Huge favourites Red Roses look to follow Lionesses' triumph

Crouch. Set. Re-engage. A sporting summer in which England's women have already taken centre stage begins a powerful second act tonight as the Red Roses kick off the Women's Rugby World Cup in Sunderland.

- Sean Ingle

Crouch. Set. Re-engage. A sporting summer in which England's women have already taken centre stage begins a powerful second act tonight as the Red Roses kick off the Women's Rugby World Cup in Sunderland. The Lionesses have already shattered many perceptions in winning the Women's Euros twice. Now the Red Roses hope to forcibly ram home the message.

More than 40,000 fans will be at the Stadium of Light to see England begin their campaign against the US, with millions more expected to watch it live on BBC One. The result is expected to be a rout. In fact, anyone betting £100 on the Red Roses to win will get just 10p in winnings if they are successful.

Unsurprisingly, the Red Roses are also huge favourites for the tournament, having lost only one of their past 58 matches.

That defeat came in the 2022 World Cup final against New Zealand, one of the few teams apart from England to have a squad of professional players.

But while the teams fight it out for the World Cup trophy, a separate battle for hearts and minds will also take place over the next month as organisers attempt to capitalise on the growing popularity of the women's game across the globe.