Match Report – Canada Women 13 – 33 England

England’s Red Roses put 11 years of hurt to an end to clinch the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup title vs Canada

England’s Red Roses became Women’s Rugby World Cup champions for the first time in 11 years as a pulsating final against Canada at Twickenham saw the hosts prove clinical to win 33-13.

Played in front of a record crowd of 81,885, full-back Ellie Kildunne, hooker Amy Cokayne, No 8 Alex Matthews (two) and lock Abbie Ward scored tries as the Red Roses displayed their power and ruthlessness. Fly-half Zoe Harrison kicked four conversions also.

Canada scored twice through wing Asia Hogan-Rochester, but with the score at 26-13 in the second half they failed to make England pay while prop Hannah Botterman was in the sin-bin following a tip-tackle, despite two gilt-edged chances to do so.

Instead, England kicked on again once restored to 15 players, clinching emotional glory on home soil after losing finals in 2017 and 2022.

Canada began confidently and their early pressure was rewarded with the opening try in the fifth minute as Hogan-Rochester finished in the corner after claiming a clever off-load. Kicker Sophie de Goede was unable to make it the full haul, striking the post with the conversion.

Canada’s Asia Hogan-Rochester scored the opening try of the final

Out of nothing, England were soon ahead through Kildunne’s brilliance. The full-back collected the ball with a wealth of defenders in front of her, but proceeded to display frighteningly good footwork to step and accelerate her way over under the posts for a marvellous individual try. Harrison converted for the lead.

Ellie Kildunne produced a magnificent individual try for a quick England response

England’s next chance came off a Tatyana Heard break off a deep line-out throw, catching Canada offside. The hosts kicked into the corner, and just when Canada seemed to have halted the maul, England managed to swivel round and score through Cokayne.

Harrison converted superbly, while a TMO review came next as Ward almost scored but for superb defence by Canada flanker Karen Paquin.

England’s Amy Cokayne scored their second just when Canada looked to have kept the rolling maul out

In the 26th minute, England’s scrum finally got going, marching forward for repeated penalties before scrum-half Natasha Hunt broke and off-loaded for Matthews, one of the Red Roses’ world champions from 2014, to collect and dive over.

Harrison’s conversion left Canada 21-5 behind, and the visitors’ response was two sustained attacks in the 22. The first was stopped by England as their defence proved a wall, but Canada were then inches from a try as pick-and-go carries on the line looked certain to give way to a score, only for Harrison to pinch a priceless turnover – potentially illegally – for a brazen escape.

England’s Alex Matthews scored twice in the final as the hosts proved ruthless when they needed to

Past the half-hour, Canada took three points when they were on offer via De Goede after England infringed at the breakdown within their own 22.

But a Botterman breakdown penalty allowed England to kick into the corner again before the end of the half. A simple driving maul try for the Red Roses followed, but it was ruled out for a Maud Muir obstruction at the maul’s set up, leaving the score 21-8 at the break.

England fly-half Zoe Harrison kicked fantastically throughout the final

England missed a chance when Botterman was stopped short and Harrison then knocked on as the ball went wide. But play went back for a penalty, which prompted the Red Roses to call for a five-metre scrum. From that, England played at the line and Ward leapt forward and reached out to score as the hosts showed their ruthless side.

Botterman blotted her copy book by getting sin-binned for a poor tip-tackle on Paquin almost straight after, and Canada scored immediately as Hogan-Rochester showed great pace to reach the corner.

Hannah Botterman was sin-binned for a poor tip-tackle, allowing Canada back into the contest, but they failed to take their chances

De Goede’s tough conversion veered wide, but Canada were on the attack again when replacement scrum-half Olivia Apps countered. The Maple Leaves somehow failed to score with massive space out wide, though, while their follow-up attack also ended after big England defence followed a succession of penalty concessions.

Instead, England responded in typically lethal fashion, scoring the next time they were placed in the 22 again through Matthews with 11 minutes to play – though replays seemed to show she may not have actually grounded the ball.

From there, there was no way back for Canada, as England’s phenomenal home support cheered them to the finish line.

Kabeya: It’s a pinch-me moment | Hunt: This is unimaginable

Player of the match, Red Roses flanker Sadia Kabey, said:

“It’s amazing! Thank you to everyone who came out here today.

“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.”

England scrum-half Natasha Hunt told BBC Sport:

“This is unimaginable. This whole day, this whole tournament. I could not be more proud of the girls. I’s so overwhelmed and I’m absolutely buzzing. I hope everyone is here to stay for women’s rugby.”

On head coach John Mitchell: “He has just kept it simple. He has been honest, sometimes brutally honest but I like that. He has got this week bang on. We played on the 16th member of the team – the crowd.

“I don’t think any of us could have imagined it would have been like this. That is a testament to everyone behind the scenes and those who turned up today.”

England’s Abbie Ward told BBC Sport:

“Honestly as soon as the whistle went I just burst into tears. It has 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. It wasn’t about righting wrongs. This is our little moment today. It’s about this, this team has been special, what we’ve done has been special. The support, the crowd, the friends and family involved, it’s been magical.”