George Williams hopes to follow footsteps at Rugby League Ashes
Michael Vaughan led his side to a 2-1 series win 20 years ago to end that particular drought, sparking an outpouring of national pride as well as inspiring a new generation of cricket fans.
And Williams, who has been England Men's Rugby League captain since 2023, wants the same outcomes for his sport both on and off the pitch.
'[The 2005 cricket Ashes] is a good storyline and it would be great if we could replicate that,' the 30-year-old Warrington Wolves scrum-half said.
⌛️ The countdown is on!
👀 Just 100 days until we welcome @Kangaroos to @WembleyStadium...
Join us 👉 https://t.co/f3mCZVgVdl pic.twitter.com/BnIkrOqu0I — England Rugby League (@England_RL) July 17, 2025
'Having not beaten them for a long, long time, as players we are desperate for that to happen and I think it's what the game needs.
'The NRL do it so well in terms of their coverage across Australia, and I think that's what we need in England if we want rugby league to grow.
'We're trying to tap into London and different areas and if we beat the Aussies then it becomes a massive thing.
'And then hopefully off the back of that, we get some new faces and a new generation watching rugby league.'
Beginning in Clapham - home of one of London's largest populations of expat Aussies - and finishing at the iconic Wembley Stadium, the tour saw the Ashes Trophy travel through the capital's streets aboard a classic London bus, giving fans and passers-by a glimpse of the 97-year-old trophy as it approached the Wembley arch.
The three-Test contest will see England face Australia on home soil for the first time since the 2017 Rugby League World Cup Final and will also be the first Ashes Series since 2003, when the Kangaroos last toured the UK under the Great Britain banner.
The return of such an iconic series is a prospect Williams is relishing.
🤩 Just 100 days to go!
👀 We're getting even closer to the opening test of the @ABKBeer Rugby League Ashes at @WembleyStadium...
🏴 Get your tickets and support #EnglandRL now: https://t.co/f3mCZVgVdl pic.twitter.com/QXqxcKdDPi — England Rugby League (@England_RL) July 17, 2025
'Ever since it has been locked in and confirmed, as a player, you've been striving to be a part of it,' he continued.
'As an England player, it's exciting. It's not happened for a long time, the last time it did I was a kid, so I'm really honoured to be a part of it, especially as captain. I can't wait for it to come around.'
Williams was speaking during a launch event in London to mark 100 days to go until the 2025 Ashes Series begins.
The series kicks off at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 25th October, before heading to Liverpool a week later on Saturday 1st November where a sold-out Bramley-Moore Dock will take centre stage.
Leeds Rhinos' Headingley Stadium is the venue for the third and final Test, also a sellout, on Saturday 8th November.
Over 60,000 tickets were sold on the first day of the priority sales window, which was a record-breaking figure for any Rugby League series launch, and ticket sales for Wembley are continuing at pace.
'We'll be out to right some wrongs, and we've got a great opportunity in our own country at some great grounds to try and turn them over,' Williams said.
'And it all starts at Wembley, so it's really exciting.'
Marking the milestone with a '100 days to go' London Trophy Tour were Rugby League legend Martin Offiah MBE, current England captain George Williams, star player Jack Welsby, and Aussie comedian and Rugby Football League President, Adam Hills MBE.
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