POOL A
The country of New Zealand
Trainer Wayne Smith
Commander Ruahei Demant and Lieutenant Kennedy Simon
1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2017 were the finest World Cup, winners.
As hosts and five-time champions, the Black Ferns were expected to win until the pandemic interrupted their playing schedule. Their Tests against England in 2021, in which they suffered two consecutive record defeats, were their first international matches in two years. New Zealand, however, has returned to form, as seen by their astounding scorelines in their warm-up matches.
The winger Portia Woodman has distinguished herself by scoring seven tries in last month’s 95-12 rout of Japan. They are unquestionably capable of successfully defending their championship and should emerge as pool champions, with Australia serving as a delectable treat.
Australia
Instructor Jay Tregonning
Commander Shannon Parry
World Cup’s third-best finish, 2010
Australia does not enter their initial match versus New Zealand with a winning record. Since Jay Tregonning’s appointment in September 2021, they have had one victory, against Fiji in May.
They have since lost six consecutive games, including three to New Zealand. Because only two third-placed teams advance to the quarterfinals based on competition points, their season may stop at the group stage. However, after scoring two tries in her August debut against New Zealand, winger Bienne Terita could be their hidden weapon.
Wales
Instructor Ioan Cunningham
Capt. Siwan Lilliput
Fourth-best World Cup finish, 1994
Wales will compete in their first World Cup as professionals. In January, both full-time and part-time contracts were introduced, with more being made available later in the year. Wales finished third in the Six Nations, which was their best finish since 2009. However, they have not recorded a victory since April, when they defeated Scotland in the Six Nations; they lost both of their warm-up matches against Canada and England.
With players such as wing Jasmine Joyce and flanker Alisha Butchers, who was crowned Wales Women Player of the Year in June, they have a solid chance of advancing from the group stage.
Scotland
Trainer Bryan Eason
Lieutenant Rachel Malcolm
The 1994 World Cup Quarterfinals were the greatest.
Scotland’s September reaction to qualifying for the World Cup revealed everything you need to know about the significance of this tournament to them. It is their first appearance on the international scene since 2010, and players like No. 8 Jade Konkel will be eager to make it a memorable event.
Despite losing their most recent encounter, a friendly against the United States in August, they displayed promise. It will be a direct competition between Wales and Australia for second place in the pool, with their most important encounter likely against Wales. In the Six Nations, the ladies in red claimed victory over their opponents.
POOL B Canada
Trainer Kevin Rouet
Captain Sophie de Goede
2014 World Cup best runners-up
Canada should finish first in their group to improve their chances of advancing to the semifinals since they would likely avoid New Zealand and England in the quarterfinals. Even though they will encounter tough competition in their group, Canada’s third-place ranking and World Cup finals experience should allow them to finish first.
Nine players, including scrum-half Brianna Miller and flanker Karen Paquin, have participated in a World Cup. They also enter the competition on the heels of a good summer, which included a victory over the United States.
USA
Rob Cain is the
Captain Kate Zackary
World Cup greatest Champions, 1991
Kate Zackary led the United States to two impressive warm-up victories despite their crushing loss to England. They defeated Australia and Scotland in the summer, but losses to the Red Roses and New Zealand challenged them as they attempted to escape a difficult pool.
Their greatest challenge will be against Canada, which is ranked three spots higher than the United States, which is ranked sixth. As they chase their first World Cup trophy since 1991, the United States will aim for a high pool position.
Italy
Andrea Di Giandomenico is the coach
Captain Elisa Giordano
2017 World Cup best ninth-place playoff
Italy finished fifth in the Six Nations in 2022, their poorest place since 2016. In the summer, they struggled with a loss to France by a score of 21-0, but they rebounded back to defeat their neighbors by a score of 26-19, which moved them to fifth in the world rankings, their highest position.
In addition to this confidence boost, the injured veteran Manuela Furlan has been added to their roster. Her adaptability and leadership will prove important as the team navigates a challenging pool.
Japan
Coach Lesley McKenzie
Captain Saki Minami
The 1994 World Cup Quarterfinals were the greatest.
The lowest-ranked team will have the most difficulty advancing from the group stage. Japan is ranked thirteenth in the world, but they are capable of shocking upsets, thus they should not be underrated.
In preparation for the competition, they defeated Ireland, Australia, and Fiji. Lesley McKenzie, a former Canadian international, said the team’s objective: “I’m looking forward to seeing performances that make the rugby world take note of what this team is capable of.” The squad is somewhat inexperienced, with Seina Saito, who has 31 caps, having the most experience.
POOL C
England
Simon Middleton, coach
Captain Sarah Hunter
World Cup greatest Champions, 1994 and 2014
The Red Roses are the favorites, and anything less than a championship would be a letdown given their 25-game victory streak. The milestone victory came against Wales last month, making them the first Test side to reach that level in their warm-up games.
With players such as vice-captain and center Emily Scarratt and World Rugby’s Player of the Year Zoe Aldcroft, their recent dominance could propel them to the championship match. Before that, however, they may face their biggest test against France, the last team to defeat them.
France
Instructor Thomas Darracq
Captain Gaëlle Hermet
World Cup’s third-best finish in 1994, 2002, 2006 and 2014
France should easily advance from the group stage, albeit behind England. Le Crunch will be the most important encounter for both teams, but the Red Roses should prevail. The difficulty for France is to capitalize on the openings they create and utilize the genius of scrum-half Laure Sansus to her full potential.
Sansus scored six tries during the 2022 Six Nations, the most of any player, and will be relied upon more so following the shocking absence of wing Caroline Boujard. Despite suffering an unexpected loss to Italy in the summer, France enters the competition with the confidence to get to the quarterfinals.
The African nation of South Africa
Coach Stanley Raubenheimer
The captain of Nolusindiso
2010 and 2014 had the best ninth-place playoff in World Cup history.
South Africa’s match against Fiji is it’s most important in the pool, as the team seeks to finish third behind France and England. South Africa enters the tournament with excellent results, including a series draw against Japan and two victories against Spain.
Nolusindiso Booi, their captain and lock, and Zenay Jordaan, their fly-half, will both be competing in their third World Cup. One of our goals, according to Stanley Raubenheimer, is to not only make the country but also ourselves proud of our efforts.
Fiji
Coach Senirusi Seruvakula
Captain Sereima Leweniqila
Best World Cup debut
Fiji is competing in its first World Cup and is hence relatively unknown. In addition, the unpredictability of their matches is increased because they have never played any of the teams in their pool.
They enter the competition after winning the Oceania Championship with a record-setting 152-0 victory over Papua New Guinea. Asinate Serevi, daughter of sevens player Waisale, played for the United States before switching allegiance to Fiji by the new World Rugby regulations.
