Domestic rugby league is seemingly on the verge of a new era of Anglo-Australian cooperation, but there will be no love lost on the field in the international sphere this autumn.
Amid the backdrop of a potential NRL investment or full takeover of the Betfred Super League – or even something else entirely, if you put stock in certain rumours – the renewal of the Ashes rivalry between England and Australia with this year’s Kangaroo tour, the first since 2003, was finally confirmed on Wednesday morning.
The press release confirming the announcement included a quote from Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chair Peter V’landys, who will be at the table if or when negotiations between the Australian and British domestic games begin, expressing their desire to get the tour on to support the growth of the sport in the Northern Hemisphere – and that was greeted warmly by England head coach Shaun Wane on the back of March’s NRL, Super League and women’s international games in Las Vegas.
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“It will be huge,” Wane told NRL.com.
“For them to put this series on and to travel to our country, I think that is so respectful of them to do that.
“The NRL put Vegas on last year and it was a success, so to allow two Super League teams to come in and join in that is another example of how the respect they have shown us.
“Fair play to the NRL and the Aussies, to come to our country and play an Ashes series they have gone up in my estimation again.”
The three-Test series will feature matches at Wembley (October 25), Everton FC’s new stadium in Liverpool (November 1) and a first rugby league Ashes Test at AMT Headingley for 43 years (November 8).
Ongoing negotiations between the ARLC and Rugby League Players Association meant the series was not able to be announced on the Sunday following the Las Vegas games as planned, although any lingering issues have now seemimgly been ironed out.
What has not yet been confirmed is whether Australia will play a Test against France and a tour match against an English club side in the build-up to the series.
Kangaroos head coach Mal Meninga, who was part of four tours to these shores in his playing days, had previously expressed his desire to include those matches.
Nevertheless, he is excited to be renewing rhe rivalry between two teams who have not met since Australia’s 6-0 victory in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup final and the challenge of extending their 55-year dominance in the Ashes series.
“The Ashes series between Australia and England is what our international game has been built on,” Meninga said. “I think it is the ultimate.
“To be able to play at Wembley, at the new stadium in Everton – where no other team has been before – and then going back to the tradition of Headingley, that is exciting.
“We want to play our best footy when we put that Kangaroos jersey on, so it is going to be enormous.”
England vs Australia 2025 fixtures (all 2.30pm GMT kick-off)
Sat, Oct 25 – First Test, Wembley Stadium
Sat, Nov 1 – Second Test, Everton Stadium
Sat, Nov 8 – Third Test, AMT Headingley
