England reach Women's Rugby World Cup final after beating France at Ashton Gate
Ellie Kildunne scores twice as England edge France to set up home showdown with Canada
England advanced to the Women's Rugby World Cup final on home soil after defeating France 35-17 at Ashton Gate, earning a showdown with Canada next week.
Ellie Kildunne struck twice and Megan Jones finished with a try of her own as England built a first-half lead and then withstood a France revival. The calm of the English performance was punctured at times by errors, but England’s depth and aggression ultimately pulled them clear, with a decisive showing from the bench helping swing momentum when the match hovered in the balance around the hour mark. Attendance at Bristol’s refurbished venue reached 25,478 as the home crowd enjoyed a rare surge of momentum from the hosts.
England’s five tries came from Kildunne (2), Cokayne, Ward and Jones, with Harrison converting five of them. France answered through Konde (2) and Arbey, with Bourgeois adding the extras. The performance contained patches of sloppy ball- in-contact play, and coach John Mitchell acknowledged the need to tighten up as the hour approached.
"We’ll go through the medical process," Mitchell said of Kildunne’s late injury concerns. "It’s pretty early, so fingers crossed. She’s special, isn’t she? She deserves her accolades as world player of the year. She’s still very young. She's a very humble girl, into photography, loves being creative and isn’t a girl that you put into a box. She only needs a little bit of structure."
Kildunne produced two moments of brilliance in what was otherwise a physical, error-prone Scotland- style contest. Her quick-footedness in space and an ability to finish when presented with room proved pivotal, and England’s power off the bench allowed them to wrest back control from a French side that showed moments of sharpness in attack.
France were building pressure on England in the middle stages, and the French tries helped keep the game within reach for a period. But England’s defense held firm at crucial moments and their line-speed in attack allowed them to finish off scoring chances when opportunities appeared.
Mitchell praised the squad’s resilience and the way the team used pressure to their advantage. "A lot of that cumulative error was our own doing. We needed to solve that very quickly," he said. "We’ve earned the right to contest the final. It’s a new game. We’ll switch off and get back together on Monday. We’ve got a short week, we’ve got to recover well, have some fun and really enjoy the week, with it being in our country."
The win sets up a home final against Canada, a nation that has faced scrutiny over funding and structure in comparison with England. Public discussion around the gap in resources has been a talking point for months, with Canada lacking a fully professional, full-time program. Canada’s road to this point included a high-profile crowdfunding campaign aimed at sustaining their push toward the title.
The World Cup, staged on English soil, underscores the federation’s commitment to a long-term development plan for women’s rugby. England have invested heavily in facilities, coaching, and player support in recent years, contributing to a stark contrast with Canada’s more modest model. The contrasting approaches will be in focus as teams prepare for the final.
Looking ahead, England will be hoping to complete a home gold medal by lifting the trophy on familiar turf, a milestone many see as a culmination of a sustained push to elevate the women’s game in the country. The final is scheduled to take place next week, with England seeking to emulate the success of their male counterparts and claim a landmark title on home soil.