The Women’s Rugby World Cup is well and truly back for another edition.
All eyes are on England, who are out for revenge after they were beaten by New Zealand in the 2021 final, which took place in 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Red Roses are the favourites here, and the twist this time? They have home advantage.
John Mitchell will lead the side out, and he has big shoes to fill since taking over from Simon Middleton two years ago.
It will certainly be a star-studded tournament, with the world’s biggest and best players converging on England to compete the top prize in international rugby.
Here, Standard Sport takes a look at the four pools...
Pool A
England, USA, Australia, Samoa
There is no looking past the hosts England, the pre-tournament favourites, to top Pool A. The Red Roses have won their last 27 games and have not tasted defeat in three years, when they lost the 2022 World Cup final to New Zealand.
Spearheaded by World Rugby Player of the Year, Ellie Killdunne, England will expect to maintain their unbeaten run. They won't, however, have it all their own way, with Australia, USA and Samoa all ranked inside the world's top 15 and capable on their day of causing an upset.
Australia are a young squad packed full of potential. Their meeting with the USA, the inaugural winners of the Women's Rugby World Cup, could prove decisive for both teams.
Utility back Ilona Maher is the face of rugby in the United States. Her all-around game gives the US an edge that few other teams can replicate, and in a pool as tight as this one, the 28-year-old can be the difference.
This is Samoa's first World Cup since 2014, and they could not have asked for a much harder set of fixtures. There are splashes of quality throughout the side, but England, Australia and the US will all expect to take points against the Pacific Islanders.
Predicted finish: 1. England 2. Australia 3. USA 4. Samoa
Fixtures (all times BST, unless stated):
- Friday, 22 August – England vs USA (19.30, Sunderland)
- Saturday, 23 August – Australia vs Samoa (12.00, Manchester)
- Saturday, 30 August – England vs Samoa (17.00, Northampton)
- Saturday, 30 August – USA vs Australia (19.30, York)
- Saturday, 6 September – USA vs Samoa (13.30, York)
- Saturday, 6 September – England vs Australia (17.00, Brighton)
Pool B
Canada, Wales, Scotland, Fiji
It will be all eyes on Manchester for the opening game of Pool B as two of the home nations battle it out in what looks set to be an early decider for qualification to the knockout rounds.
Canada are ranked second in the world behind England and are expected to top Pool B without too much fuss. That means Scotland and Wales, separated by just two places in the world rankings, will be tasked with bringing some bite to the occasion.
Scotland edged a thrilling contest between the two teams in March, securing back-to-back wins against their fierce rivals for the first time in 20 years.
Scotland, who, like Wales, are struggling for form heading into the tournament, will take a lot of encouragement from March's historic victory, and it should carry them through to the knockout stages.
Fiji, competing in just their second World Cup, present a potentially tricky opponent for Scotland and Wales as they desperately look to rediscover some momentum.
Predicted finish: 1. Canada 2. Scotland 3. Wales 4. Fiji
Fixtures:
- Saturday, 23 August– Scotland vs Wales (14.45, Manchester)
- Saturday, 23 August – Canada vs Fiji (17.30, York)
- Saturday, 30 August – Canada vs Wales (12.00, Manchester)
- Saturday, 30 August – Scotland vs Fiji (14.45, Manchester)
- Saturday, 6 September – Canada vs Scotland (12.00, Exeter)
- Saturday, 6 September – Wales vs Fiji (14.45, Exeter)
Pool C
New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Spain
New Zealand, the all-conquering defending champions, do not need any more reason to reinforce their credentials as one of the favourites to lift the title.
However, the return of Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who recently became the country's all-time top try scorer, comes as a huge boost for the Black Ferns.
The 34-year-old has been in ferocious form, scoring seven tries against the USA in May, since announcing her return to the international setup, having initially retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ireland could cause a few problems, having stunned the world champions in Vancouver last year. They will hope to have it all to play for come the final game of Pool C when they meet New Zealand in Brighton.
Predicted finish: 1. New Zealand 2. Ireland 3. Japan 4. Spain
Fixtures:
- Sunday, 24 August - Ireland vs Japan (12.00, Northampton)
- Sunday, 24 August, New Zealand vs Spain (17.30, York)
- Sunday, 31 August - Ireland vs Spain (12.00, Northampton)
- Sunday, 31 August– New Zealand vs Japan (14.00, Exeter)
- Sunday, 7 September – Japan vs Spain (12.00, York)
- Sunday, 7 September – New Zealand vs Ireland (14.45, Brighton)
Pool D
France, Italy, South Africa, Brazil
There is an awful lot to like about Pool D.
Tournaments need unpredictability, and Pool D has that in spades.
France, Italy and South Africa are seasoned competitors, while Brazil, in their first-ever World Cup, are a complete unknown.
France, who nearly denied England a historic fourth consecutive Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year, will be confident of taking top spot, but they will need to hit the ground running, with Italy posing a real threat in their opening game.
Marine Menager is the figure of consistency, an endless source of tries, who can help France navigate a group full of uncertainty and undoubtedly plenty of entertainment.
Alyssa D’Inca will add pace and flair to Italy's team. The 23-year-old beats defenders at will, tackles with conviction, and finds the whitewash with striking regularity. D'Inca scored the Try of the Championship during the Six Nations and was named in the team of the tournament.
Brazil's 14-12 victory over Australia five months ago shows that they are capable of causing an upset. They will play without fear and could gain a lot of new fans. Expect fireworks in Pool D.
Predicted finish: 1. France 2. Italy 3. South Africa 4. Brazil
Fixtures:
- Saturday, 23 August – France vs Italy (20.15, Northampton)
- Sunday, 24 August– South Africa vs Brazil (14.45, Northampton)
- Sunday, 31 August– Italy vs South Africa (15.30, York)
- Sunday, 31 August – France vs Brazil (16.45, Exeter)
- Sunday, 7 September – Italy vs Brazil (14.00, Northampton)
- Sunday, 7 September – France vs South Africa (16.45, Northampton)
