By Paul Martin

Vicky Molyneux is back in the England squad for Monday’s crunch semi-final against New Zealand in York.

The Wigan Warriors forward picked up the Cazoo Player of the Match award against Canada but sat out the final group game against Papua New Guinea.

She now returns to Craig Richards’ 19-woman squad, which also features the competition’s joint-leading try-scorers Tara Stanley and Leah Burke, for the last four contest at the LNER Community Stadium.

Winger Madison Bartlett and Charlotte Scanlan return for the Kiwi Ferns, who are looking to continue a proud record of making every women’s Rugby League World Cup final.

Apii Nicholls and Autumn-Rain Stephens Daly, who crossed in their narrow defeat against Australia in the final group match on Thursday, retain their places.

England: 1 Tara Stanley, 2 Caitlin Beevers, 3 Fran Goldthorp, 4 Amy Hardcastle, 5 Leah Burke, 6 Georgia Roche, 7 Courtney Winfield-Hill, 8 Grace Field, 9 Tara Jones, 11 Hollie Dodd, 12 Emily Rudge (captain), 13 Jodie Cunningham, 14 Vicky Molyneux, 15 Vicky Whitfield, 17 Shona Hoyle, 18 Olivia Wood, 19 Paige Travis, 21 Keara Bennett, 22 Zoe Harris

New Zealand: 5 Madison Bartlett, 23 Brianna Clark, 13 Georgia Hale, 12 Amber-Paris Hall, 8 Mya Hill-Moana, 24 Mele Hufanga, 14 Nita Maynard, 4 Page McGregor, 7 Raecene McGregor, 11 Roxette Murdoch-Masila, 1 Apii Nicholls, 10 Annetta-Claudia Nu’uausala, 18 Otesa Pule, 15 Abigail Roache, 9 Krystal Rota, 3 Autumn-Rain Stephens Daly, 16 Charlotte Scanlan, 17 Christyl Stowers, 2 Katelyn Vahaakolo

Head-to-head

New Zealand have won all five of their previous women’s Tests against England, including a 52-4 win when they last met (November 2017) – their biggest ever win against them.

Fun Fact

This will be the third time that England and New Zealand have met at the semi-final stage of a women’s Rugby League World Cup and the fourth meeting at the tournament overall. The Kiwi Ferns have won all three previous encounters, including in 2008 and 2017.

England record

England have won their last seven straight women’s Tests and a win in this semi-final against New Zealand would see them equal their longest ever stretch without loss (W7, D1 from July 2013 to November 2017).

New Zealand record

New Zealand will be looking to avoid back-to-back losses at the women’s Rugby League World Cup for the first time ever after succumbing to a 10-8 defeat against Australia in their Round 3 clash. The Kiwi Ferns have never lost to a team other than Australia at the tournament.

Players to watch

• England trio Tara Stanley (8), Francesca Goldthorp (8), and Amy Hardcastle (7) have made more linebreaks than any other players at the 2021 women’s Rugby League World Cup.
• Raecene McGregor (New Zealand) has kicked for 924 metres throughout the competition, the most of any player at the tournament and 253 metres more than second-ranked Lilah Malabag (671m).

The Rugby League World Cup promises to be the biggest, best and most inclusive event in the sport’s 127-year history with men’s, women’s and wheelchair teams competing in 61 games across 21 venues throughout England. Tickets are available via rlwc2021.com/tickets