French captain Elisa Akpa will return to lead the World Cup qualified team against England in an international double-header at Toulouse to celebrate the 90th anniversary of rugby league in France before completing a move to Wests Tigers.
Akpa, who has played the last three seasons in England for Women's Super League champions York, took over the captaincy of the French team after the World Cup in 2022 but did not play in France's European RLWC2026 qualifying matches against Greece and Serbia as she is now based in Sydney.
The 2023 IRL Golden Boot nominee will play for Wests Tigers in the upcoming NSWRL Women's Premiership, which now acts as feeder to the NRLW.
French team-mate Perrine Monsarrat plays in the Queensland competition for Tweed Seagulls after last season being a member of the Sydney Roosters' NRLW squad.
Perinne Monsarrat will be joined in Australia by French team-mate and captain Elisa Akpa (Getty Images)
The pair will play for France on June 29 at Ernest-Wallon Stadium against England after coach Romain Maillot made two changes from the team which beat Serbia 58-0 last weekend to claim one of two European berths at RLWC2026.
"Thanks to this victory against Serbia, we are qualified for the 2026 World Cup," Maillot said. "I would like to congratulate all the players and staff for achieving this goal. Now it's time for a match of another level with the reception of England this Saturday with two changes in the group."
Akpa will line up against three of her former York Valkyrie team-mates after Georgie Hetherington, Eboni Partington and Olivia Wood were named in England coach Stuart Barrow's 19-player squad.
St Helens have the biggest representation, with seven players chosen by Barrow, including 20-year-old hooker Katie Mottershead, who is in line to make her international, and Zoe Harris, who makes her return to the senior squad for the first time since the 2022 World Cup.
💪 @leahh_burke opened the scoring last season when #EnglandRL faced @FFRXIII!
— England Rugby League (@England_RL) June 25, 2024
📺 You can watch the game live on SuperLeague+ pic.twitter.com/dD3o6QfBAx
Leeds Rhinos’ Izzy Northrop is also in contention after confirming herself as one of Lois Forsell’s key players since moving to the Yorkshire club in 2023. The 24-year-old gained international representation at the end of 2022 when she earned a call-up to the England Students Women's squad and will link up with six of her teammates in France.
Wigan Warriors’ Anna Davies has been in blistering form this season having scored 14 tries in the opening rounds of the WSL and is chosen alongside teammate Isabel Rowe.
“It’s been a tough decision on who to include for next Saturday’s international, but I’m really pleased we’ve been able to name some new faces this time round including the likes of Katie Mottershead, Izzy Northrop, Isabel Rowe, Bella Sykes and Erin Stott," Barrow said.
“The trip will be a brilliant experience for them and I’m confident that with the help of our more senior internationals, they will be able to showcase the talent I know they all possess when we get on the pitch in Toulouse.
“Now we’re all looking forward to getting into camp on Thursday and preparing for what will be a tough game against France, who have just overcome Serbia in really tough conditions to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, but we’re up for the challenge.”
France: Elisa Akpa (West Tigers), Louane Baby (Saint-Estève XIII Catalan), Leïla Bessahli (Saint-Estève XIII Catalan), Stecy Bessiere (RC Lescure Arthès XIII), Lisa Diraison (RC Lescure Arthès XIII), Chahrazad Himoudi (Toulouse Ovalie), Haoua Kessely (Toulouse Ovalie), Tallis Kuresa (RC Bègles XIII), Hélène Leclerc (Toulouse Ovalie), Inès Legout (AS Ayguesvives XIII), Perrine Monsarrat (Tweed Seagulls), Pauline Noe (Saint-Estève XIII Catalan), Mahault Pommier (AS Ayguesvives XIII), Perle Romazeilles (RC Lescure Arthès XIII), Justine Roses (Saint-Estève XIII Catalan), Manon Samarra (RC Lescure Arthès XIII), Noémie Samuel (RC Lescure Arthès XIII), Salomé Segala (RC Lescure Arthès XIII), Cristina Song Puche (Saint-Estève XIII Catalan), Amael Vilanove (AS Ayguesvives XIII).
England: Caitlin Beevers, Keara Bennett (both Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors), Amy Hardcastle (Leeds Rhinos), Zoe Harris (St Helens), Georgie Hetherington (York Valkyrie), Shona Hoyle (Leeds Rhinos), Zoe Hornby (Leeds Rhinos), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Izzy Northrop (Leeds Rhinos), Eboni Partington (York Valkyrie) Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors) Emily Rudge (St Helens), Erin Stott (St Helens), Bella Sykes (Leeds Rhinos), Paige Travis (St Helens), Olivia Wood (York Valkyrie), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens).
England Women take on France at 3.30pm (local time) on Saturday 29 June, followed by the Men’s international at 6pm. Both matches will be streamed live from Stade Ernest-Wallon on Super League+, Rugby League’s global, direct-to-consumer streaming service.
SuperLeague+ is available online at superleague.co.uk/superleagueplus, via the SuperLeague+ app on iOS and Android devices and on connected TV platforms (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV).
France Under 19s will travel in the opposite direction just three days later to take on England Academy at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium on Tuesday 2 July (KO 7.30pm).
Toulouse Olympique's Betfred Championship match against Featherstone Rovers will also be played at Stade Ernest-Wallon on Saturday 29 June, with a 9pm kick-off.