A month after their football counterparts, the Lionesses, ignited something special by winning back-to-back Euros titles, the Red Roses are unapologetically on the warpath to replicate something similar for rugby.
"You look at what they did in the Euros and what that did for women’s sport, not just women’s football — we want to have a similar effect," England prop Hannah Botterman said.
"For women’s rugby, it would be unbelievable to see a boom in participation. Hopefully we can get to the final and reproduce what the football girls did."
If there has ever been a good time, it is now.
The Roses, runners-up at the 2022 Rugby World Cup, are on a 27-game winning streak since that loss and rightly are ranked No 1.
Coached by former All Blacks coach John Mitchell, England have been brutally dominant, winning the Six Nations and back-to-back WXV1 titles.
But they have not lifted the World Cup since their 2014 victory in France, and the Black Ferns will tell you just how special it is to lift "Nancy" on home soil.
Expectations are high for a home team packed with superstars such as Holly Aitchison, Ellie Kildunne, Amy Cokayne — who scored a hat-trick from England’s revered rolling maul in the 2022 final — Marlie Packer and Emily Scarratt, who is about to become the first English player to play in five World Cups.
It is a World Cup that has already broken new ground.
Earlier this week, organisers announced 375,000 of the 470,000 available tickets had been sold, including an 82,000 sellout at Twickenham for the final. That is a far cry from the 13,253 who watched on at Twickenham Stoop in the 2010 final the last time England hosted the World Cup.
But there will be plenty of hurdles standing in the Roses’ way desperate for their own shot at glory.
Canada are now ranked No 2 in the world.
They beat the defending champion Black Ferns — ranked No 3 in the world — last year, and drew earlier this year, in their Pacific Four encounters.
Canada, whose best finish was runner-up in 2014, have the services of goalkicking No 8 Sophie de Goede, returning from injury, and silver medal Olympian Asia Hogan-Rochester, who is quick out wide.
France, ranked No 4, are never easy to overcome.
The French, six-time World Cup bronze medal winners, are home to lock Madoussou Fall Raclot, whose outrageous skillset was on show for Les Bleus in 2022, and back Emilie Boulard is exciting.
Ireland — who failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup — are another team to keep an eye on, having made massive strides in recent years.
Flanker Aoife Wafer is huge in the back row, and scored twice in Ireland’s win over the Black Ferns last year, and centre Aoife Dalton was named Ireland women’s player of the year in May.
The Irish will be without world breakthrough player of the year Erin King, who is sidelined with injury.
England will kick off the World Cup against the United States at 6.30am tomorrow (NZ time).
