England favourites on home soil as women’s rugby seeks to shine - New Zealand, Canada and France are the Red Roses’ leading rivals for glory.

An era-defining Women's Rugby World Cup has set records even before it kicks off on Friday when host England plays the United States in Sunderland.

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. And for the first time there will be three women head coaches in Gaelle Mignot (France),