Red Roses vs Black Ferns: How to watch England play New Zealand in the Women's Rugby World Cup final

Attendance at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final is set to reach a record high, with more than 40,000 tickets sold for Saturday’s match. 

England, who are favourites, will take on hosts and defending champions New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, rounding off a tournament that has heralded an explosion in the popularity of women’s rugby. 

The previous largest crowd for the women's World Cup event was 34,235 on the tournament's opening day at Eden Park, preceded by 20,000 at the 2014 World Cup in France, showing just how far the competition has come. 

The Red Roses are chasing a third world title, after last winning in 1994 and 2014.

New Zealand's Black Ferns have triumphed on five occasions, with four of their victorious finals being against England.

Whoever wins the title, the hype for this year’s tournament will fuel hopes of selling out 80,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium when England hosts the 2025 World Cup.

Here is a guide on when and where to watch Saturday’s final - and a guide to England’s chances of winning the title. 

When is kick-off time for the Rugby World Cup final?

Saturday's final is due to kick off at 7.30pm local time. New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of the UK, so fans in the UK will have to catch the coverage from 6.30am (GMT).

Where to watch the match

For viewers in the UK, the Rugby World Cup final will be shown live on ITV and STV, with build up to the match starting at 6am.

Jill Douglas will be presenting from Eden Park, joined by Nolli Waterman, Maggie Alphonsi, and David Flatman.

Fans will also be able to stream the final on the ITV or STV websites, or the ITV Hub or STV player apps, but viewers will need a TV licence to watch live programming online.

What are England's chances of winning?

The Red Roses appear to be in good stead for Saturday, with bookies currently providing 1/2 odds (66.7% probability) of victory for England, compared to 21/10 for New Zealand (31.3%).

Having gone 30 Tests unbeaten, England are maintaining the longest winning streak in rugby union history.

This would make a win against the Black Ferns all the more significant, but the nation's long-running rivals should not be underestimated.

Five years ago England lost a grudge match against the Black Ferns 32-41, so the pressure to perform is now on.

Both sides have had perfect records throughout the tournament, and England will have to be wary of New Zealand's fluid style of play which can quickly disrupt defences and leave the edge of the pitch unprotected.

After England's fully professional team beat Canada's amateur team by 26-19 at Eden Park, head coach Simon Middleton said there was room for improvement.

“We came here to get into the final, and we had to do it by hook or by crook today,” he said. “Canada were absolutely brilliant today, they just don’t make mistakes with the ball and put you under a lot of pressure.

“We have a bit of work to do this week in terms of putting our game back together because we didn’t play well today.”

Middleton added: “We had a great start and set the blueprint of keeping the ball, but then we missed a few opportunities, and invited them into the game.

“They are a good side with spirit and character, and tough players who keep going. I am proud of our players because they fought hard. We got into the final, and that’s all that matters.”

The England head coach said the Black Ferns had to carry the weight of expectation playing in front of a huge home crowd.

"It would be more intimidating for them, to lose in front of your home crowd is a tough gig, so the pressure on them is absolutely massive," he told a press conference.

The England captain Sarah Hunter told ITV News that the sport is only going to continue to draw a bigger audience as the profile and fanbase expands.

England's route to the final

Pool C: England 84 Fiji 19 England arrived in New Zealand following a comprehensive tournament warm-up victory over Wales, and they continued their free-scoring form by brushing aside Fiji.

Claudia MacDonald claimed four of England’s 14 tries as the Red Roses passed their previous-best points total in a World Cup game of 82, set against Kazakhstan 12 years ago. Pool C: England 13 France 7 The Red Roses knew France would provide comfortably their toughest pool stage test, and so it proved during a pulsating encounter in Whangarei.

Centre Emily Scarratt scored all of England’s points through a try, conversion and two penalties, steering her team into pole position as potential Pool C winners. Pool C: England 75 South Africa 0 England head coach Simon Middleton rang the changes for his squad’s final pool game – six players made their first tournament appearance – but another impressive and efficient display proved way too much for South Africa.

Rosie Galligan and Connie Powell each scored try hat-tricks as the Red Roses cruised home.

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Quarter-final: England 41 Australia 5 Skipper Sarah Hunter became the most-capped player in English rugby union history, making her 138th Test match appearance as the Red Roses overcame testing wet conditions in Auckland to knock out Australia.

Hunter scored England’s opening try, while her back-row colleague Marlie Packer touched down three times on a day when England’s forwards took charge. Semi-final: England 26 Canada 19 England recorded a 30th successive Test match victory, but they were made to fight every inch of the way before securing a place in the final.

Wing Abby Dow scored two tries, including a brilliant individual effort, with Packer also touching down and Scarratt kicking 11 points that ultimately kept resilient opponents at bay.