There will be a lengthy inquest back home for not just the men's side, but the women's too. England will head home early knowing there is a difficult few years ahead, perhaps with the 2030 tournament in mind, alongside the prospect of the gulf only getting wider.
For the first time in World Cup history, the semi-finals will take place without England. The results represent a damning day for English rugby league on the whole, with the gap to the world's best nations undoubtedly widening amid a widening disparity in investment between the two hemispheres in women's rugby league.
The outcome arrived on a miserable day despite England looking like they were capable of holding up their end of the bargain inside a magnificent opening quarter in Wollongong. Papua New Guinea proved much the stronger of the two sides and worthy winners.
Progress in England remains much slower, characterized by only a handful of competitive teams and none yet professional. The sobering reality for the women's game in England is that there does not appear to be a quick fix to close the gap.
Papua New Guinea's rise in the international game has mirrored that of the men's side, and while they too were beaten heavily by Australia in the opening weekend of the group stage, they are deservedly in the semi-finals for the very first time.
England are heading home from the World Cup barring the greatest rugby league miracle in history on Sunday, following a damning day that effectively consigned both their men's and women's sides to early exits within hours of one another.