England’s women’s rugby team, the Red Roses, will face Australia at CorpAcq Stadium in Salford tomorrow in a match that will be streamed exclusively on BBC iPlayer rather than broadcast on a terrestrial television channel. The scheduling decision has drawn criticism from players, who emphasize the importance of wider visibility for the women’s game.

England’s team, captained by Megan Jones, enters the match on the back of an impressive record of 38 consecutive Test victories and as reigning world champions, having secured the title in front of a record crowd of 81,885 at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium last year. They also completed a Six Nations grand slam earlier this year, with all games shown on free-to-air television. However, the decision to place the contest against Australia on an online streaming platform stands in contrast to the approach taken by France, whose matches, including four Tests against New Zealand’s Black Ferns, will be broadcast on the free-to-air channel France 2.

Jones underscored the desire for more mainstream television exposure of the women’s game. “We always want to showcase the game so freeview channels are always best options for us, particularly the women’s game,” she said. “Do I want to see more of that? Yes, 100 per cent.”

Fly half Holly Aitchison, who will earn her 50th cap in the upcoming match, called the lack of terrestrial coverage “a shame,” highlighting the lost opportunity to grow the sport’s audience. “There’s big opportunities to grow our audience there,” she said, noting the decision is outside the players’ control.

This weekend’s game will feature the return of four World Cup winners: Natasha Hunt (scrum half), Tatyana Heard (inside centre), Hannah Botterman, and Morwenna Talling, both coming off the bench. Botterman and Heard are making their first international appearances since the World Cup final, while Hunt will make her debut off the bench.

Tomorrow’s fixture is part of the revised WXV Global Series, a set of international matches replacing the former tournament format. After hosting Australia, England will face Canada at Exeter and then New Zealand at Twickenham, followed by an overseas tour to North America where they will compete against Canada and the United States.

The series also includes matches involving Scotland, Wales, South Africa, and Japan, with home and away fixtures scheduled across participating nations. World Rugby has introduced a new size 4.5 ball for the competition, which is 3 percent smaller but the same weight as the traditional size 5. Responses from players have been mixed. Zoe Harrison criticized the change during the Six Nations, calling it “the worst decision that someone has ever made.” Aitchison expressed a more neutral view, while Jones acknowledged player frustration but indicated the team would adapt and assess the ball’s impact on style of play as the series progresses.