England produced a commanding performance to defeat Canada at Twickenham, securing the Women’s Rugby World Cup for a third time.
In front of a record crowd of 81,885 fans, the Red Roses laid to rest the disappointment of losing the last two finals to New Zealand, powering through with dominant forward play and ferocious defence. Their last defeat, against the Black Ferns three years ago, remains their most recent loss as they extended their record-winning run to 33 games.
Canada struck first with a try from flying winger Asia Hogan-Rochester, but England responded in style with a sensational solo effort by Ellie Kildunne. Tries from hooker Amy Cokayne and number eight Alex Matthews put the hosts in control, with Canada keeping in touch thanks to a penalty from Sophie de Goede.
The second half saw Abbie Ward score England’s first try, followed by a second from Hogan-Rochester for Canada. But Matthews’ second try, coming soon after heroic defence, sealed the victory for the Red Roses.
Canada, who had impressed throughout the tournament—including a semi-final win over New Zealand—entered the final nearly reaching their million-dollar fundraising goal, “Mission: Win Rugby World Cup,” aimed at helping them compete with the world’s best-funded teams.
On the biggest stage, John Mitchell’s England side outperformed the world’s second-ranked team to become world champions for the first time since 2014, when they also defeated Canada.
The win caps a remarkable year for women’s sport in England, following football’s Lionesses retaining their European title at Euro 2025 in July.
