The 33-13 win gave England their third championship
By COLINA HARVEY— sports@theaggie.org
The first Women’s Rugby World Cup took place in the early 90’s, an era that also saw the start of other women’s sports organizations and events such as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Over 30 years later, the popularity of women’s sports, including women’s rugby, is booming. This year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final drew 5.8 million television viewers, making it the most-watched rugby game this year and the most-watched women’s rugby union game of all time.
The match was held at Twickenham Stadium in England on Sept. 27. The stadium boasts a capacity of 82,000, making it the country’s second-largest stadium after Wembley. In front of a crowd of 81,885 fans, England and Canada faced off in an exciting match.
The enthusiasm around women’s rugby has also been rising in the United States, thanks to the celebrity status of their star player, Ilona Maher. Maher gained traction on her social media platforms during the 2024 Tokyo Olympic Games, and has since become one of the biggest names in women’s rugby.
Despite her stardom, the U.S. still has a lot of work to do in order to become a women’s rugby powerhouse. In the group stage of the tournament, the squad faced a defeat against England in their first game. While they went on to draw against Australia and beat Samoa, it wasn’t enough to advance to the knockout stage.
The host country, England, was a clear favorite going into the tournament. They made easy work of their opponents during the group stage, beating the U.S., Samoa and Australia handily.
Coming out of group play and into the knockout stage, England could not be stopped. In the quarterfinal, they beat Scotland, blocking them from scoring a try until the 82nd minute — with England having six tries total.
In their semifinal, England played France, yet another team that was no match for them. In the quarterfinal, France was able to narrowly defeat Ireland; however, France was not able to keep their tournament run going once it faced England. The first half of the match stayed close between the two teams. However, in the second half, England was able to create separation and ultimately beat France 17-35, securing their spot in the final.
Canada also dominated most of their opponents in the tournament. In group play, they had comfortable wins over Fiji, Wales and Scotland. In their quarterfinal match, they crushed Australia 46-5.
In order to punch their ticket to the final, Canada had to defeat New Zealand in their semifinal match. Although Canada and New Zealand are ranked similarly in world rankings, some fans viewed Canada as an underdog because the New Zealand women are six-time winners, as well as back-to-back reigning champions.
However, New Zealand’s strong reputation did not slow Canada down. They got off to a quick start and stunned New Zealand with two tries in the first 11 minutes. Although New Zealand responded with three tries throughout the game, Canada remained the dominant team throughout the match, which ended with a score of 34-19.
Going into the final, England was heavily favored. However, no one could deny Canada as a strong contender for the championship. Only three countries, the U.S., New Zealand and England, have ever won the Women’s Rugby World Cup, with Canada looking to add itself to the roster.
As the match kicked off, Canada opened with a try scored by Asia Hogan-Rochester and assisted by Fabiola Forteza, in just the fifth minute. Although Canada was able to score early, England’s Ellie Kildunne responded by scoring a breakaway try just a few minutes later. This was followed by two more tries by England’s Amy Cokayne and Alex Matthews, resulting in England leading 21-8 at the half.
In the second half, Canada tried to fight back and close the gap, with a second try from Hogan-Rochester. However, England’s defense proved to be too strong for the Canadians, as they were unable to score a third. England outscored Canada in the second half as well, with tries from Abbie Ward and Matthews. The match ended 33-13, with England being crowned World Rugby Champions.
After being runners-up in the past two World Cups, finally clinching the win was extra meaningful to the England team. The Rugby World Cup 2029 will be hosted by Australia, with 16 teams fighting to take the reigning champion title away from England.
Written by: Colina Harvey — sports@theaggie.org
