Manchester City’s Steph Houghton and Lucy Bronze helped England’s Lionesses overcome a 1-0 deficit against former champions Norway to set up a World Cup quarter-final with hosts Canada on Saturday.

Finishing second in the group and with two successive wins from three, England’s women are on their way to the last 16 where they will face Norway.

World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset expressed his excitement on Manchester’s role in next year’s championship, which will be hosted in June at Sale Sharks’ AJ Bell stadium alongside Manchester City’s Academy stadium.

With no World Cup or European championship on the menu this summer, Manchester’s soccer stars will be jetting off on their holidays before pre-season training commences in mid-July.

Former England No. 1 goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis believes the time is right for the 30-year-old Karen Bardsley to announce herself on the biggest stage of all as England begin their latest Women’s World Cup quest against familiar foes France on Tuesday.

Jos Buttler is coming of age in England’s Test side, and the mould-breaking gloveman insists there is still plenty more for him to offer in time for this summer’s Ashes with arch-rivals Australia.

Clermont Auvergne full-back and European Champions Cup player of the year Nick Abendanon plus Toulon forward Steffon Armitage, who won the accolade last year, did not get a look in for the 50-man World Cup training squad, something Mark Cueto has little sympathy for.

One lucky 14-16 year-old will lead the teams out at a Rugby World Cup fixture in Manchester, experiencing first-hand the atmosphere and what it’s like to be a professional rugby player.

Premiership player of year George Ford and Owen Farrell – a British & Irish Lion and still just 23 – will go head-to-head in pursuit of the fly-half starting berth at this year’s World Cup with Danny Cipriani waiting in the wings.

While Mark Cueto’s Sale Sharks career has come to an end, Tom Brady’s is only just taking off at the AJ Bell Stadium and so far he has backed up his five tries in 26 appearances last season with four scores this term.

England and Sale Sharks veteran Mark Cueto has now hung up his boots after Sale’s final match of the season away at Exeter Chiefs on Saturday.