USA Women to Face England in RWC Warmup in September
USA Women to Face England in RWC Warmup in September
The USA Women's 15s team will play a warmup test match before the Rugby World Cup, taking on England September 3 at Sandy Park in Exeter, England.
The Rugby World Cup for 2021 (postponed to 2022) will begin October 8 with three games at storied Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. England plays Fiji on that day. The USA opens up the next day against Italy at Northland Events Centre in Whangarei.
The USA vs England game will be a month ahead of all that and provide a difficult test for both teams leading into the tournament. The test match will be held September 3 at 10AM ET, and will be played at the home of the Exeter Chiefs, a team that has six USA players on it: Hope Rogers, Rachel Johnson, Kate Zackary, Jennine Detiveaux, Gabby Cantora, and Megan Foster.
“This will be a great challenge on and off the pitch, to culminate our New Zealand preparation," said USA Head Coach Rob Cain. "Playing England at home in front of what will be a loud and passionate crowd of many thousands will give the players another experience that we can take into the Rugby World Cup. Being ranked No. 1 in the world, England continues to set the bar in terms of performance standards, this test gives us the perfect opportunity to measure ourselves before refining any key learnings and taking these into the upcoming pool stages.”
“We’re delighted to be able to confirm our two September Internationals," added England Head Coach Simon Middleton. "Sandy Park has got a special place in our hearts. The club and the crowd have really embraced us and every time we’ve been there, they’ve put on a sensational show.”
The USA played England late last year in a one-sided affair; England won 89-0.
