England V Usa: Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Opening Game – Live

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With kick-off an hr away, it’s clip to publication a red-hot lucifer preview. Sarah Rendell has surgery down nan World Cup opener, pinch intel specified as:

The 2 sides person played 21 times and nan US person won 1 – nan 1991 World Cup final. In 2025, nan USA person played six games and won one, 31-24 against Fiji. England person played 7 matches successful this almanac twelvemonth and person won each of them, extending their unbeaten tally to 27 matches. While those predicting constituent to a large Red Roses win, nan squad are not getting caught up successful nan hype.

The teams

John Mitchell has named nan aforesaid England XV that routed France 40-6 successful their final warm-up match earlier this month. Zoe Harrison was apt to get nan No 10 garment anyhow but Holly Aitchison still carrying a sound ends that debate; she isn’t among nan replacements yet.

Strength successful extent is nan Red Roses’ superpower alternatively than immoderate individual prima (I say, staring astatine a squad expanse connected which nan first sanction is Ellie Kildunne; nan reigning world subordinate of nan year).

Do USA person immoderate hope? Well, they person Hope Rogers – nan Exeter Chiefs guardant who won a spot successful nan Premiership squad of nan twelvemonth past play – positive nan acquisition of Alev Kelter and Kate Zackary. Also, astatine No 13, Ilona Maher, who’s turned down offers from Hollywood and moreover nan WWE to play XVs rugby astatine a World Cup. How galore group tin opportunity that?

England: Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Meg Jones, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach; Zoe Harrison, Natasha Hunt; Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne, Maud Muir, Morwenna Talling, Abbie Ward, Zoe Aldcroft (capt), Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews.

Replacements: Lark Atkin-Davies, Kelsey Clifford, Sarah Bern, Rosie Galligan, Maddie Feaunati, Lucy Packer, Emily Scarratt, Emma Sing.

USA: Lotte Sharp; Emily Henrich, Ilona Maher, Alev Kelter, Bulou Mataitoga; McKenzie Hawkins, Olivia Ortiz; Hope Rogers, Kathryn Treder, Keia Mae Sagapolu, Tahlia Brody, Erica Jarrell-Searcy, Kate Zackary (capt), Georgie Perris-Redding, Rachel Johnson.

Replacements: Paige Stathopoulos, Alivia Leatherman, Charli Jacoby, Rachel Ehrecke, Freda Tafuna, Cassidy Bargell, Kristin Bitter, Sariah Ibarra.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SA)

Preamble

So it begins. England spell into a location Women’s Rugby World Cup arsenic by acold nan planet’s outstanding broadside pinch an astonishing grounds of 57 wins successful their past 58 Tests. But that 1 defeat? Yep, nan past World Cup last to New Zealand, a setback nan Red Roses will beryllium hopeless to correct astatine Twickenham successful 5 weeks’ time. But first they person to get there.

The USA are England’s opening force successful Pool A, classed 10th successful nan world but pinch nan world’s No 1 astir celebrated rugby subordinate successful Ilona Maher. The Women’s Eagles are awesome underdogs (under-eagles?) pinch a amended grounds successful sevens than XVs – they won a bronze badge astatine nan past Olympics, beating a Great Britain broadside en way – but unit tin do funny things.

England romping to Six Nations and WXV titles is 1 thing; a location World Cup pinch each nan anticipation of not only triumph but inspiring a caller procreation of fans is another. The coach, John Mitchell, has said “every squad will emergence 10% aliases 15% successful this tournament” erstwhile facing nan hosts but added that his squad don’t mind “being hunted”.

Sione Fukofuka’s physical, hard-running USA broadside are nan hunters astatine nan Stadium of Light. They’ll cognize their up against it – it’s sometimes said that nan champion women’s squad successful nan world is England, nan 2nd champion is England B (pin that up successful nan dressing room, Sione). But a competitory showing will group them up for their crunch match: a conflict pinch Australia, apt to determine 2nd spot and qualification from Pool A, pinch Samoa nan group’s outsiders. For England, only a ascendant triumph will do. Kick-off is astatine 7.30pm BST.