The Women’s Rugby World Cup landed in England this weekend after a three-year wait!
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Spectacular Start
The action began with an impressive display at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, where the Red Roses achieved a resounding 69-7 victory over the United States. But the excitement didn’t stop there. Australia secured their biggest World Cup win, Scotland defeated Wales, Brazil made their tournament debut, and the Black Ferns had to give it their all.Analysis of the Opening Weekend
Here’s a summary of the highlights from the opening weekend of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.The Big Question: Will England Be Able to Keep Calm?
The expectations for the Red Roses team are unavoidable. The rugby public adores them, and the cheers and roars that greeted each of the 23 players’ names in Sunderland echoed throughout the stadium. Ellie Kildunne was the most acclaimed, closely followed by Hannah Botterman, Maud Muir, and Emily Scarratt. This team has had to deal with disappointment since the 2022 World Cup final and the pressure to perform at home.Hannah Botterman from England: “I want to be the best prop in the world.”
England makes a statement to kick off the record-breaking WRWC.
Writer Q&A: Is England the favorite? Players to watch?
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025: Team lists, matches, rankings.
England defeated the United States in their opening match of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Friday. Mitchell also spoke about how they know that each team will seek an extra “10 or 15%” to try to dethrone them. The reality is that the depth of the English team is envied by all other nations. Getting the first victory was key, and they are expected to comfortably beat Samoa. The risk is that their real test will only come in the semi-finals, so they must control their own impatience, as well as the tasks ahead. But so far, they seem to handle the pressure brilliantly. Their brilliant captain, Zoe Aldcroft, is the epitome of calm, and they will continue to repeat their mantra of “taking things one game at a time” until, they hope, September 27. As Mitchell said: “We have just started and still have a lot of room to grow.”“We want to exert pressure and be firmer in our defense,” Mitchell said. “All the threats that came were the ones we expected. They pursue us and we love that they pursue us.”
John Mitchell
Watch out for Ilona Maher
Those who secured a ticket for the match between England and the United States on Friday night not only saw the hosts kick off the tournament in style, but were also able to see Ilona Maher in her first XV World Cup. A huge ovation resounded in Sunderland when his name was announced before the match. Although the United States struggled to gain a foothold in the game, Maher had some standout moments, with some strong tackles and a couple of impressive runs, including one in which he literally dragged two English defenders, covering about 20 meters to put his team in the lead. Of course, social media has been going crazy since the match. The “Maher-mania” has officially arrived!Highlights: Ellie Kildunne’s Magic
Ellie Kildunne’s pure magic to set up Jess Breach.August 22, 2024Other Featured Stories
Brazil’s Debut in the Women’s Rugby World CupBrazil played their first match in the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Sunday, losing 66-6 against South Africa in Northampton. The South American team has recruited heavily from its sevens program, with 11 Olympians in the squad.
Although they were surpassed by South Africa, the ranking marks a great moment for Brazil as a rugby nation and is a sign of the growth of the game worldwide. They will face European powerhouse France in Exeter next week, before finishing their Group D campaign against Italy in Northampton on September 7.Scotland overcomes off-field problemsScotland made a statement with a significant 38-8 victory over Wales on Saturday, with uncertainty surrounding some players. Francesca McGhie scored a hat-trick in the six-try win, with Scotland on track to secure their place in the quarter-finals, but their off-field situation has dominated the build-up, with issues related to player contracts. Winger Rhona Lloyd has said that “more than half” of the World Cup squad will not have a contract at the end of the tournament as things stand. It may be a distraction off the field, but on it, Scotland made a big statement with the victory against Wales.The HakaWe love to see it! 👏👏 New Zealand performs the Haka before the kickoff against Spain in their Women’s Rugby World Cup match! August 24, 2024 It wouldn’t be a Rugby World Cup without the Haka! The Black Ferns began the defense of their Women’s Rugby World Cup title with a 54-8 victory over Spain. While the marker suggests a relatively comfortable afternoon for the Black Ferns, it wasn’t, as the crowd of 7,458 people enjoyed an entertaining afternoon of rugby that saw New Zealand reduced to 13 players.Wallaroos hat-trick heroThe Wallaroos have kicked off their World Cup with a 73-0 thrashing of Samoa in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Manchester, with star Desiree Miller scoring a hat-trick in her World Cup debut. Miller was everywhere during the match, moving from his left wing to the right on several occasions, before finishing off three impressive team-work tries. They hope he recovers from a head knock in time for their decisive tournament clash against the United States on Saturday. His 18-year-old teammate, Caitlyn Halse, was also very impressive in her World Cup debut, scoring two of her own and setting up her teammates for several more. Meanwhile, center Cecilia Smith took Player of the Match honors for her huge performance. Playing only a handful of minutes throughout the 2021 tournament (played in 2022), Smith played all 80 minutes on Saturday and will be vital to the Wallaroos’ quest for the quarter-finals.
