Jodie Cunningham: England ‘determined to check ourselves’ vs Australia in Las Vegas – it is no lose with stress on them | Rugby League Information

England captain Jodie Cunningham says the squad are “determined to check ourselves” in opposition to world champions Australia in Las Vegas on Saturday, stay on Sky Sports activities, including it’s a “no-lose” state of affairs for her facet. 

Over 10,000 rugby league followers have travelled from the UK for Saturday’s Las Vegas rugby league occasion, which includes a Wigan Warriors vs Warrington Wolves Tremendous League conflict, two video games from Australia’s NRL and the ladies’s worldwide between England and Australia, all stay on Sky Sports activities.

The following Girls’s Rugby League World Cup takes place in 2026 in Australia and Papua New Guinea, and Cunningham is satisfied England can match it with the perfect.

“As quickly as we stepped off the aircraft and even on the aircraft, the quantity of followers that have been there, I really feel like the entire aircraft was stuffed with rugby league followers. It is unimaginable. It is so thrilling.

“This [Vegas] has been large and possibly completely different preparation than we have had earlier than as a result of we have not performed Australia since 2017. They’re the world champions, they’re world champions for a motive, and we’re determined to check ourselves in opposition to the perfect.

“We have a younger group and the World Cup’s solely across the nook, so this sport holds a lot significance, taking Vegas out of it.

“The ladies know the way vital that is, as a training workers they know the way vital it’s, and for me, showcasing the place we’re at as an England workforce but additionally for the ladies’s sport in England, it is a marker for us.

“This can be a marker that what we’re doing is working, and we are able to go and blend it with the perfect and we have an opportunity subsequent yr.

“So there’s quite a bit using on this sport, and I feel the women really feel that, however they’re additionally embracing it.”

Regardless of a transparent distinction in sources, Cunningham says England have what it takes to play Australia and beat them.

“The cash that is invested into the ladies’s sport over there, it is worlds other than the place we’re at,” she stated.

“These ladies [Australia] have minimal contracts, the cash that is been pumped into which means quite a lot of them are both full-time or semi-professional. That is not the case in England, there’s nonetheless a giant chunk of the Girls’s Tremendous League, I imagine, that obtain nothing in any respect. Those that do, it is minimal, it is bills at greatest.

“And it isn’t in regards to the cash, it is the time that it offers for the women to be collectively, coaching on the prime degree within the prime services.

“That is what we’re going up in opposition to. Additionally they have a hell of much more ladies taking part in the sport normally, so the expertise pool they’re deciding on from is way greater. All that apart, we all know we are able to combine it with the perfect.

“After the final World Cup, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Georgia Roach, Fran Goldthorp, three of our England gamers went on the market to play and received NRL debut contracts. For them as people, I needed them to succeed, however I needed them to succeed to show our greatest can match their greatest, and all three of them have completely smashed it. So I do know we are able to do it, however we additionally know we have to be our greatest to do it.”

‘Now we have to remain composed in most surreal atmosphere ever’

Main the facet out within the distinctive event that’s rugby league in Las Vegas, what feelings shall be going round Cunningham’s head?

“Attempting to behave calm. Look, there’s solely three of us who’ve ever performed in opposition to Australia earlier than – me and two others, and we’re probably the most senior gamers. We have fairly a younger squad now,” she stated.

“My job is to ensure we’re calm and composed in what’s the most surreal atmosphere ever for these ladies. I’ve received to indicate I am composed, and you understand what? I am prepared. This is a chance I by no means thought I might have.

“We will not lose, actually. We go on the market, we give it every thing we have. All of the stress is on Australia, so it’ll simply be preparing.

“I like a little bit of an influence pose earlier than I’m going out to compose myself. To take a second. I am not the most important.

“Standing subsequent to Kezi [Apps, Australia captain], she’s like a large subsequent to me, so I am attempting to get a number of additional inches. After they’re within the tunnel, that is what it is about for me. After I’m doing the nationwide anthem, it is energy pose, it is arms on hips, it is like: ‘Come on, get able to go’.

“Strip every thing away, we have an actual likelihood on Saturday to go and do one thing particular.”

Rugby League in Vegas – watch or stream

All of the motion from the occasion shall be stay on Sky Sports activities on Saturday from 8.30pm GMT. After some bumper build-up, Wigan Warriors vs Warrington Wolves will kick-off at 9.30pm, with Canberra Raiders vs New Zealand Warriors from midnight.

Australian Jillaroos vs England Girls will then happen from 2am, with the pageant closing out with Penrith Panthers vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks from 4.30am.

Rugby League Las Vegas Pageant 2025 – Full schedule

• Betfred Tremendous League – Wigan Warriors vs Warrington Wolves (9.30pm GMT)
• NRL – Canberra Raiders vs New Zealand Warriors (12am)
• Check Match – Australian Jillaroos vs England Girls (2am)
• NRL – Penrith Panthers vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (4.30am)

Sky Sports activities will once more present each sport of the Tremendous League stay this season – together with two matches in every spherical completely stay, with the remaining 4 matches every week proven on Sky Sports activities+. Stream with NOW.