Brian McDermott named England head coach for Rugby League World Cup

Brian McDermott has been handed England’s men’s job for the Rugby League World Cup, a move aimed at stabilising the side before a tournament that will quickly test whether the program needs a reset or only a sharper edge.

The appointment follows Shaun Wane’s decision to step aside on 14 January 2026 after six years in charge, a departure that came in the aftermath of Australia’s 3-0 Ashes whitewash. England’s next coach is expected to work in a part-time role through the World Cup, with a longer-term decision to follow once the tournament is over.

McDermott was chosen from a five-man field after interviews that also reportedly included Brad Arthur, Sam Burgess, Steve McNamara and Paul Rowley. The selection puts one of rugby league’s most decorated club coaches at the centre of England’s short-term push to compete with the game’s strongest nations.

Currently an assistant coach at the Gold Coast Titans, McDermott built his reputation at Leeds Rhinos, where he won four Super League Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, a League Leaders’ Shield and the World Club Challenge across eight seasons. He also coached the Leeds side that completed the treble in 2015, a season that underlined his ability to manage elite talent under sustained pressure.

His record stretches beyond Leeds. McDermott coached Harlequins from 2006 to 2011, helped Toronto Wolfpack win promotion to Super League in 2019 after leaving Headingley in 2018, and then coached Featherstone Rovers before moving to Australia. In the NRL, he worked as an assistant at Newcastle Knights before joining the Titans for the 2026 season.

McDermott also brings international experience. He coached the United States at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and was involved with Fiji at RLWC2021, giving him a perspective on tournament rugby and the demands of preparing squads across different systems.

For England, the timing is unforgiving. The campaign begins against Tonga in Perth on 17 October 2026, and McDermott will be judged quickly on whether he can restore authority after the Ashes collapse. His appointment feels less like a wholesale rebuild than a targeted correction, but the pressure attached to it is unmistakable.