ENGLAND’s women may have seen their Rugby League World Cup hopes end in heartbreak last night, but there were still heart-warming moments for two of their Warrington-born players at full time.
Former Cardinal Newman High School pupils Emily Rudge and Jodie Cunningham and ex-Penketh High pupil Tara Jones were all part of the side that fell to a 20-6 defeat to New Zealand in York.
The Kiwi Ferns move on to face Australia in the final at Old Trafford on Saturday while Craig Richards’ side are left to ponder what might have been.
However, these brilliant images show Rudge and Jones greeting some of their supporters who had made the journey to cheer them on.
England skipper Rudge was greeted by some of her pupils from Rainford High School in St Helens while Jones met family members.
The hosts led through 19-year-old full-back Fran Goldthorpe and set a sterling challenge to their mostly full-time opponents before succumbing to two crucial tries at the start of the second half.
They were both fashioned by the surging runs of 28-year-old centre Mele Hufanga, creating tries from Otesa Pule and Brianna Clark that ultimately ensured a sixth consecutive World Cup defeat to the Kiwis.
"We have clearly narrowed the gap and I genuinely believe that on another day we would have beaten New Zealand," said an emotional Cunningham, who played in the England team beaten 52-4 by New Zealand at the same stage of the competition in Sydney in 2017.
"We've done so much hard work without being professional, and I still think we had the ability to do it, but you can't avoid the difference it would make if we were semi-professional or professional players, because we would have the time, resource and ability to invest.
"The only consolation for us is that the sport will be in a better place for what we've done.
“I'm sure there were young girls in the crowd who have been inspired and who will go on and play and beat the Aussies and the Kiwis.
“This squad has the ability to do that in a few years' time as well."
Watch an emotional Cunningham discuss the match below
"We'll be hurting for a really long time" 💔#RLWC2021 pic.twitter.com/FPly8DbIou
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 15, 2022
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