2025 Jillaroo tour of England

The 2025 Jillaroo tour of England is a proposed tour of England by national rugby league team in October and November 2025. The tour is scheduled to see the inaugural edition of the Women's rugby league Ashes contested.
Background
New international calendar
Following France withdrawing as host and the subsequent cancellation of the 2025 Rugby League World Cup, the International Rugby League saw need to revamp the international calendar. The confirmation of the replacement 2026 Rugby League World Cup came with it a selection of new and returning international rugby league competitions and tours between 2025 and 2030, including the return of and an inaugural women's Ashes being played.
Great Britain or England
In September 2024, the Rugby Football League considered the return of the Great Britain team for the 2025 tour, and possibly all future away tours, with the hope that the return of a traditional sporting brand would help connect more people to the team. However, in September of that year, the governing body confirmed during the new kit launch that England would continue the 2025 tour as planned. A fan poll was conducted in regards to this subject.
Host change
On 28 October 2024, the Australian Rugby League Commission announced talks were underway between themselves and Rugby League Commercial (a branch of the Rugby Football League) regarding the games being moved to England. BBC Sport attributed the host change to Australia now hosting the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, originally to be hosted by France in 2025.
Rugby League Las Vegas
For the 2025 Rugby League Las Vegas event, the National Rugby League expanded the event to include a Super League fixture, and a women's international between and , which was later confirmed to be match one of the women's Ashes Series, with the remaining fixtures being contested during the tour.
Test 1: Las Vegas
Squads
The Australia squad for the first test in the United States was released on 7 February. Coming with in was the announcement that head coach Brad Donald had quit the roll amid an investigation of a "foul-mouthed rant" of a journalist. His assistant, Jess Skinner, was appointed interim head coach and lead the Jillaroos in their first test of the series.
Australia
*Tarryn Aiken (Sydney Roosters)
*Kezie Apps (Wests Tigers; co-captain)
*Ali Brigginshaw (Brisbane Broncos; co-captain)
*Lauren Brown (Gold Coast Titans)
*Yasmin Clydsdale (Newcastle Knights)
*Keeley Davis (Sydney Roosters)
*Quincy Dodd (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
*Jessika Elliston (Gold Coast Titans)
*Olivia Higgins (Newcastle Knights)
*Keilee Joseph (Sydney Roosters)
*Isabelle Kelly (Sydney Roosters)
*Olivia Kernick (Sydney Roosters)
*Shannon Mato (Gold Coast Titans)
*Mahalia Murphy (Parramatta Eels)
*Tiana Penitani (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
*Julia Robinson (Brisbane Broncos)
*Jessica Sergis (Sydney Roosters)
*Simaima Taufa (Canberra Raiders)
*Sarah Togatuki (Wests Tigers)
*Tamika Upton (Brisbane Broncos)
*Jakiya Whitfeld (North Queensland Cowboys)
England
*Jas Bell (York Valkyrie)
*Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos)
*Jodie Cunningham (St Helens; captain)
*Georgie Dagger (York Valkyrie)
*Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors)
*Hollie-Mae Dodd (Canberra Raiders)
*Jenna Foubister (Wigan Warriors)
*Amy Hardcastle (St Helens)
*Zoe Harris (St Helens)
*Shona Hoyle (St Helens)
*Katie Mottershead (St Helens)
*Izzy Northrop (Leeds Rhinos)
*Eboni Partington (York Valkyrie)
*Tamzin Renouf (York Valkyrie)
*Georgia Roche (Newcastle Knights)
*Erin Stott (St Helens)
*Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos)
*Paige Travis (Parramatta Eels)
*Vicky Whitfield (St Helens)
*Liv Wood (York Valkyrie)
Results
<section begin=WOMEN_ASHES_TEST1_2025/>
<section end=WOMEN_ASHES_TEST1_2025/>
Post-Vegas events
Despite no confirmation of further games, England head coach Stuart Barrow said in his post-match interview in Las Vegas that he was still expecting a series at the end of 2025.
In the week following Australia's 90-4 victory, criticism occurred as a result of the gulf in performance which highlighted the superior set up that women's rugby league had in Australia compared to England. In addition, the disparity in performance, along with the view that a quadruple-header was too long an event, lead to the Women's international being axed for the 2026 Las Vegas programme.
On 26 March 2025, when the arrangements for the were confirmed, no announcements were made for the remaining women's fixtures.
In the months that followed, doubts emerged over the productiveness of contesting the remaining fixtures.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu