Tournament hosts England enter the Women’s Rugby World Cup as favourites to lift the trophy, but face intense pressure to end over two decades of near misses on the sport’s biggest stage.
The Red Roses have suffered just one defeat in their past 58 matches, a loss to New Zealand in the Covid-delayed 2022 final but have been runners-up in five of the last six World Cup finals, all to the Black Ferns. Their last triumph came in 2014.
In a bid to end that run, England appointed John Mitchell, the former All Blacks head coach, in 2023. Mitchell himself is no stranger to the pressures of a home World Cup, having failed to guide New Zealand to glory in 2003.
“He’ll tell you straight if you’re getting something wrong and he wants the best for you,” said England full-back Ellie Kildunne, praising Mitchell’s direct approach.
A shaky finish to this year’s Six Nations, where England nearly squandered a 31-7 lead before edging France 43-42 to win a seventh consecutive title, may have served as a timely reminder of the work still to be done.
The tournament, featuring a record 16 teams, opens on Friday in Sunderland as England take on the United States. It will be the first World Cup appearance for Brazil, the first South American side ever to feature, while Ireland return after missing the 2022 edition.
New Zealand’s Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, a two-time World Cup winner and Olympic Sevens champion, is expected to bow out after this tournament. Despite not planning to participate, the 34-year-old winger felt compelled to return.
“If I don’t make it fine, it’s cool. But if I do make it, then it will be one last ride,” she said.
Canada, who recently held the Black Ferns, are viewed as the next strongest contenders. Ireland, meanwhile, will face New Zealand in the pool stages, having shocked them with a win in last year’s WXV tournament, introduced to help raise the standard of the women’s game.
The top two teams in each of the four pools will progress to the quarter-finals.
Organisers confirmed that more than 375,000 tickets have already been sold for the tournament’s 32 matches. The final at Twickenham on 27 September is expected to draw over 80,000, which would be a world record for a women’s rugby match.
The current record for a women’s 15-a-side game stands at 58,498, set when England beat France to win the 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam at Twickenham.
“This is going to be the biggest global celebration of women’s rugby that we have ever seen,” said tournament director Sarah Massey.
The competition will also mark a first with three women head coaches: Gaelle Mignot (France), Jo Yapp (Australia) and Lesley McKenzie (Japan).
Despite England being fully professional, many of their opponents are still semi-professional or amateur. Reports from the BBC revealed that over half of Scotland’s squad fear they may be left without professional contracts after the tournament.
“There is no doubt that we will have teams at a different stage of their professional development,” said Sally Horrox, World Rugby’s chief of women’s rugby. “But the WXV has helped raise standards and narrow competitive margins.”