Shortage of England shirts for Women's World Cup

England Women's Rugby World Cup shirts are in short supply, with manufacturer Castore blaming a supply chain error.

Under the tournament's rules, shirts must be branding free - so Red Roses sponsors O2 are not on the World Cup kit.

Tournament hosts and favourites England kick off their World Cup campaign against the USA at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday.

Fans will be able to buy the World Cup shirt at match venues, but it is not available online, and the Rugby Football Union is understood to be frustrated by the situation.

England kit supplier Castore confirmed: "Online stores are now sold out, but stock will be available at England game match venues.

"There is a wide range of other Red Roses products available for fans to buy, including official Rugby World Cup branded merchandise, with additional products to be launched in the coming weeks. This is all available on the England Rugby store online.

"We're confident that Red Roses fans will have plenty of product to purchase and we thank supporters for their amazing support."

Record crowds are expected to attend the 2025 World Cup, with 375,000 of the 470,000 tickets having already been sold, including the 82,000 tickets for the final at Twickenham.

The Red Roses unveiled their Castore kit in May after the previous agreement with Umbro was ended three years early.

This is not the first time Castore has come under scrutiny over its sportswear. Two years ago Aston Villa footballers complained about the weight of their Castore shirts and their ability to absorb sweat, and the club subsequently switched to Adidas as their kit maker.