Is England vs USA on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Women’s World Cup opener

England begin their bid for Women’s World Cup glory on home soil as they take on the United States in the opening fixture in Sunderland.

The Red Roses are huge favourites to triumph at Twickenham on 27 September having gone unbeaten since losing the last World Cup final to New Zealand in 2022.

John Mitchell’s side should have few issues progressing through a Group A that also includes Samoa and Australia, but will be wary of the threat posed by an experienced USA side.

Plenty of the Women’s Eagles’ players are stalwarts in Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), while Ilona Maher has bolstered the ranks ahead of this tournament a year after becoming a breakthrough star of Paris 2024 in rugby sevens.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is England vs the USA?

The opening clash of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup is due to kick off at 7.30pm BST on Friday 22 August at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.

How can I watch it?

Every game of the World Cup will be available to viewers in the United Kingdom via the BBC. The opening game will be shown live on BBC One, with coverage on the channel from 6.30pm BST.

Team news

England head coach John Mitchell names an unchanged starting side from the warm-up win over France, with Zoe Harrison again steering them from fly half and Sadia Kabeya getting the nod on the openside. The absences of Holly Aitchison, Helena Rowland and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald due to injury see Emma Sing and Emily Scarratt, set to appear in a fifth World Cup, provide backline cover on the bench.

The United States hand a start to Ilona Maher at outside centre in an experienced team named by head coach Sione Fukofuka. Hallie Taufoou misses out through injury with Tahlia Brody instead starting in the second row in a pack with plenty of Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) experience, including Hope Rogers at her fourth World Cup.

Line-ups

England XV: 1 Hannah Botterman, 2 Amy Cokayne, 3 Maud Muir; 4 Morwenna Talling, 5 Abbie Ward; 6 Zoe Aldcroft (capt.), 7 Sadia Kabeya, 8 Alex Matthews; 9 Natasha Hunt, 10 Zoe Harrison; 11 Jess Breach, 12 Tatyana Heard, 13 Meg Jones, 14 Abby Dow; 15 Ellie Kildunne.

Replacements: 16 Lark Atkin-Davies, 17 Kelsey Clifford, 18 Sarah Bern, 19 Rosie Galligan, 20 Maddie Feaunati; 21 Lucy Packer, 22 Emily Scarratt, 23 Emma Sing.

USA XV: 1 Hope Rogers, 2 Kathryn Treder, 3 Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele; 4 Tahlia Brody, 5 Erica Jarrell; 6 Kate Zackary (capt.), 7 Georgie Perris-Redding, 8 Rachel Johnson; 9 Olivia Ortiz, 10 McKenzie Hawkins; 11 Bulou Mataitoga, 12 Alev Kelter, 13 Ilona Maher, 14 Emily Henrich; 15 Lotte Sharp.

Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Alivia Leatherman, 18 Charli Jacoby, 19 Rachel Ehrecke, 20 Freda Tafuna; 21 Cassidy Bargell, 22 Kristin Bitter, 23 Sariah Ibarra.