England's Rugby League World Cup Exit Exposes Decades of Decline and Need for Systemic Change

England's early exit from the Rugby League World Cup has laid bare a crisis that has been brewing for nearly two decades. The national team failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time, eliminated in a group stage widely criticized as farcical. This collapse echoes warnings from former Australia coach Ricky Stuart, who said almost 20 years ago that England had 'gone backwards over the last eight to 10 years.' His words remain painfully relevant today. The failure underscores a systemic neglect of the national side and a lack of priority given to international rugby league in England. Without urgent reform, the gap with Australia and other leading nations will only widen. The sport's leaders must now confront hard truths and rebuild from the ground up.