England to face United States in women’s Rugby World Cup opener

Host England will launch the 2025 women’s Rugby World Cup against the United States in Sunderland on Aug. 22, World Rugby announced Tuesday.
The match will take place at the Stadium of Light, the home of north-east football club Sunderland as organizers look to take rugby union to nontraditional grounds as well as established locations.
New Zealand, which has won six of the nine tournaments to date and is the two-time defending champion, will begin its title defense against Spain at York Community Stadium two days later on Aug. 24.
Traditional rugby strongholds Bristol and Exeter will host all of the quarterfinals and semifinals, with organizers aiming to set a new record attendance for a women’s rugby international by selling out Twickenham, the 82-000 capacity home of English rugby, for the final on Sept. 27.
Manchester, Northampton and Brighton will also host pool matches.
England has lost the last two finals to New Zealand but is favorite to end an 11-year wait for a third World Cup triumph.
The Red Roses beat Canada to win the WXV title earlier this month and are currently ranked the top side in the world.
Tuesday’s announcement followed last week’s pool draw, with New Zealand up against Ireland — which stunned the Black Ferns with a 29-27 WXV win in Vancouver last month — Japan and Spain in Pool C.
England and the United States — the only other women’s Rugby World Cup champions, having won the inaugural edition in 1991 — also face Australia and Samoa in Pool A.
France, third in 2021, is in Pool D with Italy, South Africa and Brazil, which is the first South American side to ever qualify.
The competition has been expanded from 12 teams to 16 with Canada, Scotland, Wales and Fiji completing the line-up in Pool B.