The biggest stars of the Women's Rugby World Cup are set to shine. Christopher Reive looks at some of the tournament's brightest prospects.
Anyone who plays against France will need to be aware of where their lively halfback is at all times. Sansus is a quick thinker; she plays what she sees in front of her and she can cause plenty of headaches for the opposition. Couple her vision with her speed and reactions, and Sansus makes a potent weapon at the base of the ruck or from set pieces, while she can split a defence in open play.
Sansus' career has been a unique one. While she made her international debut in 2016 after having played the game from a young age, she took a step back from the top level in 2017 for professional reasons. When she returned in 2018, she came back in arguably better form than when she had left.
The 28-year-old was nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year in 2021, and carried her form over into 2022 for the Six Nations where she was the leading try-scorer, dotting down six times, and was named Player of the Tournament. That form continued in recent tests against Italy.
While she will likely see more of a timeshare in the Rugby World Cup with fellow halfback Pauline Bourdon recovering from injury, Sansus has proven she can be just as dangerous off the bench as she is in a starting role. Like several stars of the game, Sansus will be retiring from international rugby at the conclusion of the World Cup, so expect her to be at her absolute best chasing one last title for her country.
Demant continues to prove people wrong. After suffering serious injuries in both knees between 2013 and 2015, she was told she would never play the game again. In 2018, she debuted at international level and this year was named captain of her country.
Taking on the captaincy under Wayne Smith's regime came as a surprise to the cool-headed playmaker, but the title has sat well with her. Demant has established herself as a real star of the game this season, proving she can have an impact on the game every time she steps on to the pitch.
With vision and patience, Demant has been successful in exploiting weaknesses in opposition defences, be it through her running game or her playmaking talent. Those are facets of the game that serve her well in the high-tempo style the Black Ferns want to play — a style that, so far, has seen the Black Ferns unbeaten in 2022. But Demant doesn't need the ball in her hands in open play to make her mark. She is ever-present running in support of a teammate, holds her own in the defensive line, and is one of several kicking options for the Black Ferns.
Heading into her first World Cup campaign as co-captain, alongside loose forward Kennedy Simon, Demant's decision making will be crucial in her side's quest for hometown glory.
The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year, Aldcroft is an absolute workhorse in the pack. With the ability to play at blindside flanker as comfortably as she plays her primary position of lock, the 25-year-old has been a big asset to the English side in recent years.
From her first test cap in 2016, Aldcroft has had a huge impact. On that occasion, she was injected into a test against France from the bench with just four minutes left on the clock, only to score the match-winning try.
Since then, Aldcroft has become a talisman for the English outfit in the middle of the park, as she maintains a high work rate on both sides of the ball. While injury has seen her miss some time with the national team over the past few years, her output never slows when wearing the English jersey.
She is as willing to take the ball into contact as she is to put her shoulders to work, and her athleticism is an asset in every area of the game. However, she makes her presence felt most on the defensive end. Aldcroft is a powerhouse in that part of the game and her tackle count ticks over the double-digit mark more often than not. In five appearances across the past two Six Nations tournaments, Aldcroft made 62 tackles, missing only five.
With ball in hand, Mahalia Murphy is a force to be reckoned with.
Throughout this year's Super W campaign with the New South Wales Waratahs, it seemed if you put the ball in Murphy's hands, the 28-year-old would always deliver. Among the many highlights from her season was a five-try performance against the Melbourne Rebels.
Having spent time playing league as well as sevens, Murphy has a great skill set in open play. She is quick, but her pace is not her greatest weapon. It's her footwork that makes her so elusive — coupled with the strength to push away from defenders.
She backs herself in one-on-one situations, and usually comes out of those on top, be it through speeding around the outside of her defender, putting on a move to leave the defender clutching at air, or simply out-muscling them. With that, she has the ability to be a game-breaker.
Reliable at fullback or on the wing, it remains to be seen how she will be used by the Wallaroos at the World Cup as the Australians have some intriguing options across the backline. But whether she is starting or providing impact from the bench, Murphy is the type of player fans tune in to watch.
A powerful prop with a knack for finding the tryline, Rogers will be a key feature of the USA charge. The 29-year-old doesn't play the game like your ordinary prop. While she is strong in her core roles, Rogers' ability to run the ball is her point of difference and makes her one of the game's best attacking weapons.
She played at No 8 when she started in rugby but moved into the front row while playing for Penn State University. The move was a successful one, as she settled into work as a prop but kept the skills she had developed in the back row.
Now playing her club rugby for Exeter in Britain, Rogers has scored 12 tries in 13 appearances, and has spent time in the sevens arena, playing for the United States in 2017.
Possessing a unique blend of speed, strength and skill, Rogers has made her mark on the international scene since her debut in 2013.
At the age of 29 and playing in her third Rugby World Cup, she's a seasoned campaigner and will lean on that experience — including a fourth-place finish at the 2014 World Cup — to lead the Americans' charge.
To put it simply, Sophie de Goede is a pure athlete; the kind of person who seems to be good at every sport they try. Growing up, she was a handy footballer and basketballer, but has found her calling on the rugby field and will captain the Canadians at the World Cup.
With both her parents having represented Canada in the game, de Goede has grown up around the sport. Although just 23 years old, she has plenty of experience to her name. Due to a Covid-enforced cancellation of the collegiate competition in Canada in 2020, de Goede took up the opportunity for a season in the professional ranks with English club Saracens, where she was often deployed at lock.
De Goede has a great eye for the game and can set up a teammate just as well as she can break the line herself. She is a fine runner of the ball who has plenty of pace, and her ability to pass allows her to be deceptive with dummies to open up the defence, while she tackles well and has the ability to get over the ball and force turnovers at the breakdown.
Oh, she also kicks goals.