A guide to all 16 teams in the Women’s Rugby World Cup

By Canadian Press on August 19, 2025.

Pool A

LONDON (AP) — England

World ranking: 1

Captain: Zoe Aldcroft

Coach: John Mitchell

Best finish: Champion 1994, 2014

Prospects: The team to beat. Won 57 of its last 58 tests, and the last 27, many of them blowouts. The one blip was the 2022 final in Auckland, where England overcame an 18th-minute red card to lead New Zealand until the 71st minute. England lost 34-31. The Red Roses have lost only seven times in RWC history, six of them to New Zealand, five of those in finals. Eight of the squad have never lost a test and don’t have RWC baggage. Center Emily Scarratt will appear in a record-tying fifth RWC.

Australia

World ranking: 6

Captain: Siokapesi Palu

Coach: Jo Yapp

Best finish: Semifinals 2010

Prospects: The game against the U.S. on Aug. 30 will likely decide the pool’s second quarterfinalist. The Wallaroos beat the U.S. 27-19 in May in Canberra, one of only three wins in seven tests this year. Only Tia Hinds from the champion sevens side has reached the RWC. The squad also includes the youngest Wallaroos in tournament history, all backs: Waiaria Ellis (17), Caitlyn Halse (18) and Manu’a Moleka (18), who joins older sister Faitala. Ex-England captain Jo Yapp coached Australia to its first ever silverware, the WXV 2 in 2024, but is stepping down for family reasons after the RWC.

United States

World ranking: 10

Captain: Kate Zackary

Coach: Sione Fukofuka

Best finish: Champion 1991

Prospects: A 34-21 win over Fiji in Washington in front of a U.S.-record 15,000 fans last month ended a nearly year-long winless run. Back-rower Kate Zackary, captain since 2018, leads the Eagles at a second straight RWC. Loosehead prop Hope Rogers, the most capped Eagle, will appear at her fourth RWC. Center Ilona Maher, the most followed rugby player on social media with 8.7 million fans, returns to England where she made a big impact during a three-month stint with Bristol Bears this year.

Samoa

World ranking: 15

Captain: Sui Tauaua-Pauaraisa

Coach: Ramsey Tomokino

Best finish: 9th 2002

Prospects: For the Manusina’s first RWC appearance in 11 years, preparation has been hampered by a lack of matches and players unavailable. Their worry is not having faced the intensity of tier one teams before playing three of them in 15 days. Captain and lock Sui Tauaua-Pauaraisa, who will be 38 in October, is one of their greats; she’s represented Samoa in 15s, sevens and rugby league and New Zealand in rugby league.

Pool B

Canada

World ranking: 2

Captain: Alexandra Tessier

Coach: Kevin Rouet

Best finish: Final 2014

Prospects: A second RWC final. Brimming with confidence. Unbeaten in seven tests this year, including a 27-27 draw in New Zealand. Has 21 players back from the 2022 RWC and includes six Paris Olympics sevens silver medalists. Midfielder Alexandra Tessier, a world player of 2024 nominee, took over the captaincy after goalkicking No. 8 Sophie de Goede, another former world player nominee, tore her ACL. De Goede returned in July after 13 months out. Canada has won 16 of its 22 matches since the last RWC, including wins over New Zealand and France. Says back-rower Fabiola Forteza of their RWC preparedness, “We feel ready.”

Scotland

World ranking: 8

Captain: Rachel Malcolm

Coach: Bryan Easson

Best finish: Quarterfinals 1994, 1998

Prospects: The pool game with Wales on Saturday in Manchester looks set to decide whether Scotland reaches its first quarterfinals in 27 years. First-choice hookers Lana Skeldon and Elis Martin turned up at the squad announcement on crutches but are expected to be fit. Lock Emma Wassell made an inspiring comeback in July after two surgeries to remove a benign tumor in her chest. Captain Rachel Malcolm says they’re motivated to do well for Bryan Easson, the coach since 2020 who is leaving after the RWC.

Wales

World ranking: 9

Co-captains: Alex Callender, Kate Williams

Coach: Sean Lynn

Best finish: Semifinals 1994

Prospects: The historic first test win in Australia on July 25 in Brisbane can’t be understated. It followed Wales’ first Six Nations whitewash and was the first win under coach Sean Lynn, who took over in January. Wales lost the second match in Sydney but it finally had signs of progress and encouragement after a tumultuous winter regarding contract negotiations that threatened Wales’ withdrawal from the RWC. The squad has two pairs of sisters from the same club, including uncapped Wales Under-20 captain Branwen Metcalfe, and hooker Carys Phillips reaching her fourth RWC.

Fiji

World ranking: 14

Captain: Alfreda Fisher

Coach: Ioan Cunningham

Best finish: 9th 2022

Prospects: Fiji made its RWC debut in 2022, beat South Africa, and missed out on a quarterfinal spot on points difference. Ioan Cunningham was appointed the Fijiana coach in February, three months after resigning from leading Wales, which he improved. He’s happy with the strides made by Fijiana in four matches since May, including a historic first visit by Australia and first test with the U.S. Flanker Alfreda Fisher became Fijiana’s youngest captain at 20 and back Adi Salote Nailolo has come out of the new local Na Soko women’s competition.

Pool C

New Zealand

World ranking: 3

Co-captains: Ruahei Demant, Kennedy Tukuafu

Coach: Allan Bunting

Best finish: Champion 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2017, 2022

Prospects: Only the trophy marks a successful RWC for the perennial champion. The Black Ferns won’t give it up easily. The great Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has come out of retirement, Kelly Brazier has come out of the cold for a fourth RWC, sevens stars Jorja Miller and Risi Pouri-Lane have been co-opted, and 18-year-old fullback Braxton Sorensen-McGee appears to be a star in the making. But following the 2022 RWC final victory against England, the Black Ferns have lost all three matches to the Red Roses by a combined score of 106-55.

Ireland

World ranking: 5

Co-Captains: Edel McMahon, Sam Monaghan

Coach: Scott Bemand

Best finish: Semifinals 2014

Prospects: Ireland admits missing out on 2022 lit a fire to get back. It qualified at the 2024 Six Nations. The Irish are led by No. 8 Aoife Wafer, voted the Six Nations’ best player, and center Aoife Dalton, voted Ireland’s best player. They include uncapped under-20s hooker Beth Buttimer and prop Ellena Perry, who played 11 times for England to 2020 and switched teams thanks to an Irish maternal grandfather. She debuted in their last warmup, a loss to Canada in Belfast.

Japan

World ranking: 11

Captain: Iroha Nagata

Coach: Lesley McKenzie

Best finish: Quarterfinals 1994

Prospects: Not good for New Zealand. Japan has never been drawn in a pool containing the eventual champion. The Sakura Fifteen followed their longest winless streak — seven tests — with a five-match winning run until this month when they lost to Italy in their last warmup in Calvisano. The wins included a first against the U.S. and two at home against Spain, also a pool opponent on Sept. 7. Japan is relatively experienced; only three players have less than 10 caps.

Spain

World ranking: 13

Captain: Laura Delgado

Coach: Juan Gonzalez Marruecos

Best finish: Quarterfinals 1998, 8th 2002

Prospects: Las Leonas won at least one match in their previous six RWC appearances, and their goal is one win in this RWC. They beat Fiji in the 2024 WXV 3 final to qualify. While they missed the 2022 RWC, they still have four players from the 2014 tournament, including prop and captain Laura Delgado. Fullback Claudia Peña is considered the team’s budding star at 20. The Spaniards were farewelled by original 1991 RWC players in a rousing sendoff.

Pool D

France

World ranking: 4

Co-captains: Marine Ménager, Manaé Feleu

Co-coaches: Gaëlle Mignot, David Ortiz

Best finish: Semifinals 1991, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2017, 2022

Prospects: Les Bleues should ease through the tournament until the semifinals when they will likely run into England. Their last warmup was a 40-6 hiding from England in Mont-de-Marsan; a 16th straight loss to England and the biggest defeat in the contest since 2009. France’s stars are backs, Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Gabrielle Vernier, and to boost a pack that was overwhelmed by England they have introduced prop Makarita Baleinadogo after Ambre Mwayembe broke her ankle, and back-rowers Marie Morland and Khoudedia Cissokho.

Italy

World ranking: 7

Captain: Elisa Giordano

Coach: Fabio Roselli

Best finish: Quarterfinals 2022

Prospects: A team that should stay poised under pressure. Eleven players have more than 50 caps, led by back Sofia Stefan’s 98. Ten players are going to their third RWC. Keep an eye on center-wing Alyssa D’Inca, a threat since last year who scored four tries across the Azzurre’s warmup wins over Scotland and Japan.

South Africa

World ranking: 12

Captain: Nolusindiso Booi

Coach: Swys de Bruin

Best finish: 10th 2010, 2014

Prospects: The most capped women’s Springbok, lock Nolusindiso Booi, captains them at a second RWC and her fourth overall. South Africa prepared at home with two hidings from Canada and shared spoils with a Black Ferns XV. Winning the second match 41-24 in Cape Town this month heartened coach Swys de Bruin, who believed his Boks delivered what he hoped to see.

Brazil

World ranking: 25

Captain: Eshyllen Coimbra

Coach: Emiliano Caffera

Best finish: Debut

Prospects: Brazil played its first test in 2008 then not another one for 11 years. As Yaras, named for a female warrior in myth, earned their first test win in 2023 and beat Colombia for the first time in 2024 to qualify for the RWC. They earned their fifth ever win in their 17th test and first over the Netherlands by 22-0 last month. It’s no surprise that 11 of the squad are also sevens players. Brazilian rugby was accelerated by hosting the 2016 Olympics and the team has made every Games since. The 15s captain, Raquel Kochhann, recovered from breast cancer and was Brazil’s flagbearer in the 2024 Paris Games.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Foster Niumata, The Associated Press