England Women see friendly confirmed as World Cup preparations step up 

England Women will travel to Neath this August, as they take on Wales Women in a one-off international, with both sides stepping up their preparations for the World Cup in 2026. 

It will be England’s first trip to Wales since 2022, with Wales facing England in Leeds the previous two years. 

Wales have organised two matches this year as they set up for their first ever World Cup appearance. They will face Scotland Women on August 3 before facing England on August 9. 

It will be the second fixture of the year for England Women after their 90-4 loss to Australia in Las Vegas. 

England and Wales head coaches delighted to line up friendly

Wales head coach, Tom Brindle said: “These games are important for us as we continue our journey towards the World Cup. We’ve always been up for testing ourselves and competing against the best in the world. 

“Building on last year, it’s crucial that we play games every year, not just as a team, to keep progressing and growing as a group, but also to continue to inspire and help grow the game over the next decade in Wales.”

The game against Scotland will be their first international fixture, and Brindle is proud to be involved in such a historic moment. 

“Playing Scotland in their first international is an honour that we’re all incredibly proud of. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of several firsts in Women’s Rugby League, and each one is a fantastic milestone that deserves to be celebrated. As the women’s game continues to thrive and grow, we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

He continued: “Let’s not forget about the opportunity to take on England again on our home turf. This is a fantastic chance for locals to witness some world class players and for us to learn from our last performance. We’re excited to test ourselves again and see how we’ve progressed.” 

Stuart Barrow, England head coach, said: “We’re delighted to have an international fixture in Wales this summer. It was important to us to get back together with a short-term focus as well as continuing to prepare for next year’s World Cup and we know that Wales will provide passionate and well-coached opposition.”