The talking stops on Friday night when England’s Red Roses finally kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign against the USA at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. The atmosphere promises to be electric, with more than 43,000 tickets already sold — a record crowd for a women’s rugby match.
On paper, England are overwhelming favourites. They have beaten the USA in 20 of their 21 meetings, with the Americans’ only win coming back in the 1991 World Cup final. Recent form is just as telling: England are unbeaten in 27 games, while the USA have managed just one win in six this year.
Hunt: “It’s just another game”
Despite the hype around a home tournament, England’s players insist they are treating the opener like any other match. Scrum-half Natasha “Mo” Hunt, playing in her first World Cup since 2017, said she was excited but focused.
“All of the build-up is epic, the tunnel, the branding, everything about it is so cool. But when it comes down to it, it’s just another game of rugby,” Hunt said. “You can’t make it bigger than it is — that’s when you get carried away.”
Spotlight on Ilona Maher
Across the pitch, much of the attention will fall on American centre Ilona Maher. With millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram and even an appearance on Dancing with the Stars, she is one of rugby’s most recognisable figures.
She’ll face England’s Megan Jones, who shrugged off the star billing.
“It’s not the size of the dog, it’s the size of the fight in the dog,” Jones said. “Followers don’t matter once you’re on the pitch.”
Maher called the clash “exciting” and spoke about her team’s wider mission.
“We can be a world-class team. Women’s rugby is at a point where it could grow massively, and we want more people to have eyes on the game.”
A record stage for women’s rugby
England defence coach Sarah Hunter, who played in the 2010 home World Cup, said the scale of Friday’s opener shows just how far the women’s game has come.
“To see 43,000 fans for a World Cup match is huge. The growth has been incredible, and this stage is exactly where the game deserves to be.”
The bigger picture
For the Red Roses, the challenge is simple: shut out the noise, stick to their game, and keep their winning run alive. For women’s rugby, Friday night is another chance to prove how far the sport has come — and how much bigger it can grow.
