Wales secured a historic first Women’s Rugby League World Cup place with dominant 48-6 victory over Netherlands in Purmerend.
Following their first World Cup-qualifying win against Ireland earlier this year, Wales Women have secured a historic place at the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in 2026.
Despite the high anticipation heading into Saturday’s fixture, it only took the Wales Women two minutes to score their first try of the match.
Wales made their Welsh presence and passion known by dominating the play from the very beginning, earning four first-half tries courtesy of Leanne Burnell, Brittony Price, and two from Seren- Gough-Walters. Wales then exited the first half with an impressive 18-0 lead.
After a long battle, Netherlands finally got on the board after 63 minutes with a brilliant effort by Sylvie Moelee. However, the host’s faced the pressure once again as Leanne Burnell and Hannah Jones added to the scoreboard and increased the lead by 36 points.
In a statement to close the match, captain Bethan Dainton sealed Wales’ victory with a 10th try. Final score was 48-6.
Only making their debut in 2019, Wales Women have cemented a legacy just 11 games later by securing their place in the 2026 World Cup.
Wales Head Coach Tom Brindle expressed: “We knew they would be tough. They had some great players, but our girls did everything we asked of them. I was happy with the performance today.
“We’re an ambitious team and this is the milestone we wanted to reach. We worked hard for each other and came through the other side.
“We’ve a long way to go from where we want to be right now, but our journey right now has been fantastic."
