Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 team-by-team guide

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England are clear favourites to win the Women's Rugby World Cup, which gets underway on Friday in Sunderland and runs until the final at Twickenham on September 27.

Canada and New Zealand are likely to be in the mix for the trophy while the other home nations will all have hopes of making it to at least the quarter-finals.

Here Telegraph Sport takes a closer look at all 16 teams, which players to keep an eye out for and how far each nation is likely to progress at the tournament.

The Australian union has stepped up its commitment to the women's programme since the last World Cup, introducing central contracts for the first time in 2023, and that has resulted in improved performances. The Wallaroos won WXV2 last year and have halved their losing margin in their two matches against the All Blacks from 2024 to 2025, but consistency can be an issue, as their two recent matches against Wales show. They can be overpowered in the tight exchanges, which means they can struggle to get the possession to make the best use of their big carriers and dangerous backs, while the late injury withdrawal of sevens star Charlotte Caslick was a blow.

Former scrum-half Jo Yapp played in three World Cups for England before moving into coaching, working with the national U20s team and Worcester Warriors. She was appointed the Wallaroos' first female head coach in December 2023 but will leave the role after this tournament to return to the UK.

A foot injury has disrupted Siokapesi Palu's season but she has been chosen to lead the Wallaroos at this tournament. Palu has switched from centre to flanker since the last World Cup, where she did not make it onto the pitch, and is now an integral member of the squad.

Caitlyn Halse became the youngest person to play Test rugby for Australia when making her debut against the United States last year aged 17 years and 242 days. She is a strong runner from full-back, regularly busting tackles, while her long kicking game can help both relieve pressure and create attacking opportunities.

Pool stage

The tournament favourites have lost only one of their last 58 Test matches - that defeat coming in the 2022 World Cup final - and won seven consecutive Six Nations titles. Their set-piece, and particularly their driving maul, remain key weapons, but they have developed a more expansive game with Ellie Kildunne and Abby Dow running threats out wide and Meg Jones and Tatyana Heard creative forces in midfield. Plus, they have depth across the team. The big question is whether they can handle the pressure of a home tournament, having barely been challenged since 2022.

New Zealander John Mitchell, a former back row, took charge of the team in late 2023 having spent nearly three decades coaching in the men's game, including roles with Ireland, England, the All Blacks, United States, Japan and various club sides.

Zoe Aldcroft, World Player of the Year in 2021 and part of the England set-up since 2016, replaced Marlie Packer as captain at the start of this year. Equally adept at lock or blindside, the 28-year-old is known for her work-rate - she made more tackles than any other England player in the Six Nations and topped the overall chart for attacking ruck arrivals.

Maud Muir is not a new face - the 24-year-old has more than 40 caps - but over the past 18 months she has established herself as the Red Roses' first-choice tighthead and combines strong scrummaging with powerful ball-carrying.

Champions

This is Samoa's first Women's World Cup appearance in more than a decade and the build-up has been tricky. As we so often see with men's and women's Pacific Islands teams, players have had to organise fund-raisers to help cover the costs involved in training camps and time off work, while their standout player, fly-half Cassie Siataga, withdrew from the squad for personal reasons. Still, they have a number of players with experience in New Zealand's Super Rugby Aupiki competition and will no doubt bring plenty of physicality. A victory is likely to be beyond them in such a tough pool but qualifying for the tournament is an achievement in itself.

Mataafa Ramsey Tomokino has been at the helm of the women's national team since 2018, guiding them to a first World Cup in 11 years with a second-place finish at WXV3 last year. He has a background in sports management and earlier this year was appointed general manager of high performance for the Samoa union.

Sui Pauaraisa, 37, is a versatile rugby player having played league, sevens and 15s. Born and raised in Samoa, she moved to New Zealand aged 13 and that is where her love for the oval ball developed. Her strength and speed make her tough to stop.

Sinead Ryder may be in her thirties but she has only been involved in Test rugby for the past couple of years. And given she used to keep England back row Maddie Feaunati on the bench at Wellington, she is sure to cause teams problems on both sides of the ball.

Pool stage

The United States are known for their physicality and have a number of forwards who have garnered experience in England's Premiership Women's Rugby league over the past five years. The nous of veterans like Hope Rogers, Rachel Johnson and Kate Zackary will be key up front, while Alev Kelter and Ilona Maher, who has made the transition from sevens, are a formidable centre pairing. They are likely to have benefited from a concerted period in camp together and their second match against Australia is set to determine who makes the last eight.

A former PE teacher, Sione Fukofuka has been working in women's rugby for the past five years, first with Australia and, since late 2023, with the US, where he has spent the past 18 months growing the depth of his squad.

This is Kate Zackary's third World Cup and the back row has led the US since 2018. Her athleticism has seen her represent her country's sevens team, too, while in recent years she has developed her 15s game in the UK with Exeter Chiefs and Ealing Trailfinders.

Freda Tafuna, who will celebrate her 22nd birthday during the World Cup, is a destructive force with ball in hand and gives the Eagles huge go-forward from No 8. As team-mate Georgie Perris-Redding says: "I wouldn't want to tackle her."

Quarter-finals

Canada's rise to second in the world with effectively a squad of amateurs - they set a fund-raising target of one million Canadian dollars in the lead-up to this tournament - is both impressive and remarkable. They are a well-organised and tactically astute team, who last year achieved an historic win over New Zealand and gave England their sternest test. Their power game reaps rewards both in the set-piece and the breakdown while they aim to suffocate teams with their line speed in defence. Since the last World Cup, they have built squad depth and added layers to their attacking game in the wider channels.

Coaching was never part of Frenchman Kévin Rouet's career plan. A former scrum-half, he moved to Canada to continue his studies and work as an engineer, but subsequently started coaching the Laval University and Quebec women's teams before joining the Canada set-up in 2019, first as an assistant and then in the head role in 2021.

Alexandra Tessier has taken on the leadership role over the past year with Sophie de Goede, the team's goal-kicking No 8, only recently returning from a long lay-off with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The vastly experienced playmaker is a deft distributor and accurate kicker.

After scoring two tries in Canada's historic win over the Black Ferns and helping the sevens team to a silver medal at last year's Olympics, Fancy Bermudez was snapped up by Saracens. The winger has the speed and footwork to challenge defenders as well as the power to dominate collisions.

Semi-finals

There is a real mix of youth and experience in this Fijiana squad. Ten players remain from their first World Cup campaign in 2022, including scrum-half Kolora Rosi Lomani and back row Rusila Nagasau. Then there are newcomers like Carletta Yee, Salote Nailolo and Michella'e Stolz. They pushed the US close last month, losing 31-24 in Washington, and will likely test Scotland and Wales with that familiar willingness to run from deep and exploit space, but the knockout stage looks a step too far.

Ioan Cunningham took charge of Fiji in February, just three months after leaving his role as Wales coach following the fallout from the botched player contract negotiations. He had been at the Wales' helm for three years having previously coached the national U20 team and the Scarlets.

Alfreda Fisher made her Fiji debut only last year but the 20-year-old flanker has made such a big impression that she will lead her country at the World Cup. An athletic line-out forward, she was named Fijian Drua's Women's Player of the Year for 2025 - her first season with the team.

Nineteen-year-old Mere Vocevoce is yet to make her Test debut but her inclusion as one of four sevens players in Fiji's squad is an indication of how highly she is rated. As an aside, the winger's cousin Mesake has represented the Fiji men's team.

Pool stage

This is a vastly experienced squad with talent across the starting team. Helen Nelson has improved her consistency to dictate play from fly-half; Lisa Thomson and Emma Orr complement each other perfectly in midfield; Chloe Rollie, Francesca McGhie and Rhona Lloyd combine as a dangerous back three; Evie Gallagher is one of the game's best jackallers. Having said all that, they can be breached too easily in defence, exposed when injuries hit their first-choice line-up and have off-field issues to contend with.

After roles with the men's Under-20s and Edinburgh, Bryan Easson was appointed head coach of the women's team in 2020 and took them to a first World Cup in 12 years in 2022. This will be his last hurrah, however, as he is stepping down after the tournament.

Rachel Malcolm has guided Scotland through some difficult times during her five years as Scotland captain, not least the build-up to this tournament. She has described uncertainty around players' contracts as "disruptive" and the news of Easson's imminent departure as "a shock". She demonstrates the same assured leadership off the field as on it and is renowned for her hard graft.

Emma Wassell is one of the most experienced players in this squad but she has barely played over the past year after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour in her chest. All eyes will be on her to see how she performs after reaching her goal of the World Cup.

Pool stage

A new coaching regime for the Six Nations failed to lift Wales off the bottom of the table; in fact, they endured an even more miserable championship than 2024 in losing all five matches. They have since spent time working on their conditioning, with the help of army boot camps, and were rewarded with a win over Australia last month. Their opening fixture against Scotland is likely to decide their fate in terms of reaching the quarter-finals; a late penalty from scrum-half Keira Bevan secured a Welsh win over the same opponents three years ago and they will need a similarly dogged performance this time.

After leading Gloucester-Hartpury to three consecutive Premiership Women's Rugby titles, Sean Lynn took the Wales' reins in March after a period of turmoil in the set-up given the mishandling of contract negotiations. He is known for his jovial personality but demands high standards.

Back rows Alex Callender and Kate Williams share the honour. Callender suffered an ankle injury against Australia last month but has been named in the squad - and Wales will need her all-action game to reach the quarter-finals. Williams, born in Wales but raised in New Zealand, was called into the Wales squad at the last World Cup as an injury replacement and has since established herself as a starter.

Sisilia Tuipulotu has an impressive rugby heritage: her father, Sione, played for Tonga, her brother, Kepu, is a highly-rated hooker at Bath and her cousin, former Scarlet Carwyn, is gearing up for a second season at Pau. The powerful 22-year-old's career has only accelerated since she switched from back row to prop and she made a welcome return from a hamstring injury last month.

Quarter-finals

After failing to qualify for the last World Cup amid off-field consternation over the treatment of the women's team, Ireland have climbed up the rankings from 10th to fifth since Scott Bemand took charge in 2023. The union's first central contracts for female 15s players were introduced last year and they delivered a famous win over New Zealand last September. On the down side they have been hit by injuries and their back-five resources will be tested with Erin King and Dorothy Wall both ruled out, and Aoife Wafer - Six Nations Player of the Championship - and Edel McMahon recovering from injuries.

Former scrum-half Scott Bemand moved into coaching after a successful Premiership career with Leicester and Bath. After seven years as assistant coach with the Red Roses, including the 2017 and 2022 World Cups, he took on the Ireland head coach role in July 2023.

Sam Monaghan spent more than a year on the sidelines as she recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury but the lock, who is known for her deft offloads, has timed her return perfectly for the World Cup. Co-captain Edel McMahon has had a knee problem of her own but is on track to play at the World Cup.

Dannah O'Brien's experience belies her years. Still only 21, the fly-half already has 26 caps and has brought a new dimension to Ireland's game with her kicking skills, which assistant coach Gareth Steenson describes as her "super strength". As her confidence has grown, so has her ability to direct the team around the field.

Quarter-finals

Japan rarely have the size to match opponents, especially in the set-piece, but they are well-drilled with a slick handling game and evasive running skills. They failed to win a match at the last World Cup but have since worked on improving their connections in defence and the speed of their attack, and will take confidence from their first-ever victory over the US earlier this year. It is hard to see them overcoming either Ireland or New Zealand but they recently beat the other team in their pool, Spain, 30-19 so will hope to improve on their 2022 results.

Lesley McKenzie won 25 caps for Canada and played in two World Cups (2006 and 2010). She moved into coaching in New Zealand before being appointed assistant coach of the Japan sevens team in 2018 and then taking charge of the senior 15s side a few months later.

Athletic openside Iroha Nagata, 26, has been part of the Japan team for the best part of a decade and was given the captaincy two years ago, albeit she prefers to lead by actions rather than words.

Pace out wide will be crucial to Japan's ambitions and 20-year-old wing Matsumura Misaki delivers that. If her team-mates are able to put her into space out wide, she will exploit it.

Pool stage

New Zealand have had mixed results since being crowned world champions, suffering surprise defeats by Canada and Ireland as well as being comprehensively beaten by England but winning the Pacific Four Series in 2023 and 2025. However, the Black Ferns always turn up at World Cups, hence the six times they have lifted the trophy. As ever, their attacking game is lethal - they scored 23 tries in three games in this year's Pac Four and the return of the World Cup's record try-scorer Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has only strengthened that area. They have powerful forwards, too, and coach Dan Cron has brought a wealth of scrummaging expertise, while Sevens Player of the Year Jorja Miller adds a new dynamic to the back row.

Allan Bunting was part of the Black Ferns' set-up at the last World Cup under Wayne Smith and replaced the legendary coach as director of rugby in 2023. The former New Zealand sevens player, who guided the Black Ferns sevens team to Olympic gold in Tokyo, is known for his focus on team culture. He has also added former England and Lions centre Riki Flutey to his back-room team.

New Zealand have stuck with the co-captains who led them to glory at the last World Cup in fly-half Ruahei Demant and flanker Kennedy Tukuafu (née Simon). Demant's kicking and distribution is key to optimising the team's dangerous backs while Tukuafu brings a nuggety edge at openside.

Braxton Sorensen-McGee is only 18 but has been making waves in both rugby codes for several years - she comes from a family with an impressive pedigree in league. After impressing for the Blues in Super Rugby Aupiki, the full-back made her Black Ferns debut in May, has scored three tries in three Tests and will move into the sevens programme next year ahead of the LA Olympics.

Runners-up

Spain have a strong history in women's rugby, appearing in four of the first five World Cups, including the 2002 event that was staged in Barcelona, but they have struggled to maintain pace with the top nations since 2007, when they were replaced by Italy in the Six Nations because organisers wanted to align the men's and women's championships. That gulf was illustrated in their recent 97-7 defeat by England. While this will be a first World Cup for the majority of the squad, several players play for Premiership Women's Rugby clubs in England, including prop Laura Delgado, full-back Claudia Peña and hooker Cristina Blanco.

Juan González Marruecos took charge of Spain in 2022 having previously been an assistant coach of the team and has benefited from more training camps with players. He has worked to develop the squad's depth and has guided them to a first World Cup in eight years.

Spain's co-captains have contrasting experience. Prop Laura Delgado is one of the few players in the squad to have played in a World Cup before and Ross Chisholm, her coach at Harlequins, says: "Her excitement for the game is infectious." This is a first global event for strong-carrying centre Alba Vinuesa, who made her debut in 2018.

Claudia Peña - not to be confused with Clàudia Pina, who has been so impressive for Spain's football team - has stood out in both sevens and 15s with her silky running skills. The 20-year-old scored Spain's only try against the Red Roses earlier this month and has the ability to glide through slithers of space.

Pool stage

The real unknowns of the tournament given this is Brazil's first-ever World Cup - men's or women's - and they have played only 16 Tests in their history. A 34-13 win over Colombia last year secured their place as the first South American team in a women's tournament, and that came after six defeats in their previous matches against the same opposition. Despite their relative inexperience in 15s, the Yaras do have players who have featured in Olympics and Rugby League World Cups; they are hoping to catch teams out with the pace of their sevens players. Still, they are likely to struggle in the set-piece - this is a team that has practised their scrummaging against a tree - and could be blown away by France and Italy. As the lowest-ranked team, there are not high hopes outside the camp but those in it are aiming for at least one victory.

Former Uruguay scrum-half Emiliano Caffera has been at the helm of both the men's and women's national teams since late 2023, and was quick to make an impact with this historic qualification. He also has experience of coaching teams at their first World Cup having been defence coach for Chile at the 2023 men's tournament.

Eshyllen Coimbra's sporting passion was volleyball before she was introduced to rugby on Copacabana Beach through a social programme. Now the 24-year-old lock is captain of her national team having also played in the Tokyo Olympics for the sevens team.

Speed is the big strength of this Brazil team and that is what Giovanna Barth delivers on the wing. The 21-year-old made her debut on the sevens circuit last season and crossed for two tries in their record win over Colombia in June.

Pool stage

France have consistently been one of the world's best teams but have never lifted the trophy. They are the favourites to top this pool, although their tussles with Italy have got closer in recent years, and they have talent across the team. Morgane Bourgeois' unerring goal-kicking is a huge plus - she was the top point-scorer in this year's Six Nations - while fly-half Carla Arbez has added a new dimension to their game with her kicking from hand. Pauline Bourdon Sansus is a game-changer at nine, but will miss their opening match after being banned for criticising refereeing standards in the French top flight. Up front, the likes of Madoussou Fall Raclot and Téani Feleu offer threats with ball in hand. Discipline is a problem, however, and the way their pack was dismantled by England recently will be a cause for concern.

Gaëlle Mignot was a talismanic figure for France as a player, and a regular try-scorer from hooker. Having been an assistant coach at the last World Cup, she was promoted at the end of 2022 to be joint head coach with David Ortiz, who has worked with various age-grade and club teams.

France have opted for a double act in captaincy as well as coaching. Lock Manae Feleu, who grew up on the island of Futuna, a French territory in the Pacific, has put her medical studies on hold this year to focus on the World Cup. Her co-captain is centre Marine Menager, one of the most experienced players in the squad. Menager's twin sister Romane is not involved, however, having had to take a step back from the sport because of concussion.

Rose Bernadou announced herself to a wider audience during the 2021 Six Nations with a monster tackle on England's Poppy Cleall. Injuries and question marks over her fitness have stilted her progress since then, but if she can string together back-to-back matches at this tournament she will give France an advantage in the scrum and contact.

Semi-finals

Italy will have been disappointed by their losses to England (38-5) and Ireland (54-12) in the Six Nations but they rallied to beat Scotland and Wales as well as test France. Consistency is an issue and they can be exposed in defence. They do have a strong pack of forwards, with the likes of Sara Tounesi, Silvia Turani and Elisa Giordano, while centre Beatrice Rigoni can spark something from nothing with her all-round skill-set, if backed by the coach.

Fabio Roselli won 16 caps on the wing for Italy in the 1990s before moving into coaching with Italy's men's age-grade teams. Having risen through the ranks to coach Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship, the 54-year-old was a somewhat surprise appointment as head coach of Italy in 2024, taking over from Giovanni Raineri.

Back row Elisa Giordano has been part of the Italy set-up since 2011 and led them at the last World Cup when long-term captain Manuela Furlan was ruled out by injury. A strong presence in the line-out, she is also effective at the breakdown.

This is an experienced Italy squad so there are not many new faces but 23-year-old Alyssa D'Inca is certainly one to keep an eye out for. She is a real livewire on the wing, capable of flummoxing defenders with her footwork and pace.

Quarter-finals

The Springboks may be back-to-back world champions but the nation's women's programme is a fair few steps behind. What they do have in common is a dominant set-piece and they should present a stern challenge to opponents at scrum time. Prop Babalwa Latsha and No 8 Aseza Hele have benefited from spells at Harlequins, with the latter hard to stop when she bursts from the base. Their focus this year has been to improve their breakdown work and develop their attack, with a series of alignment camps providing the time to look at those areas, but progressing from this pool still looks a step too far.

Swys de Bruin is known for being one of rugby's creative brains and he has looked closely at this team's attacking style since taking charge in August last year. He has previously been part of the back-room teams at the Springboks and Junior Springboks as well as South African franchise the Lions.

South Africa are led by their most-capped female player Nolusindiso Booi. The 40-year-old lock has played in three previous World Cups and was the first Springbok Women's player to reach 50 caps. "Rugby broke me out of my very shy way of life and helped me become a true version of myself," she has said.

In contrast to the captain, fellow lock Anathi Qolo is heading to her first World Cup, but she has displayed similar leadership qualities. She led the team at the Rugby Africa Women's Cup this year having only won her first cap in 2024, with coach De Bruin praising her "rugby intelligence and willingness to work for the team" as well as her line-out ability.