England rugby league coach Brian McDermott, who earned just one cap for his country in 2001, has inadvertently highlighted the exclusive one-cap club by naming a 38-man World Cup preparation squad that excludes several players with a single England appearance. Among those left out are Elliot Minchella and Owen Trout, both of whom have only one cap.
New Faces and Omissions
McDermott's squad includes 10 uncapped players, five of whom are middle forwards: Dean Hadley (Hull KR), Sam Walters (Wigan), Caleb Hamlin-Uele (Wakefield), Ben Talty (Brisbane), and Max King (Canterbury). These players were chosen ahead of Minchella and Trout, who have each represented England once. Trout, 26, started for Leigh in their 24-6 win over Warrington on Saturday and hopes to earn a World Cup spot before joining the Dolphins in the NRL later this year. If he does not add to his cap from last year's Ashes series, he will join a select group of England players whose sole cap came against Australia. The last to do so was Shaun Lunt, who debuted in Melbourne in 2010 but never played for England again.
Minchella's Realistic Outlook
Minchella's only England appearance came in a friendly in Toulouse in June 2024, a match then-coach Shaun Wane missed due to illness. Wane preferred Victor Radley and Morgan Knowles, both included in the new squad. Before the pool was announced, Minchella acknowledged his place in the pecking order: “I understand where I am in the pecking order. It’s the position that’s pretty stacked and I’m probably not near the top. I’d love to play for England in a World Cup, but I’m also not stupid enough to think I’ll be in there.”
McDermott's Own One-Cap Status
McDermott can empathise with those he left out, having earned his single England cap in a 2001 friendly against Wales. However, he also played four times for Great Britain, giving his one-cap membership an asterisk. The one-cap club includes many quirky stories, such as Kruise Leeming, born in Eswatini, who has played more times against England than for them after two Combined Nations All Stars appearances. Shaun Wane awarded single caps to several Super League stalwarts and emerging talents during friendlies when NRL players were unavailable.
Fading Dreams and Bizarre Careers
While younger players like Oliver Wilson, Tom Holroyd, and Sam Wood may get second chances, the dream is fading for veterans in their 30s such as Niall Evalds, Liam Sutcliffe, Joe Greenwood, Joe Philbin, Joe Batchelor, and Jordan Abdull. Philbin, moving to London Broncos after 12 years at Warrington, has a bizarre international record: five appearances for Ireland, two for Great Britain, two for England Knights, and one for England.
Historical Context
England games were rare in the latter half of the 20th century when Great Britain was prioritised. Legends like Ellery Hanley, Garry Schofield, and Shaun Edwards made only a handful of England appearances despite featuring in 118 Great Britain Tests combined. Players on the fringe often got chances when established stars were on Great Britain duty. Chris Charles, for example, earned his cap against France in 2005 while Great Britain locks Gareth Ellis, Kevin Sinfield, and Jon Wilkin were preparing for the Tri Nations. “It was a bit bizarre really,” Charles said. “We’d finished the season at Salford and were having time away when I got a phone call saying I was in. I was in my late 20s by then so it was totally out of the blue. Representing my country was something I’d dreamed of since I was a young kid and worked towards all my career.”
Charles did not mind that his chance came in a friendly drawing fewer than 3,000 spectators to Headingley. “It didn’t matter who we were playing or the circumstances,” he said. “I was in the moment, lining up to sing the national anthem for the first time, the hairs on my neck standing up. I was playing at the next level.” He was replaced by Wilkin for England’s next game and never played again. Now a firefighter, Charles has his cap framed on a wall at home. “I hadn’t realised you got an actual cap,” he said. “I left the cap and shirt in a drawer for a very long time, but eventually got them framed. Now it’s the only shirt I’ve got up, at the top of the landing. I look at it sometimes when I walk past, but I don’t talk about it. No one mentions it, but they can’t take it away from me.”
Substitute Appearances
Mark Gleeson, who came off the bench in that 2005 match against France, is one of 35 players whose sole England appearance came as a substitute. Gleeson, now a bathroom fitter in Wigan, spent years living in a spiritual retreat. At least these one-cap wonders made it onto the pitch. Keir Bell was called up by Scotland for a World Cup qualifier against Wales in 2006 but was left standing on the touchline when the final hooter sounded, never earning a cap. He still has a story to tell his colleagues at Middlesex University admissions office.
The Physical Cap
Every England player is technically a one-cap wonder because the Rugby Football League issues only one physical cap, presented the evening before a player’s debut. Sam Tomkins, who played 36 times for England, and Sam Powell, who played just a few minutes, each have one cap.
Magic Weekend Update
Super League will return to Everton for Magic Weekend next year after smashing the attendance record with 82,925 spectators over two days. The event will be held earlier in the season, on the May Day bank holiday weekend, as the league compromises on scheduling to secure the popular venue. The Hill Dickinson stadium joins a list of venues being considered for major events, including the Principality in Cardiff after a 12-year absence.
