England claim World Cup glory as Red Roses stun Canada at Twickenham in record crowd

England captured the Women’s Rugby World Cup with a 33-13 win over Canada at Twickenham on Saturday, delivering a third title for the Red Roses and marking a watershed moment for the women’s game in England. A record attendance stood at about 81,885, eclipsing the previous mark for a women’s rugby match by roughly 25,000, underscoring the event’s significance and spectacle for the sport’s growth in the country.

Outside Twickenham station, a giant image of Ellie Kildunne greeted fans arriving from Reading and Waterloo. They came in their thousands, many in red cowgirl hats, with scarves bearing Kildunne’s name as they walked Whitton Road toward the stadium. The moment felt almost choreographed, a coming-out for the Yorkshire full-back who had long been talked about as the team’s poster girl. All Kildunne needed was a moment on the field, and she delivered early in the first half, sliding through the Canadian cover to hint at what was possible for England on a day of enormous expectation.

The match opened with a jolt as Asia Hogan-Rochester, Canada’s winger, dotted down on the left flank to give the visitors the lead and set the tone for a compelling contest. England answered with the power they’ve cultivated over seven years of funded development, tightening collisions, dominating scrums and squeezing over rucks to win turnovers. The forwards, anchored by Hannah Botterman and Zoe Aldcroft, brought a physical edge that Canada found hard to match as the clock ticked toward halftime. Kildunne’s moment arrived during a penalty advantage, when she lined up as first receiver, sidestepped Courtney O’Donnell and left defenders in her wake, sprinting 40 metres to extend England’s lead.

Amy Cokayne crossed from a driving lineout and Alex Matthews finished from a scrum to give England a 21-13 edge at the break, with substitutions and a more clinical defensive structure ensuring Canada could not mount a repeat of their earlier momentum. England’s set-piece proved unstoppable all day, a testament to a full-time training schedule that had become a competitive advantage for an era of professional-style preparation in the women’s game. Abbie Ward added a second-half score to seal the triumph, Matthews notching a second as the Red Roses pulled away.

There was a sense of inevitability about England’s dominance, a reflection of how far the sport has come in a country that has invested in women’s rugby for years. Canada, the tournament’s darlings for much of the run, had arrived with a crowdfunding-backed dream that funded players who balanced day jobs with training, including roles as firefighters and teachers. Shania Twain sent a goodwill message to the Canadian squad before kickoff, underscoring the event’s cultural reach even as England’s defense held firm against late pressure.

England head coach John Mitchell, brought in with a reputation for coaching elite teams including the All Blacks and the England men’s side, presided over a performance that many see as a turning point for English rugby. He accepted a coach-of-the-year recognition after the final whistle, a moment that added to the sense that this result could reshape leadership conversations around the sport. The win also raised questions about the future direction of the England program, including whether a woman might eventually lead the team at the highest level, as some observers have suggested with Jo Yapp cited as a potential candidate.

The victory carries more than a title. It arrives with a practical, pressing agenda for the sport in England. The RFU has long targeted growth for women’s and girls’ rugby, aiming to increase participation from roughly 60,000 players to 100,000 within two years. A celebration event at Battersea Power Stadium is planned for Sunday, and clubs across the country will host visits this weekend as players connect with communities that have supported the women’s game through leaner times. Limited edition victory T-shirts are already on sale as the sport looks to convert this moment into sustainable growth, not just a cherished memory.

The legacy talk is not new for England after a World Cup win in 2003, which left the sport dealing with jet lag and player fatigue in the wake of a high-profile triumph. This time, organizers say they are applying a more coordinated approach to spreading the success, with a plan to deepen grassroots participation and to ensure the squad’s success translates into tangible, long-lasting benefits for clubs and schools nationwide. England’s cohort of try-scorers has a poignant resonance too: all three of the team’s tries came from players who endured heartbreak in recent finals, a narrative that has helped fuel a broader sense of redemption and possibility for the sport’s next generation.

Canada’s path to this match was as compelling as the final itself. The team’s community-funded ascent to the World Cup, and the public support that followed, highlighted a unique dynamic in women’s sport where narrative and community investment can compensate for the absence of full professional status in many players’ lives. That story, alongside the performance on the field, added layers of meaning to a day that many hope will act as a catalyst for increased sponsorship, media coverage and youth participation in the sport.

As the stadium emptied and fans began to process what had happened, officials signaled a broader program of engagement—visits to local clubs, discussions about pathways for aspiring players, and a public reaffirmation that this is more than a single-day triumph. For the players, the spotlight shifts from Twickenham to a national conversation about how to sustain momentum: more fixtures, more investment, and more opportunities for girls to imagine themselves in the famous red kit. For England, the moment now is to translate glory into movement, expanding the game’s footprint well beyond the rugby community and into schools, community centers and everyday life.

In the weeks ahead, the sport’s leadership will be watching closely to see whether this World Cup victory creates a durable surge in participation and a corresponding uptick in homegrown sponsorship. If current projections hold, England could witness a marked increase in the number of women and girls taking up rugby, potentially altering the landscape of the game for years to come. The Twickenham triumph, then, is not just a trophy moment but a turning point in English rugby’s ongoing effort to build a broader, more inclusive and commercially sustainable future. The road ahead will test whether the momentum of this record day can be translated into enduring growth and long-term success for the Red Roses.