Kangaroos out to make World Cup 'statement' in revived Ashes series

Australian Kangaroos rugby league coach Mal Meninga says the Ashes series restart provides an excellent opportunity to "make a statement" ahead of next year's World Cup. After a 22-year absence, the Kangaroos will tour England this October and November for the series.

Australia and England's men's rugby league national teams have not faced each other since the 2017 World Cup final. In that final held at Lang Park, the Kangaroos won 6-0. Meninga stated that, considering the 2026 World Cup will be held in Australia, this year's Ashes series is a good opportunity for the Kangaroos to remind everyone why they are the defending world champions.

Meninga said: "I know that even when we went to the Pacific Championships last year, one of the goals was to tour again. A lot of the players who have been to the World Cup really enjoyed the atmosphere that the English crowds create and the stadiums there. We also want to make a statement before the 2026 World Cup, so it's an important part of the journey for us."

Meninga has been the Kangaroos coach since 2016 and has toured England with the team four times. He believes the 2017 World Cup final between Australia and England was one of the greatest games he has been involved in. The two teams were expected to meet again in the 2022 World Cup final, but England lost to Samoa in the semi-final with a golden point, losing their chance to win the championship.

Meninga said: "I thought the 2017 game was one of the best games I've been involved in as a player or coach, considering the quality and closeness of the game. The execution and commitment from both teams was outstanding. We had to work really hard, and England could have won if we hadn't prepared well for that game."

Meanwhile, England coach Shaun Wane said he hopes the famous Headingley Stadium in Leeds can give his country an advantage when the series enters the final game. The iconic Wembley Stadium in England will host the first test, and then the tour will move to the north of the country. Liverpool's new Everton Stadium will host the second test, before moving east to Headingley in Leeds, Yorkshire for the final test.

Headingley has been a lucky ground for England in recent years, as they beat Samoa 34-16 there in 2024 and Tonga 26-4 in 2023. If the Ashes series is tied before the third test, Wane said he would be very happy to have the decider in Leeds.

Wane, who is also the general manager of Super League team Wigan, said: "We had the second test against Samoa at Headingley, the third test against Tonga. We were also there with Wigan last Saturday. The atmosphere there… is second to none. The stadium is great too. The care they took of my team in those second and third tests was impeccable. The staff behind the scenes, the detail they put in – it was fantastic. I understand that one hundred percent, and I’m really happy that the third test is there."