A RECORD 7,139 crowd turned out at the LNER Community Stadium to see England Women’s lose their World Cup semi-final to New Zealand 20-6.

The 7,000-plus spectators, setting a new high for a rugby league match at the Community Stadium, saw England go ahead inside five minutes through Fran Goldthorp’s try, converted by York Valkyrie ace Tara Stanley.

But four unanswered tries saw New Zealand maintain their record of having qualified for every World Cup final, with Australia, who thrashed Papua New Guinea 82-0 earlier in the evening, awaiting at Old Trafford on Saturday (1.15pm).

For England, who fielded four York players - Stanley, Olivia Wood, Hollie Dodd and Grace Field - in their 17, the wait for a World Cup final appearance continues.

The final four clash had begun so promisingly for England, Georgia Roche’s wicked kicking winning the field position for Goldthorp to cut through early on.

The dominant New Zealand forward pack - who secured their side 59 per cent of the territory - eventually took over though.

Amber Hall, the towering and on-the-night unstoppable back-rower charged over the top of England’s own battering ram Amy Hardcastle and put Mele Hufanga in.

On the half hour, after back-to-back penalties, another Hall barge gave Raecene McGregor the opportunity to scoot over from dummy half.

Missed conversions from Brianna Clark and then Apii Nicholls left England trailing by just two points at half time.

New Zealand’s right edge continued to pose the tournament hosts all sorts of problems.

Seven minutes into the second half, player-of-the-match Hufanga broke down the right and found Nicholls, whose wide shift put Otesa Pule over the whitewash. Nicholls added her first of two conversions.

The dangerous Hufanga dummied through five minutes later before Clark stepped inside from a shift left and ran in behind the posts.

England had 35 tackles in the Ferns 20 and particularly in the second half, they enjoyed lots of good ball, but were unable to make it count.

Time and again, the stern New Zealand defence, which restricted Australia to just 10 points in their final Group ‘B’ match last week, stood strong.

England’s handling errors in deep did little to help either as their chance to reach Old Trafford came to an end.

England: Goldthorp, Beevers, Stanley, Hardcastle, Burke, Roche, Winfield-Hill, Hoyle, Jones, Wood, Molyneux, Rudge (C), Cunningham.

Subs (all used): Field, Dodd, Whitfield, Bennett.

Tries: Goldthorp (5’)

Goals: Stanley (1/1)

New Zealand: Nicholls, Vaha’akolo, Hufanga, P. McGregor, Bartlett, Roache, R. McGregor, Clark, Rota (C), Nu’uausala, Murdoch-Masila, Hall, Hale.

Subs (all used): Hill-Moana, Maynard, Scanlan, Pule.

Tries: Hufanga (16’), R. McGregor (29’), Pule (47’), Clark (52’)

Goals: Clark (0/1), Nicholls (2/3)

Penalties/Six-agains: 5-5

Errors: 12-14

Goal-line drop-outs forced: 2-0