England Rugby League World Cup squad announced: Shaun Wane names 24-man team for tournament

The men’s and women’s 2021 Rugby League World Cup tournaments are set to take place later this year having been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 16th edition of the event was due to be played 12 months ago, but travel restrictions and the withdrawl from the men’s event of defending champions Australia and 2008 winners New Zealand saw the organisers postpone until 2022.

Both tournaments will be played in England with the men’s world cup kicking off first on October 15 and concluding on November 19.

England head coach Shaun Wane has named his 24 man squad for the tournament later this month and here is everything you need to know about who has been called up and when the tournament begins:

England rugby league World Cup squad announced

Earlier this year, England head coach Shaun Wane named a 30 man “train on” squad that would come together to prepare for the Rugby League World Cup starting with a warm-up match against Combined Nations All Stars in June.

The final 24-man squad that will compete at the Rugby League World Cup was confirmed on Friday, September 30.

Six uncapped players have been called up by Shaun Wane.

Here is the final 24-man squad that will represent England at the Rugby League World Cup:

• Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons, captain)
• Andy Ackers (Salford Red Devils)
• Joe Batchelor (St Helens)
• John Bateman (Wigan Warriors)
• Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
• Mike Cooper (Wigan Warriors)
• Herbie Farnworth (Brisbane Broncos)
• Ryan Hall (Hull KR)
• Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants)
• Morgan Knowles (St Helens)
• Matty Lees (St Helens)
• Tommy Makinson (St Helens)
• Michael McIlorum (Catalans Dragons)
• Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons)
• Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos)
• Kai Pearce-Paul (Wigan Warriors)
• Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters)
• Marc Sneyd (Salford Red Devils)
• Luke Thompson (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
• Kallum Watkins (Salford Red Devils)
• Jack Welsby (St Helens)
• Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Dom Young (Newcastle Knights).

Who will England face at Rugby League World Cup 2021? Fixtures and dates

England will prepare for the tournament with a warm-up match against Fiji at the AJ Bell Stadium, Salford on October 7.

They then kick off the Rugby League World Cup against Samoa on October 15 at St James Park, Newcastle.

That will be their first of three group stage matches and they will also face France at the University of Bolton Stadium on October 22 and Greece at Sheffield’s Bramall Lane stadium on October 9.

If England win Group A then they will face the runner-up of Group D in the quarter-finals at the DW Stadium, Wigan on November 5.

If they finish the group as runners-up they will face the winners of Group D at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington on November 6.

The four teams in Group D are Wales, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Cook Islands.

The semi-final matches are due to take place on November 11 and 12 at Elland Road, Leeds and the Emirates Stadium, London respectively.

The final will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester on November 19.