England name 23-player Women’s Rugby League World Cup squad; Jasmin Strange earns first call-up

# What happened England have named a 23-player squad for the Women's Rugby League World Cup, with Jasmin Strange included for the first time. Strange, born in New South Wales, plays second row for the Sydney Roosters and qualifies for England through her mother. She is one of four players in the squad who could make their international debuts.

# Who is in the squad

• Jasmin Strange (Sydney Roosters) is a heritage selection and will play for England after qualifying via her mother. She is set to appear in the NRLW Grand Final for the Roosters before joining England.
• Three other potential debutants: Connie Boyd (Leeds Rhinos), Hope Millard (Canterbury Bulldogs), and Lucie Sams (Wigan Warriors).
• Three NRLW players also included: Jasmin Strange, Fran Goldthorp (North Queensland), Georgia Roche (Newcastle Knights), and Hollie-Mae Dodd (Canberra Raiders).
• The squad features all three Woman of Steel nominees: Jenna Foubister, Eva Hunter and Megan Williams.

Full squad list: Keara Bennett, Connie Boyd, Amelia Brown, Ruby Bruce, Mary Coleman, Evie Cousins, Jodie Cunningham, Anna Davies, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Jenna Foubister, Fran Goldthorp, Eva Hunter, Molly Jones, Hope Millard, Lucy Murray, Georgia Roche, Isabel Rowe, Lucie Sams, Jasmin Strange, Vicky Whitfield, Megan Williams, Georgia Wilson, Liv Wood.

# Why Strange's selection matters now International Rugby League changed eligibility rules this year to allow players to represent more than one of the three tier-one nations (Australia, New Zealand and England). That opened the door for Australian-based players with English heritage to be considered. Head coach Stu Barrow opted for a mix of domestic talent and selected heritage players, while deliberately leaving out some other eligible NRLW names to prioritise homegrown development.

# Selection approach and omissions Barrow reduced an initial 40-player group to 23, describing the process as difficult but aiming for a balance of experience and youth. Several high-profile heritage players who were eligible were not selected, and some NRLW stars were left out in favour of giving domestic Super League players more opportunities.

# Tournament context and schedule The men's, women's and wheelchair World Cups will run concurrently, primarily in Australia. England's women play three pool matches: Wales in Perth (17 October), Australia (24 October) and Samoa in Wollongong (30 October). The top two teams in each four-team group progress to semi-finals on 7 and 8 November, with the final on 15 November.

# What to watch next

• Jasmin Strange's availability after the NRLW Grand Final and how quickly she integrates with England training.
• How the uncapped players perform in warm-up matches and whether Barrow keeps the same balance across the tournament.
• England's matches in Perth and Wollongong to judge cohesion between Super League and NRLW-based players.