Six Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 pool matches to get excited about

Excitement for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 intensified on Tuesday morning as the full match schedule for the tournament was released.

Kicking off at the Stadium of Light on August 22 next year as hosts England take on USA in a re-run of the first two finals, the tournament will head to eight host cities across six weekends.

With the full fixture list confirmed and fans able to map out their team’s potential journey to the final at Twickenham on September 27, we picked out six pool stage matches to circle in your diaries.

Ahead of the next phase of the ticketing process, you can register your interest here.

Scotland v Wales, Pool B, Salford Community Stadium, August 23

Two teams that know each other well, having met 40 times since 1993, the winner of the latest instalment of their rivalry will put themselves in a great position to reach the quarter-finals.

Scotland won the most recent meeting, beating Wales 40-14 in a WXV warm-up in Edinburgh at the beginning of September.

However, that was a relatively rare comfortable victory in the recent history of the fixture. Seven of the previous nine matches had been decided by seven points or fewer.

Wales had won six of those nine matches, including the narrow 18-15 win at Women’s RWC 2021 that ultimately sealed their passage to the last eight. Will Keira Bevan prove the match-winner once again in Manchester?

France v Italy, Pool D, Sandy Park, August 23

Another all-Six Nations encounter on the opening weekend as Les Bleues take on the Azzurre in Exeter.

With matches against South Africa and Brazil to come, the winner of this one will leave Sandy Park in pole position to claim top spot in Pool D.

France have won 24 of the 30 meetings between the sides, which date back to a 0-0 draw in 1985, including their only World Cup fixture: a 39-3 victory in the quarter-finals two years ago.

The most recent of Italy’s five victories came only seven weeks before that defeat as they beat Les Bleues 26-19 in Biella, and with the likes of Michela Sillari, Beatrice Rigoni and Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi still heavily involved, don’t count out the Azzurre next year.

South Africa v Brazil, Pool D, Franklin’s Gardens, August 24

Brazil will become the first South American nation to appear at a women’s World Cup when they take to the field in Northampton next August.

Sitting 42nd in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings, As Yaras are the lowest ranked team to make it to England and will want to prove they belong on the biggest stage in their opening match.

For South Africa, this match provides them with an excellent opportunity to secure only their second pool-stage win and first since a 15-10 defeat of Wales, also in England, in 2010.

Victory would set up the Springbok Women for a likely decisive encounter with Italy the following weekend in their pursuit of a first World Cup quarter-final.

Ireland v Spain, Pool C, Franklin’s Gardens, August 31

Seven days later, Northampton will again be the setting for a potential humdinger as the rapidly improving Ireland take on Spain, the team that helped deny them a place at the last World Cup.

Ireland have won seven of the teams’ 13 previous meetings, but an 8-7 defeat to Las Leonas at the RWC 2021 Europe Qualifier contributed to their failure to make it to New Zealand.

The Irish have enjoyed a renaissance under head coach Scott Bemand, beating the Black Ferns last month en route to finishing as runners-up in their WXV 1 debut.

That upswing in results was given impetus by a 15-13 defeat of Spain in last year’s WXV 3 finale, a match that Las Leonas led 13-3 heading into the final quarter.

Spain certainly won’t fear Ireland when they meet at Franklin’s Gardens.

England v Australia, Pool A, Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium, September 6

Two of the most in-form teams heading into the draw, hosts England are on a 20-match winning run while Australia came of age under Jo Yapp in Cape Town, winning WXV 2.

England have won all seven matches between the sides, dating back to a 30-13 victory at the 1998 World Cup in which Yapp appeared as a replacement.

Yapp’s presence in the Wallaroos coaches' box next September could potentially add an extra spice to the occasion. The former England captain won 68 caps for the Red Roses and is no stranger to the current squad due to her coaching exploits.

England’s run of success in the fixture also includes a 15-0 win in the 2010 semi-finals, a match in which Emily Scarratt lined up opposite Sharni Smale in the centres.

New Zealand v Ireland, Pool C, Brighton and Hove Albion Stadium, September 7

Ireland remain the only team to have ever beaten New Zealand in the pool stage of a World Cup, having knocked them out of the 2014 tournament.

They also head into 2025 as the only team in world rugby to lead their head-to-head against the Black Ferns, albeit having only played them three times.

Erin King was the Irish heroine at the end of September, coming off the bench at BC Place to score two tries in the final 13 minutes and give Dannah O’Brien the opportunity to claim a 29-27 victory from the kicking tee.

However, the history of the World Cup is littered with examples of the Black Ferns peaking at exactly the right time, and they will hope to exact revenge on England’s south coast.