Great Britain Mens Open Tour Australia ahead of 2026 Tag World Cup
The Great Britain Men’s Opens squad has completed a valuable preparation tour to Australia, taking another key step toward the 2026 Tag World Cup. The tour featured a three-match Test Series against Australia Men’s Opens on Saturday, followed by additional fixtures on Sunday against Northern Beaches Men’s Opens and the Great Britain Exiles.
The objective was clear: sharpen combinations, experience elite competition, and adapt to the intensity and tempo of Australian representative Oztag.
Three-Match Test Series vs Australia
The Test Series delivered high-quality, high-tempo contests befitting two nations building toward a World Cup campaign.
Scores:
Game 1: Australia 4 – 1 Great Britain
Game 2: Australia 8 – 4 Great Britain
Game 3: Australia 10 – 5 Great Britain
Despite Australia claiming all three matches, Great Britain proved competitive across the series, including holding a 4–2 lead in Game Two before the Australians closed out strongly.
Standout Performers
The tour spotlighted emerging international talent on both sides.
Series MVPs:
Isaac Sawyerr (#9) – Great Britain
CJ Booth (#0) – Australia
Both players are still early in their international journeys and look set to be key figures for their respective teams for years to come.
Corey and Isaac accepting their MVP awards.
Great Britain will also have key leaders to watch at the upcoming championships, including:
#1 Nick Wilkes — Captain
#6 James Baron — Head Coach/Player
Both bring experience, leadership, and composure and will be central figures as Great Britain takes on Australia’s best representative sides this weekend. You can catch Nicks showcasing his talents with this solo try here.
Reflections from the GB Camp
Player representative Daniel Ampaw (Player and member of Great Britain’s Performance Advisory Group) shared his thoughts following the series, noting the value in competing at world-class tempo:
“Australia were generally more consistent than us, most notably having a much lower number of errors leading to turnovers. Their momentum play and ability to exit the pitch with fluidity was impressive, and they did a great job stopping our exits, meaning they won the territory battle.”
“Although losing the series 0–3 was disappointing, the games were very tight, particularly going 4–2 up in Game Two, and it’s helped us identify clear areas to improve.”
Next Stop: Senior Australian Championships
Great Britain will now turn their focus to competing at the Senior Australian Championships in Coffs Harbour this weekend, another rare opportunity to test themselves against Australia’s strongest representative teams.
Ampaw continued:
“It’s a great opportunity to compete against the best Men’s Open sides in Australia and put into practice what we’ve learnt. We’re excited by the variety of opposition we’ll face. Coffs is a brilliant venue for tag, the scale of the competition is different from back home, and for many of the squad it’s their first time experiencing it. We’re keen to soak it in and use it as learning before the 2026 World Cup in Coffs.”
Looking Toward the World Cup
This tour showcased the rising international standard of elite Tag. With strong foundations and valuable experience gained, Great Britain leaves Australia more prepared, more connected, and more motivated ahead of the 2026 Tag World Cup.