Jodie Cunningham: New England captain on replacing best friend Emily Rudge as skipper

Jodie Cunningham has told The Bench podcast it "wasn't a nice feeling" replacing best friend Emily Rudge as the England Women's rugby league captain.

The St Helens back row will make her bow as skipper in the upcoming mid-season international against France, England's first match since losing to New Zealand in the semi-finals at last year's Rugby League World Cup.

Cunningham has been a pillar of the England squad for over a decade, featuring in three World Cups. But so has Emily Rudge. The two internationals both play for Saints and even attended the same school.

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"Look, it wasn't a nice feeling taking it from a friend, but equally she's done such an incredible job. She's done it for five years, and she just said, 'if I want anyone else to experience what I've experienced then I want it to be you', " Cunningham told The Bench podcast.

"We're best mates and we're so similar and so different at the same time, and we've always been really supportive of each other.

"There's been times when she's had tough times, I've had tough times with selection, and you know whatever else we're just there for each other.

"She's been brilliant and her family as well, my family and her family are really close and they've been great with me."

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England head coach Stuart Barrow, who succeeded Craig Richards after last year's World Cup exit, promised a 'clean slate' when it came to squad selection.

On paper, Cunningham and Rudge have very similar experience. Instead, it may be the new captain's leadership style that Barrow hopes will bring the difference.

"I think it's trying to be your own captain, not the captain you think you should be or that in your head you believe is that way to act, " said Cunningham.

"I always take confidence from the fact when I walk on a field, I have this innate belief that no one will out-work me, and that's always what I aspire to be."

"There's loads of people that said 'oh it's predictable that you'd be captain', but that's sort of irrelevant what anyone outside (of the team) thinks, because it's the influence you have on your team that matters."

England Women national performance squad

Dannielle Anderson (Leeds Rhinos), Savannah Andrade (York Valkyrie), Caitlin Beevers (Leeds Rhinos), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Chloe Billington (Featherstone Rovers), Leah Burke (St Helens), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens, captain), Hollie-Mae Dodd (York Valkyrie), Grace Field (York Valkyrie), Fran Goldthorp (Leeds Rhinos), Amy Hardcastle (Leeds Rhinos), Zoe Harris (St Helens), Zoe Hornby (Leeds Rhinos), Shona Hoyle (St Helens), Tara Jones (St Helens), Vicky Molyneux (Wigan Warriors), Eboni Partington (St Helens), Sinead Peach (York Valkyrie), Emily Rudge (St Helens), Tamzin Renouf (York Valkyrie), Georgia Roche (Leeds Rhinos), Tara Stanley (York Valkyrie), Paige Travis (St Helens), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens), Olivia Wood (York Valkyrie).

Watch the international double-header as England's men and women take on their counterparts from France at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday, April 29 live on Sky Sports. Stream on NOW TV.