Rugby League

Staff Sergeant Carrie Roberts confident England can 'get the job done' at World Cup

Army and England rugby league star Staff Sergeant Carrie Roberts has said that she is fully confident England will "get the job done" at the Rugby League World Cup.

SSgt Roberts, who suffered a torn ankle ligament injury in this season's Challenge Cup final while playing for St Helens, is part of a strong England squad set to play at the Rugby League World Cup.

Fighting back to fitness just in time for the tournament, she spoke about the physical and mental challenges she overcame in order to be ready for the World Cup.

She said: "I wasn't sure if I was going to get through to the end of the year or not, but I have pulled through.

"I can't deny it was mentally challenging, but I've come out the other end and now I feel physically strong enough and mentally strong enough to crack on and get the job done."

England will face strong opposition, but SSgt Roberts said she has never seen England "this confident".

She said: "Obviously, you've got Australia who have won consecutive World Cups back to back, but I have never seen an England team this confident and this full of talent.

"So, we are ready for any team that we come and face and I am fully confident that the girls will get the job done."

The Rugby League World Cup is running concurrently with the men's, women's, and the wheelchair tournaments for the first time with all participants being paid the same, which Ssgt Roberts says is "absolutely amazing".

She said: "It is so important, especially for the wheelchair men and women.

"It is really important for the growth of this game, for the young kids to see what they can achieve.

"I've never had that, and I know it's cliché and a lot of people do say, but I never had a female role model to look up to in rugby league.

"So when you have got these girls out there playing in a World Cup on home soil, I think the support and that sort of growth in the game will just skyrocket after that."

England will face Brazil in their first fixture of the tournament on 1 November.