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.
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.
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.»
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
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