The Women’s World Cup kicks off on Friday, 22nd August, as the greatest nations in the game come together to compete for the ultimate prize.
England are the favourites this year after narrowly losing to the Black Ferns in the 2022 final, which was delayed by a year due to Covid. The hosts currently occupy the world number one spot in the rankings, having not lost a single game since that infamous 31-34 loss at Eden Park at the back-end of 2022.
Their 27 straight wins have included three comprehensive victories over the Black Ferns, four over the second-ranked side Canada, and five over rivals France. In fact, since the Spring of 2018, England have lost just two from a remarkable 71 matches.
The Black Ferns have not progressed in quite the same way since their 2022 heroics. They have struggled to compete with their closest rivals, while England, Canada and France pushed on. It’s worth noting that with the great Portia Woodman in the side, the Black Ferns remain a challenging opposition.