Live updates: England vs Australia Kangaroos, first rugby league Ashes Test, Wembley stadium

5m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:29pmLive updates: England vs Kangaroos Simon Smale profile image

1m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:33pm

1′ Solid first set for the Aussies Simon Smale profile image

The Aussies kick the ball deep off a 50-metre first set, Nathan Cleary sending the ball long to Tom Johnstone, who is slammed into the ground 20 metres out.

2m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:32pmKick off: We’re underway under the Wembley arch! Simon Smale profile image

This first hit up is going to be so huge.

Can the English back up their bravado and give it to the Australians?

It is the Aussies who will have first use of the ball as Mikey Williams kicks off!

6m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:28pm

‘I don’t think we’ve ever been more ready than this’: George Williams Simon Smale profile image (Getty Images)

England captain George Williams is feeling pretty confident.

In fact, in his column for the BBC Sport website, Warrington halfback Williams says that this Ashes series represents England’s “best chance” to regain the Ashes for the first time since 1970.

“Training has been intense,” he writes.

“The sessions have been so good, really slick.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard [England coach Shaun Wane] Waney say, ‘Will you just chill out?’ because everybody’s running that quick and they’re that keen to put their best foot forward.

“Everything goes out of the window from the season gone.

“Training is ramped up because everyone wants to be in the Test side and everyone is making each other better.”

He said that he believes the Australian team respects England for their results of late — they’ve not been beaten since 2022 — and that there are enough unknows in the England team that the Aussies could be caught out.

He believes that former Canberra teammate Hudson Young will perhaps have a target on him after they played together in the Raiders team of 2020.

But regardless of who is in Australia’s team, England feel they are ready.

“As a group, I don’t think we’ve ever been more ready than this,” he says.

“It’s the best England set-up I’ve been a part of, and I’ve been a part of it for 10 years now so I’m getting old.

“I don’t say that lightly. It’s our best chance.”

8m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:26pm

The players are out on the Wembley turf Simon Smale profile image

Huge flags dominate each half of the playing surface as the players line up for the anthems in front of what looks to be a very healthy crowd.

The Aussies were out first and were made to wait a little bit too.

Time for the anthems.

10m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:24pm

Wise words, Mary Simon Smale profile image

Good evening , so happy the tour has been recommenced after 22 years would like to thank the appropriate organisers .secondly , I would like all Australian players to sing our national anthem , thirdly play for 80minutes keep the pro pommy crowd silent , give 100% effort and respect the jersey you are wearing on and off the field . Thank you Mary Studdert

– Mary Studdert

10m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:24pm

Record Wembley Ashes crowd? Simon Smale profile image The crowds are flocking down Wembley Way (Getty Images)

The BBC are reporting that 57,000 tickets had been sold by Wednesday for this match.

The record for an Ashes Test crowd in England is currently 57,034.

So we should get a record today.

11m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:23pm

‘Great time to play Australia’: Jamie Peacock Simon Smale profile image (Getty Images)

Former England and Great Britain forward Jamie Peacock did not have a whole lot of luck playing against Australia during his career.

But he thinks, unlike the legends that he used to line up against during his career, this Australian team is ripe for the picking.

“It’s a great time to play Australia,” he told the BBC this week.

“We came through and played against a team who might have had five Immortals in there.

“They had Cameron Smith, Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, Paul Gallen, some iconic players of the last 20 years.

“This current team have got Nathan Cleary, who’s going to be a standout head and shoulders.

“They’re reduced by all the Pacific Island switches.”

Intriguing.

11m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:23pm

‘I found that a weird one’: Is Origin bigger than International rugby league? Simon Smale profile image (Getty Images)

Last week, George Williams added a little bit of lighter fluid to the simmering rivalry between England and Australia, suggesting in a Guardian interview that some NRL players don’t want to play for Australia.

“The Aussies see State of Origin as bigger than playing for Australia, which I find very strange,” he said.

“Some NRL lads were not that bothered about playing for Australia. I found that a weird one. I couldn’t get my head around it.”

Isaah Yeo even semi-agreed to Williams in the press conference.

“It’s obviously a big income stream for the Australian rugby league, the NRL,” he said.

“I can only speak for myself: any time you represent your country that should be the pinnacle but that’s probably more associated with how much money Origin makes.

“It’s a really big series in the middle of the season that creates hundreds of millions of dollars, I’d assume.”

But Nathan Cleary and Harry Grant both said the Origin experience will stand them in good stead when it comes to this three-match series.

16m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:19pmIs the refereeing going to be an issue? Simon Smale profile image

One thing that might cause a few issues in this game is how it is going to be refereed.

We are, of course, in England, and the referee, Liam Moore, will be from the Super League, where the rules are interpreted a little differently to how they are in the NRL.

Moore, centre, refereed the Super League grand final (Getty Images)

For example, the speed of the play the ball is something that the NRL has honed over the last few years, making it faster and faster, with the six-again call instrumental in that.

There is no six-again call in England – and the play the ball is slower. A lot slower at times.

“My father taught me from a very young age not to ever use the referee as an excuse for your performance, and that’ll be the case with our boys on Saturday,” Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters said.

“He’s there to do a job, he’ll be doing the best job that he can. That’s not our focus.

“We need to do the best job that we can.

“For the referee, I’m sure it’ll be a great day for him as well. I strongly believe that he won’t decide the game.”

The Aussies have used Australia-born Super League referee James Vella to help them through a couple of the minor issues, such as how one-on-one strips are officiated.

As you might expect, England coach Shaun Wane said there was no question that the game was going to be refereed in a way the England players expected.

(Getty Images)

“It’s our competition, it’s over here. I wouldn’t go to Australia and play an Ashes and expect our rules. It’s their rules. That’s the way it should be,” he said this week.

“At this late stage… I’d want to be told weeks and weeks ago so I can fix things in training, make sure that we’re on it. There’s nothing that’s been mentioned to me.

“We’ve got an English referee — it’s going to be refereed similar to the [Super League] grand final.

“We’ve had Super League refs down to train with us at Robin Park.”

19m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:15pm

Cross-code Kangaroo destined to return to Wallabies Simon Smale profile image

There has been a lot of talk about whether Mark Nawaqanitawase will continue in the NRL beyond this year, with rumours suggesting he will return to rugby union ahead of the home Rugby World Cup.

The merits of Sonny Bill Williams-ing his way through his career is perhaps for another day, but should he make an expected return to the 15-a-side game, incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss has said he would be selected for his side — if he can prove his form.

“I think there’s a little bit of water to go under the bridge before we get to those discussions. One thing’s certain, he’s earned his way to that Kangaroo jersey,” Kiss said.

“We know he loves the game of rugby, so all options are open.”

Read the full story here.

21m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:13pm

Rugby League is getting traction in the UK this week Simon Smale profile image

For those of you who have not been to the UK recently, it may (or may not) surprise you that rugby league is very much a minority sport in England.

Which is why the attention that this first Ashes series in 22 years is getting is so heartening for fans of the sport in the UK.

Even Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, the speaker of the House of Commons, has been talking rugby league this week – although given he’s the member for the Lancashire cotton town of Chorley, deep in rugby league territory, it’s not a huge surprise he’s a fan.

22m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:13pm

An Ashes series drought 22 years long Simon Smale profile image

While the Kangaroos have an undeniably strong line up up it’s worth remembering they haven’t beaten England in a Ashes game since 2003…

– Mike

Cast those parched throats skywards, league fans.

It’s about to start raining Ashes.

Hmmm, on second thoughts, get an umbrella up.

24m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:10pm

Jason Robinson loves scoring tries against the Kangaroos Simon Smale profile image

Kangaroos. Wallabies. Doesn’t matter for Jason Robinson.

The former England cross-code star loved scoring tries against marsupials big and small, including this one at Wembley.

As for “superb” England tries?

I dunno if this is one of them.

I’m sure the English supporters would take it, though.

27m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:07pm

Mikołaj Olędzki, the Polish prop who’d never heard of rugby league Simon Smale profile image (Getty Images)

Gdańsk is not what you’d describe as a rugby league hotbed.

But when Mikołaj Olędzki moved from the Baltic sea port to Leeds via Corby as a young teenager, he discovered the game that changed his life.

“Sometimes I still look around and I can’t believe I’m in this position,” Olędzki told The Guardian this week.

“That nine-year-old boy wouldn’t believe it if you said I’d be playing professional sport, never mind at the top of it.

“I didn’t know what rugby league was.”

Now he does.

A mainstay in the Leeds pack, Olędzki will line up at one of sport’s greatest cathedrals today in the red and white of England to take on a powerful Australian pack with bloodshed on its mind.

“When Shaun rang to tell me to say I’d been selected, I was lost for words. I didn’t know what to say to my partner. I looked at my kids and had tears in my eyes.”

30m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:04pm

The Fulton-Reilly Award Simon Smale profile image

The teams are playing for the Ashes, but player of the series will be given an extra trinket to remember the series by, the newly commissioned Fulton-Reilly Award.

Bob Fulton, one of the original Immortals, played 35 Tests for the Kangaroos, including four Ashes series.

Warrington-born, Sydney-raised Fulton won three premierships with Manly-Warringah, making 219 appearances for the Brookvale club.

He spent a season in Warrington with the Wolves, scoring 16 tries in 16 games, and ended his playing career with Eastern Suburbs (the Roosters).

He also played for New South Wales, and had a stellar coaching career, coaching the Aussies in another three series against Great Britain.

Mal Reilly, a back row forward who played for Castleford in the UK, was the player who inspired Great Britain’s last Ashes series victory in 1970.

He played nine Tests for the Lions and won three caps for England.

1970 was the last time the Ashes were held by England/Great Britain.

Reilly also coached the Brits to Test wins over the Kangaroos in 1988, 1990 and 1992.

He also played with Fulton for Manly-Warringah, winning back-to-back NSWRL grand finals in 1972 and 1973 — the Sea Eagles’ first and second ever premierships.

That included the filthy ’73 premiership decider against Cronulla, where he was brutally targeted and knocked out of the game, allowing Fulton to take charge and lead the Sea Eagles to victory.

“This is an honour,” said Reilly.

“Especially to be recognised alongside Bobby Foulton, who was such a wonderful rugby league player and coach, and also a great friend over many years.”

35m agoSat 25 Oct 2025 at 1:00pm

We’re half-way there Simon Smale profile image (Supplied)

Half an hour to go before kick off, so why not introduce the new fan the Kangaroos earned during yesterday’s training run at Wembley stadium, Jon Bon Jovi.

The American musician, on promotional duty as he returns to touring again with the band that carries his name following “daunting” vocal cord surgery, was apparently very impressed with the Kangaroos as he toured the venue.

He even told the Australian team, who he described as “tough sons of bitches” to “get ’em tomorrow!”

He posed for photos with the team, caught a long pass even got a hug from an unnamed Aussie admirer.

Live updates: England vs Australia Kangaroos, first rugby league Ashes Test, Wembley stadium

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