England's clash with USA delayed by weather in Washington DC
'Match Update. Weather delay ahead of the USA Men vs England match,' the governing body wrote on X.
Match Update
Weather delay ahead of the USA Men vs England match.
New Kick off time will be shared shortly.
— USA Rugby (@USARugby) July 19, 2025
'New kick-off time will be shared shortly.'
An update from USA Rugby said the game would now kick-off at 1805 local time (2305 BST).
England Rugby posted on their X account that the kick-off was delayed due to a lightning strike in the American capital.
The USA v England game at Audi Field, Washington DC, has been delayed due to weather.#USAvENG pic.twitter.com/gst8E5JqxW
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) July 19, 2025
A giant screen at Audi Field told fans to 'exit the seating bowl' and 'seek shelter in the concourse'.
Football's Club World Cup was recently held in the US and the tournament was plagued by extreme weather.
Several games were played in fierce heat with temperatures sometimes exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, and Chelsea's tie with Benfica suffered a lengthy delay after a Charlotte thunderstorm forced the players off the field.
Steve Borthwick's England were due to wrap up their season against the Eagles after beating Argentina 2-0 in South America.
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The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why England and Spain's unique rivalry goes beyond the Euro 2025 final
At kick-off in the Euro 2025 final, England and Spain will be rivals. But before and after, many will be friends and allies, united by a common cause. Keira Walsh is determined to win on Sunday, to become a two-time European champion as part of the first-ever England team to defend a title at a major international tournament. But Walsh also wants Spain to enjoy their moment, to make up for what was lost. Spain will undoubtedly enjoy the occasion more if they beat England to add to their World Cup triumph, but Walsh was aware of the wider meaning. England's players were hurt after their World Cup final defeat to Spain in 2023; though what followed in Sydney was the greater injustice. Spain's victory was overshadowed by Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent during their trophy celebrations. 'I don't think, for them, there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played and how incredible some of their players were,' Walsh said. 'It was all about the other stuff that had gone on.' Spain's stars lamented that there was not enough change in the country after winning the World Cup, now the focus is solely on them and the unique control they can bring to the pitch. 'They play incredible football and they deserve to be there,' said Walsh. 'As a human being I just want them to go out and just enjoy the game.' Walsh's two and a half years with Barcelona mean she has a deeper connection with several members of the Spain squad. When she felt homesick, the Spain captain Irene Parades would invite the midfielder to her family home for dinner. She grew close with many of their stars, such as Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey. But England stood as a collective with Spain after the World Cup final, even if they had not shared a dressing room or spent time as teammates. The Lionesses felt Spain were robbed of the boost they received by winning the Euros in 2022. There is respect and admiration on both sides, in understanding that their role as players is not just what happens on the pitch but in leaving the game in a better place from where they found it. England used their platform to call for social change after winning the Euros, while Spain have made sacrifices to fight for what they deserve. Patri Guijarro sat out of the last World Cup in protest of unequal treatment. Now Spain's players have seen improvements off the pitch, Guijarro is back and has been the best holding midfielder at the Euros. Sarina Wiegman has previously spoken of the relationship between England and Spain as an example of the 'special community' in the women's game, where both sides are aware of their higher purpose. After the Rubiales scandal, Spain took a stand with Se acabo, a #MeToo movement in Spanish football and beyond. Wiegman has similarly empowered England to use their voices, as seen during the Euros by the defiant response of the team following the racist abuse suffered by Jess Carter. England have supported Spain even as they have emerged as the dominant force and their battles on the pitch have grown. After the World Cup, Spain learnt their talent was not enough to stop what happened to them with Rubiales, but the changes within the Spanish Football Federation mean there is now nothing to hold them back from expressing their joyful, flowing passing. It is on the pitch and in their respective playing styles where there is the clearest contrast between Spain and England, who embraced 'proper England' for the first time in a rugged, disciplined 1-0 win at Wembley in February – the last time the world champions lost a match. The blueprint Arsenal used to dethrone Barcelona in May's Champions League final in Lisbon is one that England may need to replicate. Arsenal were organised off the ball and committed to frustrating the world's best players, while they took their chance when it came. There was also a bit of needle in the heat of the moment, with Chloe Kelly involved as she pushed Alexia Putellas off the ball. Barcelona's stars will also remember that pain, with Bonmati particularly devastated after the defeat. There will be many of the same players involved in Basel, with the links between England and Spain also illustrated by the success of Arsenal and Barcelona in growing the game domestically and across Europe. Arsenal and Barcelona have become the two best-supported women's teams in the world, and in Switzerland during Euro 2025 there have been as many 'Williamson' and 'Russo' or 'Aitana' and 'Alexia' club shirts as some national sides. There may as well be two other teams in the Euro 2025 final, to go along with England and Spain. Within that, there is also the connecting influence of Caldentey, who swapped Barcelona for Arsenal last summer and ended up taking the Champions League with her from Catalonia to north London. Caldentey's winning mentality, forged at Barcelona, influenced an Arsenal team who had consistently failed to win the biggest prizes. It was said Caldentey brought a 'contagious' mindset that 'moved the culture forward' - that feeling is still fresh in the England squad, through its sizable Arsenal contingent. Walsh and Lucy Bronze, meanwhile, can bring insight into the opposition after their time at Barcelona. When playing in midfield with Bonmati and Putellas, Walsh was expected to play short passes all the time, to the extent that she experienced something of a reverse culture shock when she returned to England and signed for Chelsea in January. She admitted she had 'lost' her ability to play long but it has returned at the Euros, where most of England's success has come when they have mixed it up and gone direct. The Lionesses are technical and can play too - but not like Spain, no one can. Instead, England have taken pride in their resilience throughout the Euros, in knowing they are never beaten. 'They can do the same,' Walsh said, after Spain also came through extra time in their semi-final to beat Germany. It is another reason for England to admire Spain, as well as another hurdle to overcome when they meet as rivals on Sunday.
The Independent
18 minutes ago
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They may have already used their nine lives, but England are through to their third consecutive major tournament final at Euro 2025. Yes, England have been extremely fortunate to make it this far, requiring miraculous escapes to defeat Sweden and Italy in the knockout stages and overcome sub-par performances. But if the Lionesses have had some luck on their side, there is no denying that reaching another final is an impressive achievement - one that is unprecedented in England's history. Sarina Wiegman 's run of finals is even longer, with the Dutch coach extending her streak to five Euros or World Cup finals in a row with the Netherlands and England. No other manager, in men's or women's football, has reached five consecutive finals at major international tournaments. Wiegman was asked for her secret after England's dramatic semi-final victory over Italy and replied with a laugh: 'I'm the lucky one. I can't believe it myself.' 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In-game changes and staying calm Wiegman defended the timing of her substitutes against Italy after what appeared to be an agonising wait to bring on Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang following their decisive contributions against Sweden. In the end, who are us to question her decision-making on the touchline? "In the second half we were in their half, played well and created some chances. That's why we waited,' Wiegman said afterwards, but it still felt like a long time to persist with an approach that Italy looked comfortable dealing with - particularly when the impact of Kelly and Agyemang was so obvious when they did eventually come on. Ultimately, Wiegman's changes worked because England won the game - and the Lionesses have now scored five goals from substitutes at Euro 2025, the most in the tournament. England's bench is one of the strongest at the Euros, with much more depth than the options available to Sweden and Italy, but Wiegman's timing has made the difference. 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'You try and get that information onto your team-mates quickly and we adapt, and I think that's probably the difference that sets us apart probably sometimes at the moment tactically,' Beth Mead said after the quarter-final. 'If we can get it right, how does [the opponent] keep up with all those changes? I think that works quite well for us. 'Sarina knows what she's doing,' Mead added. 'There's method in the madness.' Perhaps England fans need to keep the faith as well before the Euro 2025 final on Sunday.
BBC News
19 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Social media aided body anxiety' - England's Bern
England and Bristol Bears prop Sarah Bern said building her social media profile has helped her confidence after struggling with anxiety around body image. Bern has been capped 71 times by the Red Roses and was named in England's 32-player squad on Thursday for the upcoming Rugby World 28-year-old was in conversation with double Olympic gold medal winning boxer Nicola Adams in the latest episode of The LGBT Sport Podcast."My opinions on social media have really changed over the last year and I really struggled with anxiety. I feel a lot more confident now - but [I] really struggled with being myself," Bern said."I was always bigger as a young girl and I never felt like I was good enough or pretty enough or any of those things. I feel like a lot of young girls feel that. "I was really anxious about a lot of things and social media, I was like 'no one really wants to see what I'm doing'." Bern, who won her first England cap in 2016, cited American centre Ilona Maher's spell at Bristol Bears earlier this year with helping her see the value in using her profile online. Maher is the most followed rugby player in the world on social media with more than 8.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok and has built a profile on messages of body positivity, which has propelled her to global star signed with the Bears for three months from January to March to play in the Premiership Women's Rugby."She [Maher] was with her family and her energy and how she managed to get her social media alongside her being a professional athlete, I found it really cool and like it wasn't a big task," Bern said."Especially for women's rugby, we need more fan engagement. We need more fans. We need to grow our sport - what's the best way to do that? Well, show ourselves."Now I like really love it and I just relish it and I actually think it's really helped me to be less anxious and just be myself." Bern will be appearing in her third World Cup for the Red Roses next month when the tournament kicks off in England, having been part of the squads that finished runners-up in 2017 and going in as one of the favourites to win the trophy, Bern said she feels "less pressure to live up to expectations" this time around and instead feels excited for the wider impact a home World Cup could have with the public. "It's been a learning curve for me to actually just enjoy it and enjoy the experience of it. This World Cup I'm excited for in a different way. I hope we win, but I don't feel like that's the biggest thing that could happen," she said."We're on the brink of hopefully doing what the girls [England women football] did with the Euros and really making the sport blow up across the globe."
