Women's Rugby World Cup 2025: England, Black Ferns, Underdogs - 3 Big Questions Answered
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Will the Red Roses follow the Lionesses to glory?
The Stadium of Light, home of Premier League club Sunderland, will host the opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 on Friday evening, and you can check out our expert’s England vs USA prediction right away for all the key information ahead of this clash.
Heading into the tournament, host nation England is installed as the clear favourite to win the competition, and perhaps rightfully so given their home advantage and stunning record in the lead-up to the showpiece.
The Red Roses are riding an incredible 27-match unbeaten run, and their only defeat in their last 58 games came in the World Cup final four years ago when they were edged to the title 34-31 by New Zealand!
England’s head coach, John Mitchell, who has now been at the helm for two years, mentioned in recent days that the outcome of this tournament will not define him or his players. While that may be true, there is no denying that the weight of expectation hangs heavily on the Red Roses to follow in the footsteps of the Lionesses at the Euros.
Are the Black Ferns still the team to beat?
While England is the team with momentum and a recent record that sparkles, New Zealand are still widely considered the team to beat if you are to be considered the best in the world. Indeed, the Black Ferns have won this title a record six times in nine editions.
The only exceptions were the inaugural tournament in 1991, which was won by the USA, and in 1994 & 2014 when England lifted the trophy. New Zealand vs Spain in their opening match of the tournament, and the latest stats and odds are available in our rugby predictions.
Allan Bunting’s team’s record has been mixed in recent times, but they are in a much better space both on and off the field than they were in the previous edition, which they still won despite being in serious disarray. Still the team to beat for us!
Who are the dark horses at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup?
There are always massive upsets at World Cup tournaments, and who doesn’t love an underdog storyline? We’re expecting a few this year, and all of these moments can be followed live using our Women's Rugby World Cup livescore tool.
For us, the team that could find themselves in the latter stages of the competition is Canada. The Canucks have only lost one match (against England) in their last 11 and pulled off incredible victories over New Zealand and France during that period. They also have a kind draw!
Our long shot for the title is Ireland! The Green Wave have split their last 10 matches five wins and five losses. However, they are drawn in Group C, which features Japan and Spain, both of which the Irish ladies are massively fancied to beat.
