England Can Learn From Rugby League Team’s World Cup Approach

England’s 2023 Cricket World Cup campaign is not one that will live long in the memory after they failed to reach the knockout stage of the competition in India.

While it’s a case of understanding what went wrong in the subcontinent and how to move forward, England’s management could learn lessons from the country’s national side in rugby league.

Lessons Can Be Learned From 13-Man Rugby Code

England’s rugby league players impressed in the 2021 World Cup on home soil as they blew away their opponents in the group stages. Led by captain Sam Tomkins, whose former club Wigan Warriors are 2.88 in the rugby league betting to win the Super League title in 2024, England opened their World Cup with a 60-6 victory over Samoa at St James’ Park. Followed up by a 42-18 win over France in Bolton, head coach Shaun Wane saw his side run out 94-4 winners against Group A minnows Greece to finish top of the table.

Wane was not afraid to tinker with his side through the group stages and give players a chance to prove their worth ahead of the knockout stages. Perhaps that’s something the England cricket management will look at more closely ahead of the next World Cup to be hosted in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2027. England’s rugby league side went on to breeze past Papua New Guinea 46-6 in the quarter-finals, before they were stunned by a golden-point defeat to Samoa in the semi-finals. It was certainly an opportunity missed for Wane’s side to reach the final but there were still a number of positives to take from the tournament, most notably new players impressing in their first World Cup for their country.

England Must Draw A Line In The Sand

While England’s rugby league side showed new players could step up and thrive in the high-pressure environment of a World Cup, the national ODI cricket team can follow their lead going into 2027. England have been tremendously successful in white-ball cricket in recent years and many of their veteran players owe their country nothing with a host of successful careers. However, all good things must come to an end and head coach Matthew Mott will have to develop the next group of players to try and compete on the world stage.

England’s squad going into the 2023 Cricket World Cup had an average age of just over 31 years old. Eight of England’s players in the squad were 33 or older, so questions will be asked on where the next group of talent is coming from and why they have not pushed the veteran pool of players harder for their places. While some older heads must remain to guide newcomers to the team in the rigors of international cricket, there is likely to be a major overhaul in the squad after they won just three of their nine group games in India.

England’s cricket side perhaps needed the shock of a disappointing World Cup to bring about change for their ODI teams. Perhaps following some of the steps taken by their nation’s rugby league side, England’s cricketers can get back to challenging for silverware in 2027.