Wales name squad for England friendly at Headingley

Leanne Burnell kicks the final goal in Wales' 48-6 victory over Netherlands in June

After qualifying for the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, Wales return to action on Saturday, 2 November to face England in a friendly.

Head coach Tom Brindle has made six changes to the side which defeated Netherlands to book their place at the global tournament in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Beth Dainton will lead the side out at Headingley, the home ground of her club, Leeds Rhinos.

Carys Marsh returns having missed the qualifying campaign through injury, and there is also a recall for Emily Hughes who last made an international appearance in October 2022.

Dani McGifford and Olivia Williams are set to make their debuts.

Wales' World Cup qualification came just five years after making their international debut.

"We’re an ambitious team and testing ourselves against one of the world’s best is key to our long-term goals," said Brindle.

"Qualifying for the World Cup on our first attempt was a milestone but our aim is to compete at the level of the established, professionally ran teams.

"We showed glimpses of that last year, and Saturday gives us another great opportunity to see how far we’ve come and how close we are to closing the gap."

Wales: Leanne Burnell, Katie Carr, Bethan Dainton (capt), Lucia Davis, Jasmine Gibbons, Gracie Hobbs, Emily Hughes, Ffion Jenkins, Hannah Jones, Sara Jones, Carys Marsh, Dani McGifford, Rhi Parker, Ashlea Prescott, Amy Price, Georgia Taylor, Meg Whittaker, Olivia Williams, Agnes Wood.