Joe Burgess will line up for England against Australia in the final Ashes Test at Headingley a decade on from earning his last cap: but what happened to his last set of international team-mates?
Now on the back of a treble-winning campaign with Hull KR, Burgess has three England appearances on his CV: and all three of those came back in 2015.
The most recent? A 9-2 defeat to New Zealand at the Olympic Stadium on November 7 that year.
That left the score of a three-Test series against the Kiwis locked at 1-1, and though England went on to secure victory with a win at Wigan the week after, Burgess was dropped for that third Test with Jermaine McGillvary preferred.
So, here’s a look at the England squad from that game against the Kiwis at the Olympic Stadium and where they’ve all ended up…
Zak Hardaker
Zak Hardaker in action for England during the 2015 series against New Zealand
Hardaker was still a Leeds player during this series, and now has over 400 career appearances on his CV including ten on the international stage between England and Great Britain. This season saw him named Hull FC’s Player of the Year having joined the Black and Whites on a three-year deal from fellow Super League outfit Leigh ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Joe Burgess
After this series, Burgess headed Down Under as he linked up with Sydney Roosters. His time in Australia was only short and included a loan stint at South Sydney Rabbitohs. Returning to the UK in 2017, he’s now made close to 250 career appearances, and having scored 24 tries in 25 games for KR this term, he won a Super League Grand Final for the first time at the fifth attempt.
Kallum Watkins
Watkins is still playing now having spent the majority of the 2025 campaign back at Leeds following a move from financially-stricken Salford. He featured in the second Test for England this autumn having earned a call-up from Shaun Wane, and will likely be involved alongside Burgess at Headingley.
John Bateman
Bateman also forms part of Wane’s squad this autumn having spent 2025 with NRL outfit North Queensland Cowboys, surpassing the milestone of 300 club career appearances earlier this year. Having also represented Great Britain, he featured in the first Test at Wembley this year, but has been left out of the squad for games two and three.
Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall in action for England during the 2015 series against New Zealand
Veteran winger Hall is now Super League‘s top try-scorer of all-time having re-joined boyhood club Leeds ahead of the 2025 campaign. He had a short stint over in the NRL with Sydney Roosters soon after this World Cup, but swiftly returned to the UK and enjoyed a few years at Craven Park donning a Hull KR shirt before his Headingley return.
Gareth Widdop
An NRL Grand Final winner with Melbourne Storm back in 2012, Widdop amassed close to 300 career appearances before hanging up his boots at the end of the 2024 campaign following a stint with hometown club Halifax. Soon after, he returned to the field with a switch into union, playing for local outfit Huddersfield RUFC under the tutelage of Danny Brough.
Widdop scored England’s only two points in the capital in this clash against the Kiwis, kicking a first half penalty which actually had the hosts 2-0 to the good. It was 2-2 at the break, but the tourists won it with seven unanswered second half points.
George Williams
Now England’s skipper, Williams had only just broken onto the international scene here. He’s another who’s spent time Down Under since this series, and although he’s Warrington’s captain currently, it looks like he’s set for a return to the NRL with the Dolphins come 2027. 350 career appearances is the next milestone on the horizon for the Wigan native.
James Graham
Legendary prop Graham was midway through his stint at Canterbury Bulldogs when this 2015 series against the Kiwis took place, and went on to join St George Illawarra Dragons before returning home for the dream ending to his career at Saints. He’s now one of the main voices in the game Down Under, and we’ve seen him this autumn as part of the BBC’s team covering The Ashes.
Josh Hodgson
Josh Hodgson in action for England during the 2015 series against New Zealand
Hull-born Hodgson’s first season in the NRL with Canberra Raiders came in 2015, and he never returned to Super League before hanging his boots up in 2023. He’s formed part of Fox Sports’ coverage of this autumn’s Ashes Series over in Australia, and holds a youth coaching role at Parramatta Eels – the club he ended his career with.
Chris Hill
Hill has just announced his decision to retire at the end of a 2025 campaign which saw him play for both Salford in Super League and Bradford in the Championship. Celebrating his 38th birthday earlier this month, the front-rower is regularly heard on radio commentary, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him in terms of his next permanent role.
Elliott Whitehead
36-year-old Whitehead has just hung his boots up after a sole season back in Super League with Catalans. The veteran forward brought an end to his England career at the end of last year and is set to return to NRL outfit Canberra Raiders in a coaching role ahead of 2026.
Liam Farrell
Wigan stalwart Farrell has 16 appearances for England to his name, and will hit the milestone of 450 career games in 2026, all being well. Now 35, he’s never permanently donned a shirt for anyone other than the Warriors at club level, and remains their captain today having won everything there is to win and more in their colours.
Sean O’Loughlin
Sean O’Loughlin in action for England during the 2015 series against New Zealand
O’Loughlin was a one-club man for the entirety of his career, playing 459 games for Wigan as well as representing Lancashire, England and Great Britain with distinction. The iconic forward retired in 2020, and now forms part of Matt Peet’s Warriors coaching team as an assistant. He will turn 43 later this month.
James Roby (Interchange)
Considered the Super League G.O.A.T by many, hooker Roby spent his entire career with boyhood club St Helens, playing 551 games as well as his 32 for England and seven for Great Britain. Having formed part of the backroom team under Paul Wellens, the club icon has recently seen his departure from Saints announced – and his next move is yet to be confirmed.
Tom Burgess (Interchange)
Burgess was in the midst of a 12-year stint with South Sydney Rabbitohs during this series, and has 34 caps on his CV in total for England. He returned to the UK ahead of 2025 as he took up a three-year deal with Super League outfit Huddersfield, playing 23 games across all competitions for the Giants this term.
Mike Cooper (Interchange)
Mike Cooper in action for England during the 2015 series against New Zealand
This series came during Cooper’s time Down Under donning a shirt for St George. He eventually returned to Super League in 2017 back with Warrington, and rounded his career off at Wigan as they won all four major honours on offer in 2024. Amassing 370 club career appearances, the forward also represented England 15 times and now co-owns a clothing company.
Brett Ferres (Interchange)
17-time England international Ferres turned 39 in April and is still playing today. Having agreed a new deal with Goole Vikings for 2026, he will enter the 22nd professional season of his career. The veteran already has over 450 appearances to his name in the game having donned a shirt for eight different clubs.
Head coach: Steve McNamara
Sean O’Loughlin (left) and then-England head coach Steve McNamara (right) lift the Baskerville Shield following the series victory over New Zealand in 2015
McNamara had been in charge of England since 2010, and guided the national side to the Baskerville Shield as they clinched this series with a win at Wigan in the third Test. That proved his last game at the helm though, with the RFL choosing not to extend his contract afterwards.
Since then, the 54-year-old has gone on to enjoy a sensational eight years at the helm of Catalans Dragons, guiding them to a Challenge Cup triumph in 2018 and then two Grand Final appearances in the space of three seasons.
His tenure in Perpignan came to an end earlier this year, and ahead of 2026, he has joined fellow Super League outfit Warrington as a new first-team coach to support head coach Sam Burgess.
New Zealand squad from 2015 win at Olympic Stadium
New Zealand perform the Haka ahead of the opening Test of their three-game series against England in 2015
Starting 13: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Dean Whare, Jordan Kahu, Jason Nightingale, Peta Hiku, Kodi Nikorima, Jesse Bromwich, Isaac Luke, Sam Moa, Kevin Proctor, Tohu Harris, Adam Blair
Bench: Lewis Brown, Martin Taupau, Ben Matulino, Alex Glenn
Head coach: Stephen Kearney
Tries: Shaun Kenny-Dowall
Goals: Jordan Kahu, Isaac Luke
Drop goal: Jordan Kahu
