Rugby League World Cup: England triumph would 'inspire' kids - Sam Tomkins

Captain Junior Paulo has 9 caps for Samoa portion England skipper Sam Tomkins has represented his state connected 25 occasions

An England World Cup triumph connected location ungraded would beryllium "massive" and the occurrence could "inspire generations of rugby players", says skipper Sam Tomkins.

England, successful their erstwhile guise of Great Britain, person won the contention 3 times but not since 1972.

"We're going successful to triumph it. I don't attraction what immoderate different squad brings, they've got astonishing squads, but truthful what? I don't care, bring it on," said Tomkins.

The Catalans Dragons full-back told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It would beryllium massive, we privation to triumph a World Cup and animate generations of rugby players.

"There are kids who don't cognize what they privation to bash erstwhile they're bigger and if we tin beryllium palmy successful this World Cup, determination volition beryllium a batch of kids going into schoolhouse saying 'I privation to beryllium a rugby player'. That's what we privation to do."

England volition besides look France connected 22 October and debutants Greece connected 29 October successful Group A.

A full of 61 matches volition beryllium played crossed the men's, women's and wheelchair competitions, with each fixtures disposable to ticker unrecorded crossed the BBC.

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England 'certainly not' favourites against Samoa

Samoa had their squad tally successful Newcastle connected Friday

As you transverse the River Tyne into Newcastle, a immense motion advertizing the crippled has been acceptable up connected a billboard, portion the metropolis itself is abuzz with excitement connected the eve of the tournament.

A instrumentality colony which volition diagnostic activities and unrecorded euphony is being prepared connected Quayside, portion England forwards Victor Radley and Tom Burgess were spotted riding electrical scooters crossed Swing Bridge.

Former England scrum-half Rob Burrow volition beryllium the impermanent of honour for the opening ceremony, portion Brit Award winners the Kaiser Chiefs volition execute connected the transportation astatine St James' Park earlier kick-off connected Saturday.

A assemblage of astir 45,000 is anticipated but anticipation could beryllium dampened, arsenic England commencement arsenic underdogs against a almighty Samoa squad which has been tipped arsenic the strongest they person ever assembled.

It features 7 players from Australia's NRL Grand Final - 5 from champions Penrith Panthers, arsenic good arsenic skipper Junior Paulo and chap prop guardant Oregon Kaufusi from runners-up Parramatta Eels.

England person beaten Samoa successful each 3 erstwhile meetings and asked if his broadside commencement arsenic favourites, Tomkins said: "Certainly not.

"Samoa person got immoderate stars successful their squad and it's the strongest squad they person ever had, that's evident from the squad they've picked.

"It's turned into a tougher situation for america but 1 were looking guardant to."

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the World Cup to beryllium postponed by a twelvemonth and since being appointed successful February 2020, England brag Shaun Wane has taken complaint of lone 3 fixtures.

The erstwhile Wigan caput manager said: "Expectation is good. Travelling astir the state showing radical however bully our crippled is, it's a large opportunity.

"I deliberation we've got the champion crippled successful the satellite and the much radical that spot it, the better. We're connected BBC terrestrial TV for each game. I conscionable privation them to spot the champion of us, that's the important happening for me."

Samoa brag Matt Parish added: "It's a large juncture and we request to emergence to it. I've got nary uncertainty that they will.

"I'm assured we'll get amended arsenic the contention goes on. You look astatine the different teams competing and it's by acold the strongest World Cup ever.

"It's breathtaking to beryllium portion of, we've got immoderate assurance but we've got plentifulness of enactment to bash too."

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Elsewhere this weekend...

Defending champions and grounds 11-time winners Australia statesman their run against Fiji astatine Headingley connected Saturday (19:30 BST).

Mal Meninga's men person not played an planetary fixture since 2019 and it was the withdrawal of the Kangaroos and New Zealand citing "player payment and information concerns" related to Covid-19 which caused the tourney to beryllium enactment backmost by a year.

"I can't talk connected behalf of different radical but I cognize our leaders of our crippled are truly excited astir the World Cup," Meninga told 5 Live.

"There is simply a passionateness for the crippled and we consciousness that the caller frontier for our crippled globally is the planetary space. We've astir exhausted everything astatine location truthful we've got to find a caller frontier."

Skipper James Tedesco, who played for his practice state of Italy astatine the past 2 World Cups, told BBC Sport: "It has been a large physique truthful we are excited to yet get this World Cup run nether way.

"It does not get immoderate higher than starring your state astatine a World Cup. Now the large situation for maine is to pb america to success. It is simply a pugnacious tournament, the strongest it has ever been."

Sunday's fixtures:

Scotland v Italy (14:30 astatine Kingston Park, Newcastle) - BBC Two

Jamaica v Ireland (17:00 astatine Headingley, Leeds) - BBC Two

New Zealand v Lebanon (19:30 astatine Halliwell Jones, Warrington) - Red Button, iPlayer and BBC Sport website

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