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Find your frequency hereEngland open World Cup campaign with thumping win
AP • August 23rd, 2025 12:00 pm
England's Maud Muir fought her way over the line for a try in her side's crushing win | Photo: AP
Red-hot trophy favourites England launched their bid for the Women's Rugby World Cup crown by thrashing the United States 69-7 in front of a record crowd.
England overcame early nerves in Sunderland on Friday to score 11 tries to one for a 28th straight victory.
The effort by the world's best team was appreciated by a record women's rugby Test attendance of 42,723, eclipsing by 144 tickets the previous high set at the 2022 World Cup final, where England suffered their only loss in the past six years.
The tournament-opening result on Friday ticked all of the boxes for England, who are in the same group as Australia.
England have launched their Women's Rugby World Cup campaign in style | Photo: AP
The set-pieces were dominant, the collisions were aggressive, no injuries were suffered, no unnecessary energy was sapped, and a plucky Eagles side was overwhelmed for a 21st straight time.
England coach John Mitchell said they were relieved to finally get under way.
"We know that our game works," Mitchell said. "We'll get better and flow, and there were some really good signs tonight."
The result was in hand by halftime at 28-7, and England opened up in the second half. They showed off the power of their bench, including the appearance of centre Emily Scarratt, the first Englishwoman to play in five World Cups.
England put on a seven-try show, including doubles for fullback Ellie Kildunne, wing Jess Breach and replacement hooker Lark Atkin-Davies.
The world's best player in 2024, Kildunne was named the player of the match, but forwards Sadia Kabeya and Hannah Botterman also shone, and centre Megan Jones was arguably England's best back.
Ellie Kildunne dives over for one of her tries in England's win over the United States | Photo: AP
Kabeya scored the tournament's opening try in the seventh minute from a lineout drive, England's bread-and-butter try move. The US had the ball for the first two minutes, but England tackling sent the Eagles backwards into their own half. The Eagles also had the first scrum put-in and conceded a penalty that led to the Kabeya try.
Kabeya was picked as the open-side flanker ahead of former captain Marlie Packer and was a standout.
Botterman, the loosehead prop, wasn't contained in the scrum or open play. She scored England's second try running a perfect line after Jones tore open the US by running over flanker Georgie Perris-Redding, who left the field.
The Americans replied when Erica Jarrell-Searcy busted two tackles and speared to the try-line.
Moments later, teammate Alev Kelter was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on and England exploited her absence to score tries to prop Maud Muir from another lineout drive and, from the restart, Kildunne, who finished a sweeping move with Abby Dow.
The second half was also a potent show of England's defence. The US strung 13 and 17 phases but couldn't sniff the try-line.
England will make wholesale changes for their second pool game against Samoa in Northampton next weekend, when the US will play a crucial game against Australia in York.
The winners of the Australia-US encounter are likely to advance to the quarter-finals along with the home side.
Ilona Maher, the Olympic medallist who carried and tackled well in her World Cup debut, believed the Eagles will be better for the match, despite suffering their worst World Cup defeat.
"It won't be tough to deal with, it sets us up well," Maher said.
"If it was an easy match, we would have come in flying (against Australia) and could have been too confident.
"It gets us psyched for Australia because we had moments of brilliance."
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