There were tears in many an eye as the final whistle went of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, as England became World Champions in front of a record-breaking home crowd at the Allianz Stadium.
The Red Roses, who haven’t lifted the title since 2014 - when they also beat Canada at the last stand - are number one in the world, and demonstrated why that is so tonight, with 80 minutes of clinical, inspired and audacious rugby.
England vs Canada final match report
Despite Canada clocking the first points of the match with a try from serial scorer Asia Hogan-Rochester, England did not let the Maple Leafs breathe for long.
A stunning, signature try from World Player of the Year 2024 Ellie Kildunne dodging through the Canadian defence kickstarted England’s deluge, and they remained on top from then on in.
This was a match where no one was going to risk looking away even for a minute, as the first ten minutes perfectly demonstrated with two tries on opposite sides in the space of just three minutes.
The excellence of the entire Red Roses squad shone this afternoon, as they kicked into a gear that hasn’t really been visible for much of their campaign.
Despite Canada controlling and leading all of their games prior to this ultimate showdown, they simply could not penetrate England, who functioned on a different level during these 80 minutes.
That is not to say that the Maple Leafs allowed England to walk over them to get to the trophy - in fact they were tenacious and daring opponents who truly put England through their paces.
Asia Hogan-Rochester, who scored both of Canada’s tries, was a force on the field, and one of many indicators that the future of Canadian Women’s Rugby - which is still a primarily amateur team - is extremely bright.
There was a moment, in the middle of the second half, when all England rugby fans got a collective flashback as Hannah Botterman was dealt a yellow card, leaving England a woman down at a crucial moment - just as they were in the 2021 World Cup final, when they missed out on the title by just 3 points.
England's home World Cup victory
However, England exorcised those ghosts on the field today and went on to score twice in the second half. Nothing was going to get between them and that World Champion title that they have been chasing incessantly for the last 11 years.
Their victory was made even sweeter with the news that head coach John Mitchell was awarded Coach of the Year 2025 for his efforts, leading his team through a four year cycle to finally bring closure to their World Cup experience.
And the wait was well worth it. In front of a sold out home crowd, at the end of the biggest celebration of women’s rugby ever, captain Zoe Aldcroft lifted the trophy to an ecstatic Twickenham. England players frolicked in the golden confetti, the sea of white shirts and red cowboy hats danced in the stands, and the wattage of the smiles on the Red Roses’ faces could power the post-match celebrations for hours to come.
And, at a level even above England’s stratospheric victory, the reminder that women’s rugby is here to stay is even more ever-present. Because, obviously, everyone watches women’s sport.
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