England feeling huge pressure

WORLD CUP: HOSTS NEED THAT MONKEY OFF THEIR BACK

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Tournament hosts England head into the Women's Rugby World Cup as strong favourites, but are under huge pressure to end more than a decade of disappointment in the sport's showpiece event.

The Red Roses have lost only once in their past 58 matches - a defeat by New Zealand in the Covid-delayed 2022 World Cup final.

England, however, have finished runners-up in five of the last six World Cup finals to New Zealand, with the 2014 edition providing their most recent global 15-a-side title.

In a bid to help them take the final step to global glory, they appointed New Zealand's John Mitchell as their coach in 2023.