Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025: Where to watch USA, Ilona Maher take on England

The Women’s Rugby World Cup gets underway on Friday with a match between the United States and England. The event, which takes place every four years, is the first since the “2021” edition, which was held in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

England made it to the finals of the last tournament but lost to New Zealand, 34-31, in a hard-fought championship. The United States did make it out of pool play, but lost to Canada in the quarterfinals.

The Americans will be looking to build on the momentum of the Paris Olympics, which saw the country capture a bronze medal on the back of one of the Olympics’ most viral moments: Alex Sedrick’s last-second run for what proved to be the game-winning try. Sedrick is not a member of the USA’s World Cup roster, but Ilona Maher, the sport’s other star who became an Olympic sensation last summer is on the roster.

Olympic rugby is a different variation of the game, called rugby sevens, which features seven players per side in a much shorter match. The World Cup is a rugby union tournament, with 15 players per side on the pitch.

The finals of the World Cup will be played at 11 a.m. ET on Sept. 27.

How the Women’s Rugby World Cup works

The 16 qualifying teams are split into four pools of four. Round robin play in each pool determines the first and second-place teams, who advance to a single-elimination knockout round.

Two quarterfinal matches will be held on Sept. 13, with the other two on Sept. 14. The semifinals then take place on Sept. 19 and 20 before the championship and bronze medal matches on Sept. 27.

What teams are in the Women’s Rugby World Cup?

When are the USA’s matches and where can I watch?

The United States won the first event in 1991, going undefeated in the tournament before defeating England, 19-6, in the finals. Team USA then had back-to-back second place finishes in 1994 and 1998, but has not since reached the podium since.

Here is a look at America’s three pool play matches, times and how to watch.

• USA vs. England — Friday, Aug. 22, 2:30 p.m. ET, Paramount+
• USA vs. Australia — Saturday, Aug. 30, 2:30 p.m. ET, Paramount+
• USA vs. Samoa — Saturday, Sept. 6, 8:30 a.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+

What are the rules of rugby union?

The Women’s Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament, pitting 15 players from each side on the pitch at a time against each other in 80-minute games played over two 40-minute halves.

Players attempt to advance the ball up the pitch by using only sideways or backward passes, while the defending team attempts to regain control of the ball and may only make tackles below the shoulders and with an actual attempt to wrap their arms around an offensive player.

When a player advances the ball into the tryzone (the equivalent of American football’s endzone), they must touch the ball to the ground, scoring a “try,” worth five points. The scoring team is then given the chance at a conversion kick through the posts for an additional two points.

Teams may also score with a drop kick through the posts, worth three points, or if awarded a penalty kick, also worth three points.

For a more detailed breakdown of union rugby rules, check out this video from USA Rugby.

Who are the betting favorites to win the Women’s Rugby World Cup?

England is the clear betting favorites to take home the World Cup, and the fact that the nation is hosting probably doesn’t hurt either. New Zealand has won six of the last seven events, but England has been there every step of the way as well. The team only missed the championship match once, in 1998, but it managed a third-place finished that year. England won the event in 1994 and 2014.

Here’s a look at the full odds for each team per DraftKings.