England take stage to face USA and Maher's celebrity stardust

Red Roses have lost only once to tonight's opponents but refuse to get caught up in the hype of a home tournament or be distracted by their opponents' social media star

- Sarah Rendell

The talking will stop and the sport get under way tonight when the Red Roses raise the curtain on the most anticipated women's rugby tournament of all time. The USA are first in line at the 2025 Rugby World Cup to try to upset the world No 1 team, but if recent history is anything to go by it will be England striding to a dominant win.

The two sides have played 21 times and the US have won one - the 1991 World Cup final. In 2025, the USA have played six games and won one, 31-24 against Fiji. England have played seven matches in this calendar year and have won all of them, extending their unbeaten run to 27 matches.

While those predicting point to a big Red Roses win, the team are not getting caught up in the hype. The scrum-half Natasha "Mo" Hunt, who will play at the Stadium of Light in her first World Cup game since 2017, said: "I am absolutely buzzing, but ultimately it is just another game of rugby, as exciting as it is. All of the buildup, all of the branding, the tunnel is epic. Everything about it is so cool, but when we come to it tomorrow it is just another game."