The horse has bolted! 

Rugby World Cup 2025 is a goer, with one round of pulsating action already in the books. 

We at FloRugby are turning our attention to Round 2.

Setting out their stalls early, the competition’s heavy hitters all dominated in Round 1 with an average winning margin across the eight matches of 53-6.

Now set to see more parity across the board, Round 2 and Round 3 should see major shake-ups in the pool standings.

Ahead of Friday’s kickoff, here are the two matches at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup that we are most excited to watch:

USA Eagles vs. Australia Wallaroos

Two sides on two very different paths in Round 1, the Eagles kicked off the competition with the biggest challenge in women’s rugby in 2025. 

Tackling host England at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, the Eagles had it all to do against the pre-tournament favorites.

Struggling to match their hosts at set-piece, the Eagles had a tough outing, having put up solid resistance for the opening quarter of the match. In the end, the Red Roses had too much and raced away to a 69-7 victory to lay down a marker for the rest of the tournament.

This loss has seen a significant reaction from USA head coach Sione Fukofuka, who has made nine changes, including two positional changes, to his lineup for the Wallaroos clash.

Chief amongst the changes is the dropping of veteran center Alev Kelter, who picked up a yellow card in the opening match. This followed on from the red card she was shown the last time the Eagles faced the Wallaroos, back in May’s PAC4 competition.

Conversely, the Wallaroos have made just four changes to their side, which thumped Samoa 73-0 in their opening match of the tournament.

On paper, the Australians are heavy favorites heading into a clash that ultimately will decide who joins the Red Roses in the quarterfinal stage from Pool A.

For the Eagles, star player Ilona Maher once again lines up at outside center, having flashed moments of brilliance in the opening match with some huge carries. 

Veteran loosehead prop Hope Rogers also gets the nod to start again and will be crucial in the the USA pack’s bid to stop the Wallaroos’ attack from having solid set-piece ball to launch from.

Ireland vs. Spain

Another clash with playoff ramifications, Ireland was the surprise package of Round 1 with an out-of-this-world attacking performance.

Shredding Japan 42-14 without its best player, Aoife Wafer, Ireland’s sevens stars were front and center of what was a mighty impressive performance, starting with fly-half Dannah O’Brien, who was pinpoint accurate with her kicking game, both from hand and the tee.

The young playmaker is one of the brightest prospects in women’s rugby and proved it once again by bombarding the Japanese back three with well-executed kicks that allowed her dynamic wingers to compete in the air.

On the top of Ireland’s back three, the wing pairing of Amee-Leigh Costigan and Beibhinn Parsons were, at times, unplayable, as they both scored sublime tries.

Tying the attack together, fullback Stacey Flood was instrumental in marshalling the Irish backfield. Slotting in as a second receiver, Flood added width to the Irish attack that Japan simply could not live.

Facing Ireland this week is a Spanish side that has made great strides in recent years.

Coming up against reigning champions – the New Zealand Black Ferns – Spain showed glimpses of what the squad could do, before ultimately succumbing to a 54-8 defeat.

Already talking up gaps they see in the Irish game, Spain is out to play the role of spoiler for the more fancied and established rivals.

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social