“A lot of women in rugby have really interesting stories” — USA hooker Kathryn Treder hopes Stadium of Light World Cup opener will inspire girls in the North East to take up rugby
Written by Harvey Allen on 21st March 2025
England’s Red Roses will open their home Rugby World Cup on Friday 22nd August against USA at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.
USA hooker Kathryn Treder is no stranger to the north east, having played for Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, before folding at the conclusion of the end of the 2022/23 Premier 15s season.
Kathryn Treder running out for Loughborough Lightning (Photo credit: Stu Vince Photography)
She hopes that an elite-level presence of women’s rugby can relight the spark of the sport within the north-east: “I was really heartbroken when DMP Sharks went under, and when the other sharks, Sale Sharks were rocky, I think that demonstrated the importance of having rugby in the north and the north east, especially now that DMP aren’t part of the league anymore.
“I think it’s really highlighted the importance of having rugby in the area and what hunger there is for the sport, or women’s rugby in the north-east. So, it’s really special for me in particular to be able to bring that to the north east.”
Sunderland hosts just one rugby club within the city, as well as one in Washington and one in Peterlee, whereas Newcastle and North and South Tyneside hosts over 10 clubs, all within a closer distance.
Treder hopes that the fixture not only inspires the girls of the area, but the whole population: “I hope we can attract both spectators, men and women. I think we’re working really hard to put out a really good product that I think is really worth watching. We train really hard, we study really hard and, come the World Cup, we have enough excitement from both men and women.”
Kathryn Treder scoring the only try in USA’s victory over Japan (Photo credit: USA Rugby)
Should injury not affect any of them, Ellie Kildunne, Jess Breach and Ilona Maher will all share the Stadium of Light pitch in the tournament opener. Maher, who has 4.9m followers on instagram, is social media’s highest followed rugby player.
World Player of the Year Kildunne and Breach host the Rugby Rodeo podcast, which has skyrocketed in popularity since its inception September 2024.
On sharing the pitch with these three big superstars, Treder hopes their social media exposure could create more interest in not only the game, but the players on their screens: “I think the platforms that those players have are absolutely amazing and the attention that they’re bringing to women’s rugby is absolutely phenomenal, and something that I appreciate so much.
“I think that a lot of women in women’s rugby have really interesting stories that are worth telling and can be really inspiring for people. So I hope that exposure can help elevate the profiles of other women as well. They’re really great ambassadors of the game.”
Tickets are available to purchase via tickets.rugbyworldcup.com, on a first come, first served basis until 11:00 GMT on Friday, 28 March.
All the latest tournament news, including the full match schedule, can be found at rugbyworldcup.com/2025.
