"All the girls are working really hard and it's tough competition, but that's that's why we're all here," Georgie Dagger states on her return to England Women - with just 30 days to go until their historic game in Las Vegas!
There are just 30 days to go until England Women face the world champion Australia Jillaroos in Las Vegas with preparations for the historic clash intensifying ahead of the two nations meeting at the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday 1 March.
Head coach Stuart Barrow named a 31-player training squad back in December with Georgie Dagger now playing under her married surname following her wedding to York Knights full-back and Valkyrie assistant Will Dagger on the same day as England’s 82-0 defeat of Wales in November.
Dagger, who took on a hybrid hooker-full-back role for Lindsay Anfield’s side last season, made her England debut in a mid-season international against France, scoring one try and setting up another for centre Amy Hardcastle.
“Stuart Barrow actually brought me into camp at the end of 2023 to train for the Wales test and I didn’t end up getting picked,” the 27-year-old admitted.
“At that moment, I knew this is what I wanted to do and I really wanted to push and make it into the squad. I just carried on working hard and then ended up making my debut in the Mid-Season International.”
Since gaining her first international cap, Dagger has contiuned to enjoy success on the pitch and ended 2024 as the Woman of Steel following a Player of the Match performance in the Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final against St Helens.
“It's been quite a journey, and I absolutely didn't expect to ever be nominated for Woman of Steel - let alone win it!”
“It was a shock and you could say a pretty big year for me.”
And with the prospect of facing Australia in the entertainment capital of the world, the best could yet still be to come...
“After playing in the summer, being around the girls, being in camp and actually making my debut, it just makes you hungry for more. I’m not content with just that one game I played. I want to push on, improve and be back in the squad again.
“All the girls are working really hard and it's tough competition, but that's that's why we're all here. That's why we all keep pushing.”
England Women versus the Australia Jillaroos will be the penultimate match of a quadruple header featuring a Betfred Super League clash between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves and two NRL matches - Raiders v Warriors and Panthers v Sharks.
All four matches will be shown live on Sky Sports – with England v Australia kicking off at 2am UK time. Tickets and travel information can also be found here.
Rugby League Las Vegas Festival 2025 – Saturday March 1
- Betfred Super League – Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves (1:30pm PST / 9:30pm GMT)
- NRL – Canberra Raiders v New Zealand Warriors (4:00pm PST / Midnight GMT)
- Test Match - Australian Jillaroos vs England Women (6:00pm PST / 2am GMT March 2)
- NRL – Penrith Panthers vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (8:30pm PST / 4:30am GMT March 2)
