Fran Goldthorp ready to prove England are a match for New Zealand in World Cup semi-final

The game offers the hosts an opportunity to show how far they have come in the five years since their 52-4 hammering by the Kiwis at the same stage of the last tournament.

England won new admirers on their way to topping Group A, brushing aside Brazil and Canada before displaying their bravery and class to see off Papua New Guinea.

A date with a New Zealand team fresh from an epic encounter with defending champions Australia presents a different challenge altogether.

But Goldthorp – one of the players not bearing the scars of the chastening 2017 experience – is convinced that England can mix it with the best.

"We know the opposition are going to be strong and that they've got the skillset – but so do we," said the Leeds Rhinos starlet.

"We're here to prove that and put our names out there by showing we can play as well as them, if not better.

"We're massively confident we can get to the final. There's a great atmosphere in the camp and everyone has got the desire and belief in each other."

England move on to York's LNER Community Stadium battle-hardened from a bruising contest against PNG.

It was the right game at the right time for Craig Richards' side, according to Goldthorp.

"Being from Leeds, Headingley is a special place," she said.

"Credit to PNG who came at us in the first half. Luckily I didn't have any hits on me but it was definitely a physical game.

"That's what you want in a World Cup – the closer games and the dog fight. We need to know we can play our structures against better teams.

"They showed us what to expect going forward. We stuck to our plans and earned the right to play.

"We know we've got the skill set and quality in the team. Towards the back end of the game, we properly got into our structure and the game we wanted to play. Hopefully we can carry that into the semi-final."

Goldthorp has carried her club form into the World Cup, starring at full-back after trading places with York City Knights' Woman of Steel Tara Stanley.

The 19-year-old is savouring every moment of the experience.

"It gives me more space and more options to play eyes-up rugby," she said.

"I enjoy passing and putting someone else in. It gives me more enjoyment seeing someone else score on the back of our excellence.

"It's an amazing feeling to pull on the shirt, sing the national anthem and play with this group of girls.

"You don't want it to end. I'm sure when it is over it'll be really hard to transition back into uni and things like that.

"For now, I'm just going to enjoy the experience and take every opportunity that I get given."

Regardless of the outcome of the semi-final in York, Goldthorp believes the future is bright for the women's game.

"We want to build a platform and inspire younger girls," she said.

"To see how many were there (at Headingley) and how many autographs we were signing, it's a massive joy and a massive privilege to be in this position where we can give that to them and show them girls can play rugby.

"That's a great platform moving forward into a professional sport."