Overview
- Ellie Kildunne will step back into England’s starting XV at full-back for the final warm-up against France after recovering from a leg injury.
- World Rugby reduced Marlie Packer’s red-card sanction to a one-match ban, limiting her absence to the France game and preserving her availability for England’s World Cup opener.
- Coach John Mitchell excluded Emily Scarratt, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Holly Aitchison from the France fixture pending head-injury assessments but expects them to feature in the World Cup opener.
- Rugby Australia abolished the Giteau Law, allowing coach Joe Schmidt unrestricted selection of overseas-based players for Australia’s 35-man Rugby Championship squad that includes three uncapped players and Nic White’s recall.
- The 2025 Rugby Championship schedule features six rounds of home-and-away tests between Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa from August 16 to October 4.