England to host 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup with 16 teams

England will stage the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, the tournament’s biggest edition to date, with 16 teams competing across eight venues from August 22 to September 27. The opener pits England against the United States in Sunderland, and the final will be played at Twickenham, where organizers expect a record crowd to cap a landmark event that aims to elevate the women’s game worldwide.

England enter as favourites on home soil, having gone unbeaten since losing the 2022 final to New Zealand and riding a long run of success that includes multiple Six Nations titles. Yet the Red Roses face a demanding path, with the possibility of meeting New Zealand, France or Canada at later stages depending on results in the pool phase. The tournament is structured around four pools: Pool A features England, Australia, the United States and Samoa; Pool B includes Canada, Scotland, Wales and Fiji; Pool C has New Zealand, Ireland, Japan and Spain; and Pool D pairs France, Italy, South Africa and Brazil. The knockout phase runs through mid- to late September, with quarterfinals on September 13–14, semifinals on September 19–20, and the final on September 27.

An expanded field reflects a broader...