England have been crowned Women’s Rugby World Cup champions for the third time after crushing Canada 33-13.
Two tries by Alex Matthews, plus one each from Ellie Kildunne, Amy Cokayne and Abbie Ward sealed it for the Red Roses.
England, ranked as the world number one going into the match, were ahead by 13 points by the end of the first half – as they played in front of a record-breaking home crowd of 81,885 at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, west London.
England’s Zoe Aldcroft lifts the trophy as she celebrates with teammates after winning the Womens Rugby World Cup final. Pic: Reuters
England’s Alex Matthews celebrates scoring a try in the Womens Rugby World Cup final. Pic: Reuters
Canada mounted a spirited effort in the second half, but a decent spell of pressure was cut off when Matthews scored her second try of the afternoon.
A conversion took the Red Roses to 33 points, giving them a comfortable 20 point lead over the Maple Leafs.
England’s Ellie Kildunne runs in to score a try. Pic: PA
England’s Tatyana Heard is tackled by Canada’s Alysha Corrigan. Pic: PA
England’s Amy Cokayne scores a try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup final. Pic: PA
The win marks the first time England won the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 11 years, after losing finals in 2017 and 2022.
Among the first to congratulate the Red Roses were the Prince and Princess of Wales, who also praised Canada and said: “You had an outstanding tournament. Both teams should be so proud!”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also praised the team and said: “You have shown the very best of England and inspired a generation.”
After watching the game with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, London’s mayor Sir Sadiq Khan posted a photo of the pair while congratulating England.
“Huge congratulations to (the Red Roses) on their fantastic victory,” he said, “another proud moment for women’s rugby.”
‘Pinch me moment’
Speaking to the BBC after being named player of the match, England’s 23-year-old flanker Sadia Kabeya said: “It’s a pinch me moment. It’s been years and years in the making, I am so happy we could pull it off.
“All props to Canada they are a great side and they put up a great fight here today.”
Ward also told the broadcaster: “Honestly as soon as the whistle went I just burst into tears. It’s truly been such a special day. A sold-out crowd at Twickenham. It was electric, in front of friends, family, it’s amazing.
“The last final loss, that was then. This is a new team, this is a new chapter of women’s rugby.”
Headed into the final, the Red Roses were on a 32-game winning streak and won their seventh straight Six Nations title back in April.
England also won every one of their matches in the World Cup group stages, then secured victories over Scotland and France in the quarter and semi-finals, respectively.
It also marked the second-ever Rugby World Cup final for Canada, ranked second in the world behind England.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was spotted in the stands. Pic: PA
Canada’s Asia Hogan-Rochester scores her team’s first try of the match. Pic: Reuters
But despite their world ranking, Canada’s women’s team had to partly fund their way to the tournament.
A crowdfunding page under the name Mission: Win Rugby World Cup 2025 raised nearly $1m (£534,000) to help cover the costs of sending the team to England.
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