stated is insufficient for proper international preparation.
The situation has raised concerns about whether England will be severely undercooked for the global tournament, regardless of whether Wane or another coach is at the helm.
RL Commercial Responds to Preparation Concerns
Rhodri Jones, chief executive of RL Commercial, addressed the concerns about England's potential lack of match readiness. "I wouldn't say they were under-prepared," Jones stated, shifting focus onto the domestic competition.
He emphasised that "It's up to Super League to deliver the intensity that gets the players ready" for international competition. Jones also questioned the value of potential warm-up matches, referencing past games against France that lacked competitiveness.
While Papua New Guinea coach Jason Demetriou had expressed interest in bringing the Kumuls to the UK for a meaningful World Cup warm-up for both nations, this proposal appears to have been effectively dismissed due to scheduling constraints and concerns about the quality of opposition.
With the calendar now finalised, England's path to the 2026 World Cup looks set to be one of the most challenging in the sport's history, testing the squad's ability to transition directly from domestic duties to world-class international competition.
