Rugby union · International
England beat Canada 33–13 to win Women's Rugby World Cup before record crowd
Alex Matthews scored twice as England secured their third world title in a final watched by 81,885 spectators at Twickenham.
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Five tries deliver a third title
England defeated Canada 33–13 in the Women's Rugby World Cup final on 27 September at Twickenham, ending the tournament with their third world championship and their first since 2014. The victory was also England's 33rd consecutive win. Alex Matthews scored two tries, with Ellie Kildunne, Amy Cokayne and Abbie Ward supplying the other three.
A crowd of 81,885 watched the final, establishing a world record for attendance at a women's rugby match. The result completed the host nation's tournament with the trophy, while Canada took silver. World Rugby's closing account identified the contest as the culmination of an edition that had repeatedly expanded the competition's audience.
Canada strike first, England answer
Asia Hogan-Rochester scored the opening try for Canada in the fifth minute after sharp lead-up work from Fabiola Forteza. Sophie de Goede's conversion attempt struck the upright, leaving Canada five points ahead. Kildunne soon replied with a long individual run through the Canadian defence.
England moved further ahead through Cokayne's try from a maul and Matthews' first score, following an offload from Natasha Hunt. Conversions helped England establish a 21–5 lead. De Goede's penalty reduced the gap, but England entered the interval leading 21–8 after Canada prevented any additional scoring before half-time.
The second-half contest
Ward's try early in the second half extended England's advantage to 26–8. Canada then found another response through Hogan-Rochester while England were reduced to 14 players following Hannah Botterman's yellow card. The second Canadian try brought the score to 26–13 and kept the outcome open.
Rugby Canada's report described another opportunity involving Julia Schell, but England prevented a further score. Matthews' second try arrived in the 69th minute and the conversion took England to the eventual 33–13 winning margin. Canada therefore scored both before England had settled into the match and during the second-half numerical advantage, while England converted their chances into a five-try total.
Scrum strength and tournament honours
World Rugby's tournament summary focused on England's scrum as a central platform for the result. Canada's captain Alex Tessier acknowledged the difficulty created when that area of the game went against her side. The assessment places the final's scoring alongside the forward contest that helped England maintain control despite Canada's two tries and several attacking opportunities. England's effectiveness in that contest was especially significant because Canada still created attacking chances and refused to stop carrying the ball.
The closing weekend also brought major individual recognition. Canada's Sophie de Goede was named World Rugby Women's Player of the Year, ahead of fellow nominees Meg Jones of England and Jorja Miller of New Zealand. England coach John Mitchell received the coaching award after guiding the team to the title. New Zealand's Braxton Sorensen-McGee received the breakthrough award after finishing as the tournament's leading try and points scorer. The honours underlined a final weekend that delivered both England's championship and recognition across the competing nations.
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