Here is the full match report from Twickenham
The England women take to the stage, each receiving their medals with a smile. Towards the back of the line Marlie Packer and Emily Scarratt have metal draped around their necks; they didn’t play today, but the have been such fulcrums over the years.
Zoe Aldcroft holds the trophy tight, joins her team-mates and they raise their arms to the sky as the music and roars fill the air.
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In what must be a bittersweet moment, Sophie de Goede has just been awarded World Player Of The Year and received her trophy. In a lovely moment afterwards, her team shoulder her high while she looks a little uncomfortable/scared; which is exactly as it should be.
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Tryscorer Abbie Ward
“Truly the most special day, as soon as the whistle blew I just burst into tears. This is a new team and chapter, it wasn’t about [the last tournament] this is our moment, this was a phenomenal showing from both sides. A pinch me moment.”
Natasha “Mo” Hunt is talking to the BBC
“This means everything. This is unimaginable; the game, the whole tournament, I could not be prouder. John [Mitchell] has kept it simple, he’s been brutally honest at time, but I respect that, and he’s got this week bang on. It wasn’t about the emotion, but about the process and the emotions take care of themselves. He was right.”
The obligatory shot of the trophy being engraved with the name of the winner is shown as we await the formal presentation.
Sadia Kabeya, Player Of The Match, is talking.
“It’s amazing, thank you to everyone who came out today. It’s a pinch me moment, but it’s been years in the making and so glad we can pull it off for you today. We did all the right things today.”
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Joy is unconfined in the England ranks; tears fall, smiles rise and hugs are clasped. Among the joy must be an enormous sense of satisfaction as this was a job very well done in the final.
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ENGLAND WIN THE RUGBY WORLD CUP!
80 mins. The ball is gathered by Galligan in the lineout, it doesn’t emerge and the ref’s whistle blows. GAME OVER!
A dominant display from the forward pack delivers the trophy for the favourites.
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79 mins. Canada gamely try to look like they can create something around halfway, but are then penalised for a neck roll.
76 mins. The Red Roses play away from a tidy scrum in their own half to Kildunne, who sensibly kicks to touch to force Canada backwards.
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74 mins. Fourteen phases from Canada, each less impactful than the rest. The time and the hope ebbs away from them.
72 mins. Loads of phases from Canada that go nowhere as England fan out and contain it with proficiency. In the end they have little choice but to kick it away to Kildunne who takes her turn to boot it to touch.
TRY! Canada 13 - 33 England (Alex Matthews)
68 mins. Kildunne puts a bomb up that an exhausted looking de Goede fumbles forward. This puts England on the attack in the 22 for the first time in a little while but the result is still the same, points in the shape of a try and a second for Matthews.
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65 mins. An England knock-on at the lineout gives Canada a scrum in the 22. This leads to a humiliating shove from the Red Roses pack that splinters the scrum and souls of the Canada forwards into a thousand pieces. A devastating statement form England.
63 mins. More possession for the Canadians as they are finally starting to look a bit more like themselves as the England defence perhaps tires a little. They have a lineout in the England 22.
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60 mins. Canada appear to get a nudge in the scrum but the ref considers that was due to their tighthead prop not driving straight. Penalty England that is gladly booted to touch.
58 mins. The ball is won in the lineout, which to be fair to Tuttosi she has really tightened up. They drive up to the line before working the phases left and right that forces England offside again. Apps decides to tap and go but the ball is spilled forward, to the delight of the Red Roses defenders.
That feels like an important moment for both teams. If England can ride this out and get 15 players back on the field, that’s the game.
55 mins. The Maple Leafs are not going to die with the music i them as Schell runs the restart back and feeds Apps into space. She races forward and chips the ball over Kildunne, chases it and regathers on the ground. Two phases later England are offside.
TRY! Canada 13 - 26 England (Asia Hogan-Rochester)
53 mins. Canada waste no time from the lineout and run a lovely pattern that moves the ball quickly to the winger in space who is in once more. Could this be a turning point?
De Goede misses the conversion from out wide.
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YELLOW CARD! Hannah Botterman (England)
51 mins. Botterman tips Paquin beyond the horizontal and takes her to ground on her shoulder. Ref Davidson reaches immediately for the pocket and send the prop for 10 mins thinking time.
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TRY! Canada 8 - 26 England (Abbie Ward)
50 mins. Matthews drives from the base of the scrum and two phases later Ward forces herself over.
Harrison’s conversion bounces back off the post.
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48 mins. There are repeated short carries from the bruising England pack before the ball is sent to the right. There is space out there but it’s fumbled forward by Jones. No matter as Paquin is penalised for a tackle off the ball in back play. It shocks no-one that England opt to take a 5m scrum
46 mins. More breakdown issues for Canada, this time due to Pelletier entering from the side. This has England attacking from a lineout on the 22.
44 mins. The ball moves left to Kildunne who flies through a tiny gap and chips over the top to chase into the 22. Hogan-Rochester does well to tidy it and the ball is worked clear via some carries and kick clear.
2 mins. Another good opening from Canada with Tessier kicking a 50:22 that gives her side a fabulous platform. But the lineout is mangled once more, this time Ward stealing the throw to release the pressure.
Tuttosi overthrows the next lineout as well and it would probably best if she was hooked off now as she looks shot.
Second Half!
Perry sends the ball skywards and it’s forty minutes to glory or despondency.
It looked decent for Canada for three minutes or so, but since that opening try England have controlled this game ruthlessly. The Red Roses are blunting the fast rucking game, dominating the scrum and set piece and outmuscling the Maple Leafs. Canada are not helping themselves by repeated errors in handling, lineout and not being tight enough with their own breakdown.
To win this game, Canada must score two more tries than England in the second half. Nothing about the match thus far suggests that is going to happen, but the disallowed England try late in the half at least maintains it as a vague possibility for their fans and players.
This is exactly the kind of display John Mitchell will have craved, and there is clearly some truth in his pre-match assertion that his side had a plan for this Canada team. The forwards have pulverised them.
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Half Time! Canada 8 - 21 England
40 mins. Botterman gets onto another ruck to win a penalty after Canada work into the England half. Hunt decides to use this kick to end the half.
37 mins. More imprecision from Canada, this time from Tuttosi overthrowing in the lineout. Cockayne is on it and running wild into the opposition half, but the ball is lost forward by Kildunne soon after.
35 mins. From the restart, Hogan-Rochester has a dazzling little dart of a run that moves her team up to their own 10 metre line. However the next recycle is too loose and that’s all the invite Botterman needs to clamp on and win a penalty.
From the lineout England drive over again for Cockayne to ground it, but it’s scrubbed off as Muir sealed off the Canadian defenders before the maul formed. NO TRY!
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PENALTY! Canada 8 - 21 England (Sophie de Goede)
33 mins. It’s a rinse/repeat set from Canada with a lineout and drive that England halt but then infringe in the middle of the park. De Goede calls for the kicking tee to get some reward for the scarce territory.
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31 mins. It’s Canada’s turn to have some forwards fun with a maul driven ten metres up to the line. The ball has to be used and some short carries fail to get over the line before Aldcroft yoinks the ball from the ruck. It didn’t look like the ball was out and playable to me, but the ref says it was fair game and Hunt gladly kicks it to touch.
28 mins. Canada are having the life squeezed out of them by England’s physicality and they need to get some ball and some points before half time. This starts with possession won from the kick-off and some phases in the English half. The defence handles it for the most part and forces a kick from Tessier that Kildunne marks in the 22 and clears.
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TRY! Canada 5 - 21 England (Alex Matthews)
26 mins. The England scrum drives forward again and this time a try is scored by Matthews lifting the ball from the base and muscling over.
Another two points are added from Harrison’s boot.
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25 mins. In a statement of intent, England opt for a 5m scrum penalty option. They get a nudge on towards the line before Hunt picks and drives and is tackled short. Dow has another go but is also stopped by the Canada wall, but there was an advantage being played, so we’ll do it all again.
23 mins. And just like that, England are back on the attack on the Canada five metre line with repeat drives up to the tryline. The ref initially calls that the ball was short of the line from Ward’s drive and so brings it back for Canada offside earlier in the phases. The TMO has a look at the grounding and there was not clear evidence it wasn’t short and held up.
21 mins. A brilliant turnover is won on the ground by Paquin to give her side some possession in England territory. The phases start for Canada, but they are slower than previously in the tournament which allows the Red Rose defenders to get amongst the line. This includes Heard who intercepts and hacks the ball forward and into the Canada half.
TRY! Canada 5 - 14 England (Amy Cockayne)
19 mins. Canada compound the kick error by infringing on the best possession. From the lineout on the 5m line the England pack do the necessary and drive up and over the line for Cockayne to score.
Harrison converts.
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17 mins. Another neat and tidy England scrum allows Hunt to pick up and run but her blind side ut her pass to Dow flies into touch. Canada move the ball left quickly and Tessier angles a clever kick behind Breach that goes out on the full.
15 mins. Corrigan fails to gather a loose ball ater Harrison whams a high kick up in the air that doesn’t have enough distance. This will give England a scrum platform just inside the maple leafs’ half in the middle of the field.
13 mins. The Red Roses move quickly into the 22 from the penalty kick, before Talling tips the ball forward as the attack looks to be gathering venom. It didn’t work out that time, but England are cutting through Canada with greater ease than NZ managed last week.
11 mins. England spring from another strong scrum and move it left via Jones for Breach to have a run. Paquin is onto her but the ref judges she didn’t release after tackling the England winger.
8 mins. Well, it’s not been dull so far. Canada will have been delighted with their opening before Kildunne created a try from an absolutely nothing position. She has a knack of making defences that are not terrible look exactly that.
TRY! Canada 5 - 7 England (Ellie Kildunne)
7 mins. Just inside the Canada half, Kildunne receives the ball in the 12 channel, steps through two tacklers and once she’s free sets off on a trademark stepping, rapid run that leaves the defence in her wake.
Harrison adds two.
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TRY! Canada 5 - 0 England (Asia Hogan-Rochester)
5 mins. The first scrum of the match is England’s and they shove the Canada pack back at a rate of knots, before the ball is scooped out by Hunt. The Red Roses work up the field but the Canada forwards snaffle it before Hogan-Rochester boots a fabulous touchfinder up the left. This is then mangled by England as Cockayne chucks the lineout over the top and Canada are back on the ball and moving it left again for the Canuck winger to race over and score.
De Goede pushes the conversion to the right.
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2 mins. Canada get busy early, the ball passed left to Hogan-Rochester who carries up to halfway. On the recycle Dow is too keen in her clearout and ends up playing the scrum half, Pelletier. An early penalty for the Canadians, but they do little with it as the ball is knocked on after the lineout in England territory.
Kick Off!
Zoe Harrison puts her foot through the ball and the 2025 Rugby World Cup final is underway.
Out they walk into the deafening din, and what is notable is that England are each as stone faced in concentration as the next player in the line, while Canada’s players are for the most part smiling.
Anthem time and then we’ll be away.
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The teams are in the tunnel and are about to emerge into a wall of noise the like of which they have never known.
“Following the live stream from Quebec , Canada.” Jacques van Campen informs us. “First prize is a Canadian victory of course, but a close second is a cracking final that will cement the legacy of this fantastic tournament! Allez les Rouges!”
Pewdrin Pewdrin on email takes a different angle to the Canada situation coming into the tournament.
“There is a way to tell the financial disparity between these two teams without making it primarily about hardship. The Canadian team wrote a plan, made a budget and found the money for it all on their own, on top of the $2.6 million support they received from Rugby Canada, same as the men’s team. That’s about drive, creativity and commitment and makes a better analogy of how they are playing.”
This is fair challenge to my framing of it earlier, Pewdrin, and demonstrates a strength and assets-based approach, rather than deficit-based.
Either way, this team are remarkable, that I’m sure we agree on.
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“We’ll trust what we’ve built over last three years, and we’ll be looking to surprise Canada as they haven’t played us yet”. That was John Mitchell’s main reflection from his chat with the BBC just now.
A pointed comment, but not an unfair one. Canada have rightly had fabulous notices, but they haven’t faced the toughest test yet of England in their own stadium. Having said that, Mitchell hasn’t marshalled the best performances from his side and today is the moment he earns his salary.
“It’s remarkable in many ways that this is even a contest,” ventures David Howell, “because just on a financial support level it really, really shouldn’t be. And yet here we are, with the earlier-mentioned odds translating to almost a 30% chance of an upset.
“And calling this a 70-30 final does pass the sniff test; Canada have looked the better team over the tournament, but England have home advantage, long-term form, and perhaps most significantly strength in depth. It’ll take a lot for me to be surprised by this final, but the least surprising path of all in my mind would be for England to overcome an early deficit to win. Hopefully it’s as competitive as that implies!”
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As you wait for kick-off, I urge you to have a look at this remarkable picture essay from Tom Jenkins featuring the best shots from the tournament.
“Are England hot favourites?” asks Andy O’Shaughnessy.
Certainly according to the bookmakers, Andy. They have a Red Roses victory odds on across the boar at around 4/11, with a Canada win at about 12/5.
What is clear though is that the odds of an England win have been lengthening all week, even if it’s still expected. So they are cooler favourites than last week, and positively ice-aged compared to the start of the tournament.
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Our man Rob Kitson has been considering who will win this match, and here he is chatting us through it.
New Zealand clinch the bronze
The curtain raising bronze final has finished at Twickenham, with the Black Ferns claiming victory 42-26 over France. There was a good turnout to watch the match and some emotions on show, especially from Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in her final appearance in the black jersey and the same from Marine Menager for Les Bleues.
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So what are the things that will tip this match one way or the other?
Canada have an all-action, fast rucking and short carrying game that they alloy with nimble hands out wide. England were regularly caught on the outside by France in the semi and this Canadian style is tailor made to exploit a narrow defence. The Maple Leaf women also have an excellent kicking game, with plenty in the team who can hoof it, which is a point of difference in the women’s game.
England have a collection of replacements like no other team. It was notable how much the hammer came down on France in the second half last week after the Red Roses bench emptied. Also, while they may not be playing as brilliantly as previously, England still score a lot of points, which begs the obvious question can Canada score enough to overcome them? Experience would suggest opposition will need at least 35 points to be in with a chance. The Red Roses have a kicking game of their own as well, with Harrison and Hunt particularly good at hanging up contestable bombs for their incredible back three of Dow, Breach & Kildunne to chase.
And speaking of Ellie Kildunne… England have Ellie Kildunne.
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A sensible question from Anna Watson on email, “What time does it actually start please?”
It’s 4pm, UK time, Anna.
Who will be keeping the teams in line today?
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant Referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa), Clara Munarini (Italy)
Television Match Official (TMO): Leo Colgan (Ireland)
Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Pre-match reading
Get in touch with all your thoughts and predictions, or maybe you’d like to share a humiliating school sport story so I’m not the only one. Whatever you choose, you can do it on the email
Teams
It’s as you were for both squads, with John Mitchell and Kevin Rouet each retaining the same 23 from the semi-final victories.
England
Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Megan Jones, Tatyana Heard, Jess Breach; Zoe Harrison, Natasha Hunt; Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne, Maud Muir; Morwenna Talling, Abbie Ward; Zoe Aldcroft, Sadia Kabeya, Alex Matthews
Replacements: Lark Atkin-Davies, Kelsey Clifford, Sarah Bern, Rosie Galligan, Maddie Feaunati, Lucy Packer, Holly Aitchison, Helena Rowland
Canada
Julia Schell; Alysha Corrigan, Florence Symonds, Alex Tessier, Asia Hogan-Rochester; Taylor Perry, Justine Pelletier; McKinley Hunt, Emily Tuttosi, DaLeaka Menin; Sophie de Goede (c), Courtney O’Donnell; Caroline Crossley, Karen Paquin, Fabiola Forteza
Replacements: Gillian Boag, Brittany Kassil, Olivia DeMerchant, Tyson Beukeboom, Laetitia Royer, Gabrielle Senft, Olivia Apps, Shoshanah Seumanutafa
Preamble
So here we are, the final of the Rugby World Cup 2025 as favourites from way back England face Canada, the second best team in the world.
Sequential rankings can be deceptive. For example, at the age of eleven I came fourth in a butterfly stroke swimming race at an interschools gala. Not bad on the face of it, but dig a little deeper and the truth is there were only four kids in the race, I hadn’t actually swam the stroke before, and I climbed out of the pool after one length of the designated two I was so far behind.
This is not to say that Canada are the land borne equivalent of my incompetent thrashing about in municipal chlorinated water, but there is a gulf to consider between the sides today; one that is reflective of the sport as a whole.
England have spent at least five years as the best team on the planet. This is no accident as they are well funded by their Union at international level, have a thriving domestic competition and a profile within the sport that cuts through to other fanbases. Canada meanwhile, despite their rare talent (they have always been far more than the erroneous “dark horses” moniker), had to crowdfund their appearance at the tournament. These relative places on the spectrum of women’s rugby sustainability and profile mirror their displays coming into this final.
Pressure makes diamonds, they say, but that’s usually nonsense in a non-geological context. In a human setting pressure creates anxiety, and England’s performances under the weight of expectation in their home tournament have become increasingly tight, albeit physically dominant. Canada have nothing to lose and are playing with a bruising freedom that raises pulses and smiles all round. This makes for a tantalising final.
But the Red Roses are not here to win friends, they want to win the trophy that for all their obvious brilliance has eluded them since 2014; to be the Best Team In The World™ without the asterisk. One more match to go.
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