England Women’s player Lindsay Anfield believes the next two weeks could be huge for the future of Women’s Rugby League in England as the national team bid to win the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
England begin their campaign against Australia at the Tetley’s Stadium, Dewsbury, on Friday July 5 before playing defending champions and three-time Women’s Rugby League World Cup winners New Zealand on Monday July 8 and Anfield is confident success is within England’s grasp.
“I’m really excited about the competition and to see how we fare,” said Anfield. “We’ve been training towards this competition since 2010 and we’ve all invested a lot of time and effort into it.
“It’s really exciting to be on the verge of it all now and I’m very confident about our prospects. We’ve stepped up another level at training recently and our preparation has been spot on.
“The first game against Australia is key for us. We’re on home soil, playing against these teams in our backyard for the first time since 2000, so it’s a big one for all of us and it will be a great occasion for family, friends and everyone involved and I am confident we can get off to a great start.”
With the Antipodean sides travelling as joint favourites to win the World Cup, Anfield knows the competition will be tougher than anything the England squad have experienced before and she feels that intensity will surprise fans experiencing the Women’s game for the first time.
“The competition itself is going to be fantastic,” she said. “The best female players in the World are all going to be here and we’re all up for the competition.
“I think anyone coming to watch a game for the first time will be surprised at the level of physicality in the games and the skill levels as well.
“We haven’t had a lot of games against the Australians or New Zealanders and all we can go on with these teams is our previous World Cup experience. We came close to New Zealand in the last World Cup and I think we have definitely come a long way since then so I’m expecting all the games to be very close and tight, but we have the talent and ability to go all the way.
“Doing that and winning the World Cup and holding the trophy on Sunday July 14 would be an amazing experience.
“We’ve been focused on that for a long time and anything less that victory won’t be good enough. We’re all fully committed and ready to put it all on the line.”
Tickets for the Festivals of World Cup Finals Day at Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Sunday July 14, when the Women’s, Students and Police World Cup Finals will be staged, cost from just £6 adult and £2 concessions and can be purchased by calling 0844 856 1113 or visiting Rugby League Tickets