Rugby League World Cup: England's players need to turn professional says departing Craig Richards

England's women's players request to crook nonrecreational if they are to adjacent the spread connected New Zealand and Australia, says departing caput manager Craig Richards.

"I don't spot what much they could person done different than sack disconnected enactment and bid unemployed," said Richards, who said helium would not proceed successful the role.

"I've got girls going to gyms astatine 5 successful the greeting earlier work."

Unlike finalists Australia and the bulk of players successful the New Zealand broadside who play successful the afloat nonrecreational NRL women's competition, England's broadside consists of part-time players, with galore having to publication clip disconnected enactment to compete successful the tournament.

"I person spent 5 years trying to adjacent the gap. It is not bully enough," added a intelligibly affectional Richards.

"What much bash you privation from these girls? Those girls [the New Zealand players] are nonrecreational truthful the question is bash you privation to vie with them oregon not?

"I anticipation that's the mode it goes. On the backmost of outgo it is past astir behaviours. So the players that get that request to recognise what being nonrecreational is and clasp it.

"The wealth needs to beryllium a bonus but determination needs to beryllium an cognition change. During the pandemic the girls were gathering up and sprinting successful parks successful pairs; they were doing press-ups successful backmost gardens wearing weighted ruck sacks.

"When I got the occupation and idiosyncratic sent maine the videos of the past World Cup [in 2017 wherever England were beaten 52-4 by New Zealand], I thought: 'Wow, what person I done?' One of the tasks was conscionable to get close.

"It'll beryllium idiosyncratic other who takes the squad forward. That determination was made a portion ago. It won't beryllium maine truthful I'll enactment from afar."

Leeds Rhinos are presently the lone Super League nine to denote they volition award triumph bonuses and "meritocratic payments for occurrence successful the Challenge Cup and Grand Final competitions" to their players from 2023.

Leeds, who won the Women's Super League Grand Final successful September, said it was the adjacent signifier successful their determination to marque their women's squad afloat professional. However, Richards says others volition request to follow.

"I deliberation astatine times, the contention [Super League] doesn't assistance due to the fact that each the endowment is successful 2 oregon 3 sides. There needs to beryllium much enactment done to fortify each the different sides that are behind. Until you get that, you volition conflict to drawback these guys," helium added.

'Hopefully we person inspired the adjacent generation'

Captain Emily Rudge and guardant Jodie Cunningham were 2 of 4 survivors from the past England squad to play successful a location World Cup 9 years ago.

And portion some person spoken positively astir the improvement of the home game, they besides judge the adjacent steps request to beryllium taken to assistance animate a caller procreation of stars.

"The pathways are determination and advancement is being made," said Cunningham.

"It's been monolithic since the past World Cup, but for america it's astir getting much girls playing and hopefully we person inspired a batch of girls to instrumentality up the sport.

"It gets said a batch but these girls request to commencement being paid. We request much clip together.

"For america being successful campy for 2 weeks arsenic full-time professionals has been unthinkable and to beryllium capable to instrumentality the adjacent measurement earlier the adjacent World Cup would beryllium brilliant."

Rudge added: "It's been an unthinkable location World Cup for us. We decidedly wanted to spell 1 measurement further than the semi-finals.

"Hopefully we person inspired the adjacent procreation and those young girls watching successful the crowd."