Dare to dream? Rugby Borough out to stun Liverpool in FA Cup - ESPN

RUGBY, England — Rugby Borough are preparing for the biggest game in their history. Currently in the Women's National League North — the third tier of the women's game in England — the semi-professional team are the lowest-ranked side still left in the FA Cup, with 21 spots separating them from Sunday's Women's Super League (WSL) opponents, Liverpool. But their clubhouse is abuzz with excitement.

«Is something happening on Sunday?» one staff member said jokingly as the players are corralled into various rooms to carry out their prematch media duties.

With just a few days to go until the TV cameras move in to broadcast the FA Cup fifth round's most eye-catching fixture, it's a reminder of what the competition means to clubs at this level.

«I think Sunday will be a great experience for all of us,» defender Bethan Roberts tells ESPN. «A lot of the girls haven't played against WSL standard so it's a chance for us to see where we're at. We've all said there's no pressure on us. It's about going out there and enjoying it and showing what we're about.»

Rugby Borough are the underdogs going into the weekend's showdown in Warwickshire at their stadium that can fit 1,000 fans. Originally founded in 2013 as Coventry City Ladies, the club merged with nonleague outfit Coventry United in 2015. But in June 2023, after Coventry's relegation from the Women's Championship, the club relocated from Coventry and began playing under the Rugby Borough banner.

Though they are a semi-professional club, there is a determination from those within to ensure that they operate with the utmost professionalism.

«When you get to this point in the competition, you want to get a WSL side,» head coach Lee Burch tells ESPN. «We're the lowest-ranked side