England extend record winning run to 31 with quarter-final victory over Scotland

England extended their world-record international winning streak to 31 matches by defeating Scotland 40-8 in a Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Bristol, setting up a semi-final against France.

The run — the longest across both men’s and women’s international rugby union — began in 2022 and includes victories under two head coaches. The Red Roses first made history in 2022 when they became the first team to win 25 Tests in a row. That streak continued until a defeat by New Zealand in the World Cup final later that year. Since that loss, England have not been beaten, marking 1,038 days without a defeat as of 15 September.

England’s current winning sequence began under former head coach Simon Middleton. After the 2022 final defeat, Middleton led the team to a Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023. John Mitchell took charge midway through the 2023 WXV1 campaign and remains unbeaten as England head coach, with 26 wins in charge, including back-to-back WXV1 titles and successive Six Nations Grand Slams.

Mitchell changed the captaincy in January, handing the armband to Zoe Aldcroft after Marlie Packer had led the side for two seasons. Number eight Alex Matthews has captained the side twice during the streak, most recently in England’s final pool match against Australia in Brighton. Former captain Sarah Hunter, who led England to the 2022 World Cup final, is now part of the coaching staff as defence coach.

The winning run contains both dominant performances and tight escapes. England’s 92-3 victory over Samoa is the largest margin during the sequence and included 14 tries. The narrowest margin came in this year’s Six Nations finale, when England held off a late France comeback to win 43-42. Earlier in the run, England also withstood a five-point defeat of France at Twickenham in 2023 in front of a record women’s crowd of 58,498. Other notable results include a nine-point win over Canada at last year’s WXV1 in Vancouver — secured by a try in the final play — and a 12-point victory over world champions New Zealand at Twickenham in September.

England last lifted the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014, beating Canada in the final. Despite their present dominance, the Red Roses have struggled to convert long winning runs into World Cup titles: they have reached six finals since that 2014 triumph but have lost five of the last six finals, all to New Zealand.

Saturday’s semi-final in Bristol pits England against France, a fixture that has produced several of the run’s most dramatic moments. If England beat France and then win the final at Twickenham on 27 September, the streak will be extended to 33 consecutive victories.

Coaches and players have emphasized consistency and focus as the streak has grown. England’s blend of experienced leaders, tactical adjustments and depth across the squad has produced sustained results across different competitions and against top-ranked opponents.

The Red Roses now prepare for their World Cup semi-final with France, aiming both to maintain the unbeaten sequence and to end their decade-long wait for a third Women’s World Cup title.