More Than The Score - England and Australia renew their Rugby League Ashes rivalry

Download England and Australia renew their Rugby League Ashes rivalry

The Rugby League Ashes returns for the first time since 2003 as England's men take on world champions Australia in a best-of-three Test series. It begins at London's iconic Wembley Stadium before matches in Liverpool and Leeds.

BBC Sport's rugby league reporter, Matt Newsum, explains the long history of the series to John Bennett and why it borrows its Ashes title from cricket. Matt also tells us why England men's test cricket captain, Ben Stokes, is throwing his support behind the team.

We hear from England Rugby League Head Coach, Shaun Wane, on why he's re-watching old matches between the sides and how important it is that his side avenge their 3-0 series defeat of 22 years ago. Simon Smale from the ABC says the Aussies are mischievously predicting a repeat scoreline but may not be averse to this series going all the way to a decider for the good of the game.

Published on Thursday, 23rd October 2025.

Available Podcasts from More Than The Score

Subscribe to More Than The Score

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the More Than The Score webpage.