England aim to end decades of heartbreak as Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off

Tournament hosts England head into the Women’s Rugby World Cup as favourites, but face intense pressure to end a run of near misses stretching back over 20 years.

The Red Roses have lost just once in their last 58 matches — the 2022 World Cup final defeat to rivals New Zealand — and are determined to finally lift the trophy again, having last done so in 2014.

Despite dominating the global stage in recent years, England have finished runners-up in five of the past six finals, all to New Zealand. To change their fortunes, the team appointed former All Blacks coach John Mitchell in 2023. Known for his direct style, Mitchell previously struggled with similar expectations during his time with New Zealand’s men’s team in 2003.

England’s preparation included a shaky 43-42 win over France in the Six Nations earlier this year, where they nearly surrendered a 31-7 lead. Some within the team, however, view that scare as a timely wake-up call.

New Zealand’s Black Ferns remain the Red Roses’ main rivals, with veteran wing Portia Woodman-Wickliffe eyeing one last shot at glory. Already a two-time World Cup winner and double Olympic Sevens champion, the 34-year-old is set to retire after this tournament.

Canada are also in the title mix, having recently drawn with New Zealand, while Ireland — who upset the Black Ferns in last year’s WXV tournament — are expected to pose a threat after missing the 2022 World Cup. This year’s event sees the tournament expand to 16 teams, with the top two from each pool advancing to the quarter-finals.

Off the field, the tournament is already setting records. Brazil are making history as the first South American team to feature, and over 375,000 tickets have been sold for the 32-match event. Organisers expect a sell-out crowd of more than 80,000 for the September 27 final at Twickenham — a new world record for women’s rugby.

The tournament will also feature a record number of female head coaches: Gaelle Mignot (France), Jo Yapp (Australia), and Lesley McKenzie (Japan). However, disparities in professionalism persist. While England’s squad is fully professional, many other nations — including Scotland — still rely heavily on semi-professional or amateur players.

“This is going to be the biggest global celebration of women’s rugby that we have ever seen,” said tournament director Sarah Massey.

England open the tournament on Friday against the United States in Sunderland, with American star Ilona Maher — a breakout social media personality and advocate for body positivity — expected to draw attention on and off the field.