WHEN the going gets tough, the tough get going!

And Warrington’s Emily Rudge is proof of that for England in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia.

England have scraped into the semi-finals against New Zealand this weekend and former Cardinal Newman High School second rower Rudge has made a huge contribution in getting them there.

For the Thatto Heath-St Helens player is confirmed as the leading tackler from all nations after the completion of the group games.

She was England’s top tackler in the opening win against Papua New Guinea despite sitting out the opening 28 minutes on the bench.

Rudge has not looked back since, starting in the second row and maintaining an average of more than 30 tackles per game in the losses to Australia and the Cook Islands.

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WOMEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP TOP TACKLERS:

Emily Rudge (England): 3 games, 95 tackles, 31.67 average

Kimiora Nati (New Zealand): 2 games, 56 tackles, 28 average

Gillian Boag (Canada): 2 games, 55 tackles, 27.5 average

Andrea Dobson (England): 3 games, 82 tackles, 27.33 average

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Next Rudge will be looking to help inspire the Lionesses to pull a monumental performance out of the bag against the Kiwi Ferns at Southern Cross Group Stadium in Cronulla on Sunday, kick off 2.45am (UK time).

The winners will face current holders and favourites the Australian Jillaroos or Canada in the decider, which will be staged as the curtain-raiser to the men’s final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on December 2.

The Kiwi Ferns, who have won four of the previous five Women's World Cups, finished unbeaten at the top of Pool B after wins against Canada, Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, while the Jillaroos were also undefeated in the pool rounds to top Pool A after wins over Cook Islands, England and Canada.