Here’s what you might have missed overnight at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England.
Match: England v Brazil
Round 1 -
home Team
England
away Team
Brazil
Venue: Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds
The main takeaways
- It was England's biggest win since 2008, when they crushed Russia 72-0.
- The crowd of 8621 was the largest attendance ever for a women's rugby league match in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Brazil scored their first World Cup try through fullback Natalia Momberg.
Star performers
Former cricketer Courtney Winfield-Hill stole the show with three tries, while the playmaker set up a further two tries as well. Experienced centre Amy
Hardcastle also scored three for England, while her work in yardage was impressive, with 190 run metres to her name. Off the bench Vicky Whitfield made 145 metres in 39 minutes.
What the result means
England are in control of the group, with a handy differential advantage over the other first-up winners, Papua New Guinea. For Brazil, the result was as expected in their first outing at this level, and they'll look for improvement up next against Papua New Guinea.
Recap
- Match report: Winfield-Hill hat-trick helps England to big win over Brazil
- Key injuries: Nil.
Match Highlights: England v Brazil
Match: Papua New Guinea v Canada
Round 1 -
home Team
Papua New Guinea
away Team
Canada
Venue: Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds
The main takeaways
- Papua New Guinea won their first ever World Cup game, after debuting at the tournament in 2017.
- The Ravens enjoyed scoring chances aplenty but struggled to execute.
- It was the second time the two sides have met at World Cup level, with Canada having won the clash in 2017.
Star performers
Martha Molowia scored two sensational tries from fullback and was PNG's biggest threat in attack. She got through plenty of work too, with 238 run metres. Dragons prop Elsie Albert was a pillar of strength in the middle for the Orchids, carrying for 168 metres, while Essay Banu impressed with a hard-running performance which included a try in the second half. In a losing side Megan Pakulis was enormous, carrying the ball for 300 metres and scoring a try in the second half.
What the result means
It was a game likely to go a long way to deciding which of these two sides qualifies from Group A, and Papua New Guinea are now in the driver's seat. While Canada face an uphill battle to qualify, they'll know they had more points in them and if they can improve their execution anything is possible.
Recap
- Match report: Molowia stars for PNG in opening win
- Key injuries: Shellie Long (head knock)
Match Highlights: Papua New Guinea v Canada
