Behind the game. The science supporting England in the Rugby League World Cup.

James Bledsoe, Cameron Owen, Sean Scantlebury and Emily Todd bring specialist knowledge in performance analysis, sports science and strength and conditioning to the tournament, helping players and coaches prepare for the demands of elite international rugby league.

James Bledsoe is Senior Lecturer in Performance Analysis at Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Sport and Head of Performance Analysis for England Men. His work involves using video and data to help coaches and players understand performances, prepare for opponents and make informed decisions.

“During the tournament we do everything from filming training to analysing training to analysing our opponents and analysing our own performances,” James said.

This work begins long before the first whistle. In the build-up to the World Cup, James and the wider performance analysis team have supported the development of game models and squad selection, helping coaches assess how the team can perform against different opponents.

His role also reflects the connection between Leeds Beckett’s academic expertise and professional rugby league. Students have opportunities to gain experience through the university’s links with the sport, with some progressing into professional roles.

While performance analysis helps teams understand the game, sports science supports the physical preparation needed to compete at the highest level.

Cameron Owen, Senior Research Fellow in Sports Performance and Injury at Carnegie School of Sport, will work as a sports scientist with England Men. His role sits alongside a wider connection between Leeds Beckett and the England Rugby League pathway, which provides opportunities for students to develop their practical skills.

Cameron said: “England Rugby League provides opportunities for CSS students to be involved in their player and coach education days in which we profile the whole of the men's and women's pathway.”

He added: “This creates an opportunity for the students to get hands-on skills working with these elite players who are looking to progress to the professional game.”

For England Women, Sean Scantlebury and Emily Todd bring complementary expertise in strength and conditioning, player monitoring and performance science.

Sean is a Senior Research Fellow at Carnegie School of Sport and England Women’s Strength and Conditioning Coach. His work includes monitoring players’ readiness and recovery to ensure they are prepared for training.

“Whilst I’m in camp in Australia, my role will be to make sure that the players are prepared for each training session, monitoring the players on a daily basis to make sure that they're recovered and ready to train.”

Emily, a Leeds Beckett PhD student and Lead Sports Scientist for England Women, focuses on player workload management, using GPS data to monitor training demands and help ensure players are doing the right amount of work at the right time.

“Whilst at the world cup, I'll be overseeing the player load management, primarily looking at all the GPS data, ensuring that we're hitting where we need to be hitting, making sure that they're not doing too much or too less and when they need to be doing it.”

Her research also explores head impacts in the women’s game and how these can be reduced while optimising performance, connecting her academic work with the wider challenges facing elite rugby league.

Leeds Beckett’s facilities provided a base for England Women to bring different aspects of their preparation together, from gym and pitch sessions to recovery.

Earlier this year, the team held training sessions at the university, with players including current third-year Sport and Exercise Science student Evie Cousins and alumna Keara Bennett taking part.

England Women head coach Stuart Barrow highlighted the value of access to the facilities and specialist support.

“We try to professionalise the sport as much as we possibly can at this level and to have access to amazing facilities like the gym, the astroturfs and the grass fields and then to come in and do our recovery sessions in the cryo baths and masseuses on hand as well has just been exceptional to give the girls every opportunity to develop and advance in their careers,” Stuart said.

For Evie, who plays for Leeds Rhinos and is part of England Women’s extended training squad, being able to combine her studies and rugby at Leeds Beckett has also been valuable. The university’s performance gym is available to her through a scholarship, while her lecturers have helped accommodate training commitments alongside her degree.

Reflecting on the intensity of the England training environment, Evie, who studies Sport and Exercise Science said: “Everyone's so focused on the World Cup, it's taken training up another 10 notches, everyone's so competitive and it's just making me strive to be better.”

Keara, who also plays for Leeds Rhinos and works as Women and Girls Development Officer at Leeds Rhinos Foundation, has experienced the university as both a student and an international player.

“The facilities here are just outstanding and I always look forward to coming back,” she said.

The involvement of Leeds Beckett academics in international rugby league brings professional experience into the university’s teaching and research, while creating opportunities for students to learn from the demands of elite sport.

For Sean, working with England Women directly informs his work with students, giving them insight into the preparation required for international competition.

He said: “I'm able to take away my experiences whilst being on camp and help relay that to the students in terms of what it’s like to prepare an elite level team for international competition, the knowledge of working with a team on a daily basis in a high-level competition and share that experience to students so that if they go on to work with in professional sport, they'll have that to look back upon.”

As the Rugby League World Cup 2026 progresses, the work of performance analysts and sports scientists will continue behind the scenes, helping the teams prepare, adapt and give themselves the best possible opportunity to perform on the international stage.