Wigan Warriors captain who studied in Preston named in England Women’s Rugby League World Cup squad

Wigan Warriors captain Georgia Wilson has been named in Stuart Barrow’s 23-player England squad for the Women’s Rugby League World Cup.

Wilson is one of nine players from the club to make the England team. Mary Coleman, Anna Davies, Jenna Foubister, Molly Jones, Eva Hunter, Isabel Rowe, Lucie Sams and Megan Williams have also made Barrow’s final 23.

This will be the seventh Women’s World Cup, and the third to take place in Australia. England, one of eight teams competing, are in Pool A and will take on the hosts in their group stage, along with Samoa and home rivals Wales, who themselves have two Wigan players in their squad.

The other four teams in the tournament, starting in Pool B, are France, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea

It begins on October 16 and finishes with the Grand Final - held at Brisbane’s 52,500-capacity Lang Park stadium - on November 15.

England will begin their campaign against Wales on October 17, before facing Australia a week later and then Samoa on October 30. The top two sides progress to the semi-finals, which commence on November 7.

It will be the final Women’s World Cup to take place alongside, and in the same year as, the men’s tournament. From 2028, the two tournaments will be two years apart from each other.

England suffered a heavy defeat against Australia out in Las Vegas 18 months ago, but Wilson is confident the squad can put on a much improved showing this time around.

Reflecting on her call-up, she told the Lancashire Post: “I'm really proud, it's something that you always dream of as a kid, and I've been dreaming of this since I started playing rugby league. It's a huge achievement and I'm really looking forward to going over there with all the other girls, especially the nine other girls from Wigan that have been selected.

“Obviously we'll be in the same pool as Australia which, looking back at the Vegas game, a lot of people might have some doubt in our team but we believe and we know that if we put up a good fight it definitely won't be a scoreline anything like Vegas and we can make it a competitive game.

“Samoa are going to be a tough fight, a tough test as well and Wales have got a pretty decent squad this time so it's going to be a really good tournament.

“We've not been together all as one squad yet, obviously there's a few NRLW (Australia’s rugby league) girls in there so the first time we get together will be when we land in Australia, so hopefully we can bond quite quickly and it'll be a really good tournament for us.”

Wilson made her first England appearance in October 2019 against Australia, and appeared again a month later against Papua New Guinea. She scored her first international try in June 2021 in a comprehensive win over Wales, and scored again against the same opposition in a similarly comfortable victory four years later. Her most recent appearance for the Lionesses was in July, in a 38-4 friendly win against France.

She became Wigan Warriors captain in March after the departure of Vicky Molyneux last season. She co-captained the side alongside Molyneux as they secured an historic first-ever Grand Slam treble with a 16-12 win against St Helens in the Super League Grand Final last October.

The team have enjoyed more success this season, winning the Challenge Cup in May after a convincing 54-6 win over St Helens, in which Wilson scored a try. However, despite finishing top of the Super League and Super 4s tables and winning the League Leaders’ Shield, they lost 8-6 to York Valkyries in the Grand Final on Sunday, the final game of their season.

The 29-year-old is a versatile player and can operate at full-back, centre and winger. She was born in Burton-in-Kendal and played for Kendal Rugby Club growing up before joining the Cherry and Whites while undertaking a Sports Studies course at the University of Lancashire in Preston between 2015 and 2018. While studying, she also played for Preston Grasshoppers RUFC and Lancaster City FC Ladies.

More recently, she has supported, and occasionally coached and trained with, Heysham Atoms Rugby League Club after their women’s team was reformed in 2022.

She has had two spells at Wigan, returning to the club in 2024 after just under 18 months in Australia, where she represented Souths Logan Magpies and Norths Devils.

Wilson is also Wigan Warriors’ women’s and girls’ development officer, and since assuming that role, several women’s team games have been part of a double bill at the Brick Community Stadium, attracting thousands of fans.