England seek new head coach for Rugby League World Cup after Shaun Wane leaves

Shaun Wane has left his position as England’s head coach with immediate effect, the Guardian can reveal, leaving the national team on the hunt for a replacement for the Rugby League World Cup later this year.

Wane oversaw England’s 3-0 Ashes defeat against Australia last autumn but insisted in the aftermath of that series that he was keen to continue and rebuild going into the World Cup in the southern hemisphere this year.

However, the Guardian has learned this will now not be the case. Wane held discussions with the Rugby Football League this week about his future and those decisions have reached a conclusion, with it decided that the national team will go in a new direction for the World Cup.

Wane had insisted previously that he felt he was the right man to take England into the World Cup this year, saying: “I don’t believe – I know I am.”

However the interim RFL chair, Nigel Wood, threw doubt on that when he confirmed in an interview late last year that Wane’s position was under review.

“We will review all of that, like we always do,” he said. “This isn’t a kind of public examination of any of the coaches. We will review that in the fullness of time when the reports are received like we do at the end of every international series.”

England’s plans for the tournament are unclear but are likely to be minimal. There is no room in the domestic schedule for a mid-season international going into a World Cup, meaning that it is almost certain the RFL will turn to a part-time appointment.

That will probably mean a number of existing Super League coaches are options with Hull KR’s Willie Peters and St Helens’ Paul Rowley likely to be among the contenders that could be under consideration.

The RFL’s interim chief executive, Abi Ekoku, had insisted previously that the role could become a part-time one; Wane had been a full-time employee of the RFL since his appointment in 2020. During that time, he guided England to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, but their surprise defeat against Samoa in that game is still regarded as a missed opportunity for the sport in the UK.

Wane did deliver series victories against Samoa and Tonga in 2023 and 2024 but his side were comfortably second best in the Ashes, leading to fresh scrutiny over his future.

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