Rugby World Cup weekend one talking points: All eyes on record turnout at Eden Park

The Black Ferns are playing their opening match against Australia at Eden Park on Saturday. The match will be the first time the Rugby World Cup has been played in New Zealand. There will probably be a record crowd of 20,000 people. The previous biggest turnout for women’s sport on Kiwi soil was 16,162. It was for the 2008 Fifa Under-17 World cup final between North Korea and the United States. New coach Wayne Smith's up-tempo game-plan should help the players.

Australia have never beaten New Zealand in the women's rugby game in 22 meetings dating back to 1994. The Aussies have managed their second-closest and fourth-most close defeats to the Ferns this year.

Wales and Scotland play each other in Whangārei on Sunday evening. The game is crucial for both teams' hopes of advancing to the knockout stage. The Six Nations combatants have split their clashes over the past two seasons by five and seven points.

England are the tournament favourites. They play Fiji at Eden Park on Saturday evening. The match will be played before the Black Ferns' game. Fiji are ranked No 21 in the world and lost to Japan earlier this year. England's biggest-ever Rugby World Cup win was 82-0 against Kazakhstan in 2010.