Jon Wilkin says England’s heavy 90-4 defeat to Australia in Las Vegas was a wake-up call for the sport in this country and highlighted the gulf in class.
England’s women were outclassed and outpowered as they conceded 17 tries in Las Vegas.
Full-back Tamika Upton scored five tries in the first meeting between the sides since 2017, with Julie Robinson and Jess Sergis grabbing hat-tricks as the Jillaroos dominated.
England endured a record-breaking defeat against Australia in Las Vegas with the outstanding Tamika Upton scoring five of Australia’s 17 tries
“It just showed up the differences in the development of the women’s game here in the UK, didn’t it?” said Wilkin.
“For people who aren’t aware, the NRLW is a professional competition, the Jillaroos are full-time professional athletes. The England rugby league side is part-time, it’s a part-time sport in this country, and it looked every bit of that – it was a demolition.
“The Jillaroos have infinitely more resources, time, and preparation to get ready for a fixture like this, and I think it’s also just a reality check for women’s rugby league in this country, about where it’s up to, where it sits in its development, and where it needs to get to.
“This happens in sport, in different competitions, there’s one-sided games and big scores.
“Was it a good look for the sport, and for the women’s game in particular? I’m not sure it was, but it’s just a timely reminder of where the sport sits at the minute, the investment it’s going to take, the time it’s going to take, and the commitment that we need to show towards women’s sport at the top level.
“I just thought the scoreline really was not a great reflection, but it’s a true reflection of where we’re at.”
Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+.
