Rugby League World Cup: England triumph would 'inspire' kids - Sam Tomkins

An England World Cup triumph on home soil would be "massive" and the success could "inspire generations of rugby players", says captain Sam Tomkins.

The hosts face Samoa in their opening fixture at Newcastle on Saturday.

England, in their previous guise of Great Britain, have won the competition three times but not since 1972.

"We're going in to win it. I don't care what any other team brings, they've got amazing squads, but so what? I don't care, bring it on," said Tomkins.

The Catalans Dragons full-back told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It would be massive, we want to win a World Cup and inspire generations of rugby players.

"There are kids who don't know what they want to do when they're bigger and if we can be successful in this World Cup, there will be a lot of kids going into school saying 'I want to be a rugby player'. That's what we want to do."

England will also face France on 22 October and debutants Greece on 29 October in Group A.

A total of 61 matches will be played across the men's, women's and wheelchair competitions, with all fixtures available to watch live across the BBC.

As you cross the River Tyne into Newcastle, a huge sign advertising the game has been set up on a billboard, while the city itself is abuzz with excitement on the eve of the tournament.

A fan village which will feature activities and live music is being prepared on Quayside, while England forwards Victor Radley and Tom Burgess were spotted riding electric scooters across Swing Bridge.

Former England scrum-half Rob Burrow will be the guest of honour for the opening ceremony, while Brit Award winners the Kaiser Chiefs will perform on the pitch at St James' Park before kick-off on Saturday.

A crowd of around 45,000 is anticipated but expectation could be dampened, as England start as underdogs against a powerful Samoa squad which has been tipped as the strongest they have ever assembled.

It features seven players from Australia's NRL Grand Final - five from champions Penrith Panthers, as well as captain Junior Paulo and fellow prop forward Oregon Kaufusi from runners-up Parramatta Eels.

England have beaten Samoa in all three previous meetings and asked if his side start as favourites, Tomkins said: "Certainly not.

"Samoa have got some stars in their team and it's the strongest team they have ever had, that's obvious from the squad they've picked.

"It's turned into a tougher challenge for us but one were looking forward to."

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the World Cup to be postponed by a year and since being appointed in February 2020, England boss Shaun Wane has taken charge of only three fixtures.

The former Wigan head coach said: "Expectation is good. Travelling around the country showing people how good our game is, it's a great opportunity.

"I think we've got the best game in the world and the more people that see it, the better. We're on BBC terrestrial TV for every game. I just want them to see the best of us, that's the important thing for me."

Samoa boss Matt Parish added: "It's a big occasion and we need to rise to it. I've got no doubt that they will.

"I'm confident we'll get better as the competition goes on. You look at the other teams competing and it's by far the strongest World Cup ever.

"It's exciting to be part of, we've got some confidence but we've got plenty of work to do too."

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Defending champions and record 11-time winners Australia begin their campaign against Fiji at Headingley on Saturday (19:30 BST).

Mal Meninga's men have not played an international fixture since 2019 and it was the withdrawal of the Kangaroos and New Zealand citing "player welfare and safety concerns" related to Covid-19 which caused the tournament to be put back by a year.

"I can't speak on behalf of other people but I know our leaders of our game are really excited about the World Cup," Meninga told 5 Live.

"There is a passion for the game and we feel that the new frontier for our game globally is the international space. We've nearly exhausted everything at home so we've got to find a new frontier."

Skipper James Tedesco, who played for his heritage country of Italy at the last two World Cups, told BBC Sport: "It has been a big build so we are excited to finally get this World Cup campaign under way.

"It does not get any higher than leading your country at a World Cup. Now the big challenge for me is to lead us to success. It is a tough tournament, the strongest it has ever been."

Sunday's fixtures:

Scotland v Italy (14:30 at Kingston Park, Newcastle) - BBC Two

Jamaica v Ireland (17:00 at Headingley, Leeds) - BBC Two

New Zealand v Lebanon (19:30 at Halliwell Jones, Warrington) - Red Button, iPlayer and BBC Sport website