England have lost to Australia 6-0 in the Rugby League World Cup final at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.
It was the first time in 22 years England have reached a World Cup final and despite an incredible effort it was the favourites Australia who were crowned World Champions on home soil.
The game went to the final play of the match when England broke the Australian line only to be stopped just short of what would have been a potential match saving try.
Despite the World Cup taking place on the other side of the world in Australia it has certainly had an impact on the nation’s sporting consciousness, Nielsen Sport data confirmed that thanks to the coverage provided by the BBC the tournament has attracted more than seven million cumulative TV viewers and the interest in the sport has steadily risen with 46% of 16-24 year olds now paying more attention to the game.
Rugby Football League Chief Executive, Nigel Wood praised the England team on their efforts: “The England team have done a fantastic job in reaching the World Cup final for the first time in 22 years and every member of that squad should be incredibly proud of themselves. They came so close to lifting the World Cup and pushed Australia all the way.
“Wayne Bennett and his staff have done a great job guiding the team over the last two years and I’m sure the team will have learnt a great deal from this experience. They were fantastic for the entire 80 minutes and they have done themselves and their country proud.”
“We now look forward to welcoming New Zealand for the International Test Series next Autumn and ensuring we host another successful World Cup in 2021 where we will hopefully go one step further and see England crowned World Champions.”
Tickets for the England v New Zealand International Series are on sale now at rugby-league.com and cost from £25 for adults and £12.50 for concessions.