Biggest Weekend Talking Points: Springboks looking for revenge + Women’s World Cup begins

The stage is set for another exciting weekend of rugby, with the Women’s World Cup beginning, as well as the second round of The Rugby Championship and the start of the Pacific Nations Cup to keep fans entertained.

Whichever tournament is your preferred, the one certainty is that there is no shortage of top rugby action to look forward to. With lots of storylines in each, there is plenty for the neutrals as well.

Here, Charlie Elliott goes through some specific talking points that you should be aware of going into this weekend.

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Women’s World Cup Begins

The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 kicks off in England this weekend, marking the next unmissable chapter in a landmark summer of women’s sport.

The tournament begins with host nation and Six Nations champions England facing the USA at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, setting the tone for an action-packed opening weekend.

Fans can look forward to headline clashes including Scotland v Wales in Salford and Ireland v Japan in Northampton, alongside global showdowns such as France v Italy and New Zealand v Spain.

With passion running high and new rivalries set to ignite, the tournament is shaping up to be a celebration of skill, strength and determination.

This World Cup promises to capture the imagination of fans everywhere and looks set to continue the rapid rate at which the women’s game has risen recently.

Favourites v Dark Horses

The Red Roses enter the opener in blistering form, riding a 27-game winning streak and fresh from emphatic victories over Spain and France, where they ran in 21 tries and conceded just one.

History is firmly on their side too, with 20 straight wins against the Eagles, including a 61-21 triumph last time out.

With home advantage this year, John Mitchell’s side are considered by many to be favourites; however, six-time champions New Zealand might have something to say about that.

But the USA bring pedigree and flair, led by Ilona Maher, the most followed rugby player in the world, and could be dark horses in this tournament.

With over 40,000 fans expected at the Stadium of Light, it is sure to start the tournament off with a bang.

Boks Out For Revenge

The Rugby Championship returns to Cape Town this Saturday as South Africa look to put things right against Australia after last week’s shocker in Johannesburg.

 The Springboks raced into a 22-0 lead only to be stunned by a Wallabies comeback for the ages, with Joe Schmidt’s side running in five second-half tries to claim a 38-22 win, their first at Ellis Park since 1963.

Rassie Erasmus has rung the changes, calling back Handre Pollard, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe in a bid to steady the ship, while Jesse Kriel leads a side determined to restore pride.

Australia arrive buoyed by belief, but they know a wounded Bok side at DHL Stadium is a dangerous prospect.

Depth Tested for Both Teams

Both teams have a few injuries to contend with in their second game in as many weeks against each other.

Injuries have compounded South Africa’s woes, with skipper Siya Kolisi (knee) and Pieter-Steph du Toit (concussion) among four forced out.

Rassie Erasmus has recalled Handre Pollard and Damian de Allende to steady the backline, while Cheslin Kolbe returns on the wing.

RG Snyman joins a reshuffled pack, with their team still looking extremely strong despite a few enforced changes.

Australia, on the other hand, will be without captain Harry Wilson after a knee injury ruled him out, with Rob Valetini returning from a calf problem to start in Cape Town.

Fraser McReight takes over the captaincy, while Corey Toole earns a Test debut following Dylan Pietsch’s broken jaw. Prop Allan Alaalatoa also remains sidelined.

Both have a few players out, so this Test will be more of a battle of depth.

Pacific Nations Cup Begins

The Pacific Nations Cup kicks off this weekend with huge stakes on the line. On Friday in Calgary, Canada, host rivals USA in a crunch Pool B clash that could shape the path to Rugby World Cup 2027 qualification.

New Canada coach Steve Meehan is determined to guide his side back to the global stage after missing France 2023, while Scott Lawrence’s Eagles are building towards USA Rugby’s “Moonshot 2031” project.

Meanwhile, Saturday sees Tonga face Samoa in Nuku’alofa.

Tonga see this campaign as vital for rugby’s survival on the islands, with former captain and current assistant coach Nili Latu calling it a “one-off opportunity.”

With Japan and Fiji already qualified, three World Cup places remain – meaning every result in this year’s PNC could be decisive.

By Charlie Elliott

READ MORE: Rugby Championship Round One Team of the Week – Wallabies dominate XV after all-time comeback against Springboks