The Women’s Rugby World Cup is on the horizon, with the globe’s best players touching down in England in search of the sport’s biggest prize.
The Red Roses, led by John Mitchell, are on a revenge mission after they were beaten in the final by New Zealand back in 2022.
There are some fresh faces in every squad, but it is the hosts and the Black Ferns who are the two hot favourites once more.
But which players will be the go-tos when it comes to producing that moment of magic?
Here, Standard Sport identifies six that you should keep your eyes out for this summer...
Ellie Kildunne
England, full-back
Age: 25
Caps: 52
The world’s best player in the world’s best team, she’ll hope to lead England to glory on home soil with flair and personality.
One of the most recognisable faces in women's rugby, she hosts the ‘Rugby Rodeo’ podcast with fellow Harlequins teammate Jess Breach, offering an intimate look into the world of professional women's rugby.
The 25-year-old was voted World Player of the Year in 2024 after helping the Red Roses to a Six Nations Grand Slam, in which she was the tournament’s top try scorer.
Born in Rotherham, Kildunne plied her trade in rugby league before smoothly transitioning to union, quickly gaining a reputation for her try-scoring capabilities.
Few players on the planet can stop the Quins No15 when she's in full flow. With a searing burst of pace, a step and a shimmy, she can rip through the heart of teams in an instant.
A nine-minute hat-trick on her 50th appearance for England against Wales in this year's Six Nations was further proof of what many fans already know. Kildunne will be central to the Red Roses' quest for World Cup glory.
The last time England lost, some 26 games ago, was against New Zealand in the 2022 final, and Kildunne will be determined to make amends.
Holly Aitchison
England, fly-half
Age: 27
Caps: 40
The creative driving force behind England’s pursuit of a first World Cup crown in 11 years, Aitchison is the Red Roses’ heartbeat.
Her speed of thought and foot are bettered by few in the women’s game, making split-second decisions with unerring accuracy.
As with any good fly-half, poise is important, and Aitchison never appears to be out of control or out of ideas as she surveys her options.
Unflinching, seemingly untouchable, the way she steps away from challenges, Aitchison has been central to England's 26-game winning run heading into their final World Cup warm-up game against France.
The 27-year-old recently joined Sale Sharks from Premiership Women’s Rugby rivals Bristol Bears on a two-year deal.
It's a switch that moves the needle for Sale, who finished bottom of the league table last term.
They have now secured the services of a player who was named in the 2024 World Rugby XV and also in this year's PWR team of the season.
If Kildunne is the poster girl of the tournament, Aitchison is very much the foundation from which her team-mate can propel England towards World Cup glory.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe
New Zealand, winger
Age: 34
Caps: 28
It is remarkable that a player as decorated as two-time World Cup winner Woodman-Wickliffe has just 28 caps for New Zealand.
But such is her versatility; she has flitted between 15-a-side and 7-a-side rugby throughout her career and has always remained a serial winner.
At 34 years old, she has come out of retirement to help the Black Ferns defend their title and is showing no signs of slowing down with age, becoming New Zealand's leading women’s 15s try scorer of all time, passing Vanessa Cootes’ record of 43 tries following a 79-14 win over the United States in May.
Woodman-Wickliffe, a former teacher aide and daycare centre worker, has experienced firsthand the ever-increasing professionalism of women's rugby, playing a major role in spearheading its popularity.
Off the field, Woodman-Wickliffe is a major advocate for promoting the women's game, speaking candidly about the need to elevate the personalities that make the sport so vibrant in New Zealand's documentary Behind the Fern: Black Ferns.
Twice voted World Rugby Women's Player of the Year, Woodman-Wickliffe's return to the New Zealand side will provide a major boost for the defending champions.
Ilona Maher
USA, centre
Age: 28
Caps: 30
The face of women’s rugby, Maher loves playing up to the occasion and will relish the chance to get back in front of the English crowds after her three-month spell with Bristol Bears last season.
Maher, an Olympic bronze medallist, has a staggering 5.1million Instagram followers, 4.8m more than the USA Rugby account. No player is bigger than the team, but Maher is propelling the US’ rise in a sport dominated by Europe and Oceania.
Testament to her influence within the game, her debut for Bristol drew more than 9,200 fans to Ashton Gate - comfortably over double the club's previous attendance record.
Playing as both a wing and a centre, Maher helped Bristol to the PWR semi-finals, scoring four tries in seven games as part of a short but sweet stint in England, which was intended to help her acclimate back to 15-a-side rugby after spending the previous three years playing sevens for her country in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The unapologetic spokesperson for the sport, Maher is a larger-than-life character with the power to match on the pitch.
Save the date for when England welcome the US to the Stadium of Light in the tournament’s opening game.
Pauline Bourdon Sansus
France, scrum-half
Age: 29
Caps: 66
Such is Pauline Bourdon Sansus's importance to the French squad that she will miss their opening game of the tournament against Italy and still be assured of her place in the side upon her return.
A fiery personality, the 29-year-old is serving a two-game suspension after questioning the standard of refereeing in the French domestic women's game in May.
Bourdon Sansus told journalists “fair and consistent” refereeing was “not yet the case” in the French domestic women’s game, and will now miss Les Bleues' curtain raiser in what promises to be an unpredictable group.
Bourdon Sansus, though, thrives on unpredictability, and her half-back partnership with Carla Arbez makes France a much stronger outfit.
It has been a whirlwind week for the Toulouse scrum-half, who announced she was having a child just three days before her place in France's squad was confirmed. She will hope to cap a remarkable summer by winning France's first World Cup title.
Neve Jones
Ireland, hooker
Age: 26
Caps: 36
At just 5’2”, Jones is Ireland’s pocket-rocket hooker with strong tackling ability and an unwavering heart.
The diminutive 26-year-old has made a career out of battling against the odds.
In a game of brawn and bravery, Jones has opted for the latter, carving out a reputation as a fearsome competitor unafraid of contact.
The three-time PWR champion may work as a nanny outside of rugby, but don’t let that fool you into believing she has a soft centre. Jones is known to take no prisoners.
Ireland will be up against it in their bid to top a group containing reigning champions New Zealand, but with Jones in the side, they possess a fear factor which makes them a dangerous opponent for any team in the tournament.
Ireland have enjoyed a remarkable rise since finishing last in the Six Nations just two years ago and they will be desperate to prove they belong at the top table after failing to qualify for the last World Cup.
Jones, who is now enjoying success on an international as well as domestic level, has always been a figure of hope for Ireland, but this tournament feels like it could prove seminal.
