Red Roses don't deserve non-crowds - boss Mitchell

WXV

Venue: Vancouver and Langley, Canada (WXV1) and Cape Town, South Africa (WXV2) Dates: 27 September - 12 October Coverage: Live connected BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer

England women's caput coach John Mitchell says his players "don't merit to play successful beforehand of non-crowds" arsenic concerns astir summons income for nan WXV1 tourney successful Vancouver grow.

On nan aforesaid time that World Rugby announced 55,000 tickets had been snapped up for nan Rugby World Cup successful England successful 2025, nary information was offered astir summons income for this week's WXV1 games successful Canada.

"I deliberation we person a work to make judge we are playing successful beforehand of crowds," said Mitchell.

"The Red Roses don't merit to play successful beforehand of non-crowds because they coming a bully product."

England unfastened their defence of their WXV1 title against nan United States connected Sunday.

They past play world champions New Zealand and hosts Canada, connected nan pursuing 2 weekends.

Since England arrived successful Vancouver, Saracens fastener Rosie Galligan confirmed they person not seen nan tourney advertised astir nan city.

"It is not for illustration a World Cup erstwhile you spot each nan banners and stuff," she said.

"People are questioning why location are truthful galore English group [the squad] successful nan street."

"Yeah it is tough," she said of nan imaginable of acold smaller attendances than nan 41,523 who watched their triumph complete New Zealand astatine Twickenham's Allianz Stadium past clip out.

"We each want to beryllium surrounded pinch fans, not only for nan acquisition but besides to showcase what we tin do and springiness everyone - family, friends, group wanting to get progressive successful rugby - a monolithic time out.

"If location is nary vulnerability though really are group expected to get to nan stadiums to support? I decidedly deliberation location is simply a batch of activity to beryllium done higher up successful large organisations to activity pinch america to make judge we tin get those crowds in."

In defence of Canada hosting WXV1, World Rugby's caput of women's rugby Sally Horrox said: “We cognize nan Canadian public, they are learning to emotion rugby.

"They person to activity difficult successful a sports marketplace wherever rugby isn't their first sport."

In 2023, 10,092 fans watched Canada return connected New Zealand successful nan women's Pacific Four Series crippled successful Ottawa, making it nan largest crowd successful Canadian women's rugby history.

The opening and closing weekends of WXV1 successful Vancouver are being held astatine nan 54,000-capacity BC Place.

The 2024 tourney is only nan 2nd version of WXV, but its qualification rules and its 3 tiers staged crossed 3 big nations has not been easy for fans to follow.

World Rugby has confirmed that nan flagship women's title will "evolve and change" aft nan 2024 instalment.

While nan tourney provides captious Test matches for nan apical 18 women's nations, nan nonaccomplishment of location fixtures for immoderate countries is besides seen arsenic an rumor erstwhile it comes to increasing nan game.

Horrox said location were "clear options" connected nan array and announcements would beryllium made by nan extremity of 2024.

"WXV came into style arsenic a sprint to return america to nan World Cup successful 2025," she said.

"We understand location is awesome request for certainty, we understand location is simply a request for simplicity, location is simply a greater request for much location contented arsenic we each activity to turn nan game.

"We are assured pinch our unions nan exemplary will germinate and change."

On apical of nan Test-match acquisition WXV offers, it besides provides a qualification process for women's Rugby World Cups, truthful immoderate replacement fixtures aliases tournaments would person to supply a pathway for qualification for nan Women's Rugby World Cup successful Australia successful 2029.