The attendance record for the Women’s Rugby World Cup was also broken on the opening night as 42,723 watched England beat USA in Sunderland.

The arm wrestles will come’ - Lopsided scorelines were a theme of the opening weekend of the tournament but record attendances and engagement were reported

New Zealand began its defense of the Women’s Rugby World Cup by scratching a 54-8 win over Spain in York on Sunday. The Black Ferns were comfortable eight-try winners — with only 13 players for the last quarter — but at the possible cost of flanker Kaipo Olsen-Baker, who suffered a right leg injury and was carried off the field in tears.