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England announce Rugby World Cup 2025 warm-up opponents
The Red Roses have announced two warm-up fixtures ahead of hosting Rugby World Cup 2025 this autumn.
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The world number one side will host last year’s WXV 3 champions, Spain, at Leicester’s Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday 2 August, 20 days out from the start of their RWC 2025 campaign.
They will then take on France, who pushed them to a 43-42 Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam decider in April, in Mont-de-Marsan a week later on 9 August, in the last of their two warm-up fixtures ahead of the showpiece tournament.
England will open the 2025 Rugby World Cup on 22 August against the USA, before going on to face Samoa (Northampton, 30 August), and Australia (Brighton, 6 September) in the pool stage.
Spain, in what is their first Women’s RWC since 2017, will come up against defending champions New Zealand in their first match (York, 24 August), as well as playing Ireland (Northampton, 31 August) and Japan (York, 7 September).
England beat Spain 56-5 at the World Cup in 2017, with their 10 tries including those by current England squad members Megan Jones, Alex Matthews, Amy Cokayne, and Emily Scarratt.
Their match prior to RWC 2025 will mark the first meeting of the two sides since, only one week out from eight years to the day.
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A handful of Spanish talent currently ply their trade in the PWR league in England, including burgeoning back Claudia Pena (Harlequins), Laura Delgado (Harlequins), Alba Capell (Sale Sharks), Carmen Castellucci (Gloucester Hartpury), and Cristina Blanco (Trailfinders).
Las Leonas, currently ranked 13th in the World Rugby world rankings, successfully defended their Rugby Europe Championship title last month in an unbeaten campaign against Portugal, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Prior to RWC 2025, Spain will also travel to face their Pool C opponents, Japan, in Fukuoka and Tokyo on 19 and 26 July.
England’s second warm-up opponents, France, will face Italy (Exeter, 23 August), Brazil (Exeter, 31 August), and South Africa (Northampton, 7 September) at RWC 2025.
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