“No stone was left unturned” in review of Shaun Wane says RFL Chair as player testimonies key

England Rugby League today confirmed that Shaun Wane (Men), Stuart Barrow (Women) and Tom Coyd (Wheelchair) will be the national teams’ head coaches through to the 2025 World Cup in France.

This comes as RFL Chair Simon Johnson says “no stone was left unturned” in the decision making behind keeping the likes of Shaun Wane on board.

Wane took England’s Men to the semi-finals of RLWC2021, where they were agonisingly beaten by Samoa in golden point extra-time at London’s Emirates Stadium.

England’s Women also suffered semi-final heartbreak at RLWC2021 – Head of England Pathways Barrow is now tasked with taking the side one step further at RLWC2025.

Barrow will be assisted by the Leeds Rhinos head coach and former England captain Lois Forsell, and Dec Hardman, who was the head coach of St Helens when they secured a Women’s Challenge Cup and Super League double in 2021.

Coyd guided England Wheelchair to a memorable World Cup Final victory over France last Autumn and will look to repeat the magic against the French on their home soil in 2025.

RFL Chair Simon Johnson said: “I am delighted to confirm these appointments and I wish all three coaches every success – beginning with the Men’s and Women’s Mid-Season Internationals against France in April.

“The RFL Board received and considered at length a detailed review of the performance of each of the England teams at RLWC2021. No stone was left unturned in the review, which included submissions from coaches, players and staff alike. The report generated a good, robust and lengthy discussion at our February board meeting. We are confident that we have the right people in place.”

England’s Men and Women return to international action on Saturday 29 April for the first time since last year’s Rugby League World Cup – a double-header with France at Warrington which is the launchpad for a game-wide fundraising effort in aid of the MND Association.

5,000 people in the UK are living with MND, a progressive disease affecting the brain and the spinal cord for which there is currently no cure. England Rugby League kit partner Oxen, in associated with RL Commercial, will donate £10 from the sale of each England replica shirt to the MND Association, while £2.50 from every match ticket sold for the England v France internationals will also go to the charity.

Replica MND-themed shirts can be pre-ordered now at eliteprosports.co.uk for delivery by the first week of April in advance of the England v France matches on Saturday 29th April.