“This is the pinnacle” – England international and NRL man issues rallying call ahead of Ashes showdown

NRL star and England international Kai Pearce-Paul has urged rugby league fans to support the national team against Australia at Wembley this Autumn.

In what will be the first test of a three-match series, Wembley will host it’s first international rugby league event since 2013, and remains the only test to not yet be sold out, with Everton and Headingley set for a full house.

Pearce-Paul, who made a switch to the NRL in 2024, has appeared in 44 matches for the Newcastle Knights, and he will look to build on his three England caps after being named in Shaun Wane’s side to face the Kangaroos.

He is one of six NRL players to be named, with fellow back rower John Bateman another included, as is Gold Coast Titans full-back, AJ Brimson.

The former Wigan Warriors man has been back in the UK since the conclusion of the Knight’s season Down Under, and was a special guest in Sky Sports’ coverage of the Super League Grand Final, where Hull KR lifted the trophy to complete a treble.

Fielding questions from presenter Brian Carney and pundits Jon Wilkin and Danny McGuire, the 24-year-old was asked how excited he is to be representing his country once again.

He answered: “I think it’s going to be a great series. I think it’s been building for a good few years off the back of Samoa and Tonga. This is, sort of, the pinnacle for us and I look forward to the test.”

In what was a plea to any fans debating going down to the capital to watch the first test, he described just how important the crowd will be if England are to have success in the series.

“Buy a ticket!” he said. “Be there and get behind England. The crowds are amazing and they make our games, so get behind the boys and it will be a great series.

England international shares key differences between Super League and NRL

After being in Australia’s top league for two seasons now, Pearce-Paul is well versed in seeing the differences between the top two competitions in rugby league.

The Wests Tigers-bound back rower has been a key staple in the Knights pack, and has had his say on what he believes the two biggest differences between the English and Australian competition.

“I’d say it [the NRL]’s probably a little bit faster. You’re playing a different game over there. The ruck’s a bit quicker and I guess the ball gets thrown about a little bit more sometimes. Every game is real hard, and you’ve always got to be up for that game next week.

Another thing pointed out by Pearce-Paul was the fan culture. He noted that the Grand Final atmosphere was completely different to what he sees in Australia, and it something that he can’t wait to be a part of again in the upcoming Ashes series.

“It was a weird feeling coming in today [to the Grand Final]. It was similar to last year, seeing all the fans and just how passionate everyone is. I’ll always miss it. Wigan’s always got a place in my heart, and you can’t get much better than this. The fans in this country are amazing. It’s so loud and it’s amazing to see.”

The back rower will get the chance to play against some of his current and future teammates in the upcoming series, which he admitted will be a different experience, especially on the international stage. However, he believes that playing in the NRL will give him better preparation for what’s ahead, and will hope to relay that information to the rest of the team.

He said: “It’ll be weird to play against some of the boys that I played with this year, but being in the NRL gives you a better understanding of the players you’ll be against, but nonetheless we’ll be ready.

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