Connie Boyd and Anna Davies each recorded hat‑tricks as England blasted Wales 70‑6 in their World Cup debut.
England surged ahead after four minutes and never looked back, piling on 13 tries against a Welsh side that lacked firepower on both attack and defence.
Boyd, Davies and Isabel Rowe shone, Rowe adding a 26‑point haul with two tries and nine flawless conversions.
Stuart Barrow’s squad now sits on a strong pool‑stage foundation before a daunting clash with Australia next Saturday, while Wales must regroup for a must‑win versus Samoa. For my money, they’re now clear favourites.
England deliver a complete performance to dominate the tournament opener
A slick early move saw Amelia Brown dive over at the four‑minute mark, but Wales answered when former England star Paige Travis capitalised on a handling error and a penalty to notch their first World Cup try.
The response was brief; Megan Williams, Jasmin Strange and Rowe combined to free centre Georgia Wilson for a score, then Hollie‑Mae Dodd’s crisp off‑load set up debutant Boyd three minutes later, pushing the lead to ten points by the 24‑minute mark.
From then on Wales could not match England’s tempo, as Dodd, Boyd’s second try, a dazzling solo dash by Davies, and Rowe’s half‑time strike added 24 points – Rowe’s ace kicking helped seal a 40‑6 halftime lead.
The second half opened similarly, with debutant Strange diving over shortly after the restart before Rowe crossed again, taking the tally to a staggering 50 points.
Winger Amelia Brown delivered the try of the day, sprinting down the wing after fielding a kick behind her own try‑line.
Interchange player Jenna Foubister flashed a brilliant off‑load that set up Boyd’s third try six minutes from the final whistle, while Davies added two more late scores to complete her own hat‑trick and cap off the victory.
Cunningham: Brown really has pace!
England captain Jodie Cunningham, speaking on Premier Sports:
It feels great. We knew Wales would come out fired up and energetic, and those first ten to fifteen minutes were tough, but I’m proud of how the girls fought back.
[Amelia Brown] really does have pace!
She shows that in the Super League for fun, and it’s fantastic to see her wear the England shirt.
[Rowe] may be young, yet she plays with remarkable maturity, steering us around the field, staying calm under pressure, and her kicking was superb – a bright future awaits her.
Job done. We’ll regroup, spot improvements and gear up for the huge test next week.
Dainton: Scoreline didn’t reflect the game
Wales captain Bethan Dainton, speaking on Premier Sports:
I’m so proud of the girls despite the scoreline; it didn’t reflect our effort – we were in it for large stretches.
A few lapses in concentration allowed England to seize the initiative.
What lies ahead in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup?
Group A: Samoa v Wales – CommBank Stadium, Sydney (7:45 am)
Group A: Australia v England – HBF Park, Perth (10:05 am)