England to play New Zealand and France ahead of Women's Rugby World Cup

England's Red Roses will begin a near year-long run up to the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup with matches at home to leading rivals New Zealand and France.

Bill Sweeney, the chief executive of England's governing Rugby Football Union, said on Tuesday the fixtures will form part of the build-up for the annual WXV1 elite women's tournament in Canada later this year.

AN RFU spokesman told AFP the dates and venues for the two games were expected to be announced "in the next few weeks".

The Red Roses are the reigning WXV1 champions and the matches with New Zealand, currently ranked second in the world and third-placed France will also serve as an early form guide for a 2025 World Cup in England.

Sweeney was speaking during an event in Bristol, southwest England, which marked 500 days before the start of the World Cup, as he hailed a "transformational" legacy programme for the tournament that could help the RFU achieve its ambition of 100 000 female players by 2027.

More than £12 million has been committed to 'Impact '25 by the British Government.

Transforming the game 🙌

With 500 days to go until the #RWC2025, we’re launching Impact ’25.

Our aim?

We want 100,000 women’s players across the country by 2027 👊

Find out more ⤵️

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) April 9, 2024

"If you look at women's sport, what's happening with the (England) Lionesses in football and you see it across cricket as well, it is here to stay and we need to make sure it grows (in rugby) as quickly as possible," said Sweeney.

The Red Roses have become the dominant force in the Women's Six Nations after turning professional much earlier than their European rivals.

They have won the tournament for five successive years, with only a change in format in a Covid-hit 2021 preventing them completing a Grand Slam on each occasion.

This season, England have already recorded thumping wins over Italy (48-0) and Wales (46-10) heading into Saturday's third-round match away to Scotland.

England also won 30 tests in a row from 9 November, 2019 to 5 November, 2022 against all opponents.

That record streak came to an end with an agonising 34-31 loss to tournament hosts New Zealand in the Covid-delayed 2022 Women's World Cup final in Auckland.

The 2025 World Cup begins on August 22. Twickenham, the RFU's headquarters ground in southwest London, will stage the final with the aim of breaking the current world record attendance of 58 498 for a women's test match set last year when England played France.