England Women win World Cup on home turf as royal congratulations lead the celebration

England's Red Roses captured the Women's Rugby World Cup on home soil at Twickenham on Saturday, defeating Canada in front of a record crowd. Officials estimated about 80,000 spectators filled the stadium, with numbers nearing 82,000 as late-arriving fans streamed in. The attendance marked the largest crowd ever for a women's rugby match and the second-biggest ever for a World Cup final, men’s or women’s, underscoring the tournament's growing profile on English soil.

Hannah Botterman was sin-binned in the 51st minute after a high tackle on Canadian flanker Karen Paquin, lifting the Canadian player's feet off the ground. The Red Roses weathered the setback and regrouped, responding with composure and power to reclaim momentum and seal the win in front of their home crowd.

The victory follows a strong summer for English women’s sport, including the England women’s football team lifting the Euros in July. The win at Twickenham extended a run of trophies for English women’s teams in one of the sport’s peak seasons on home soil and reflected the broader rise in women’s professional sport across the country.

Before kickoff, the Princess of Wales posted on Instagram to wish the Red Roses luck. Kate, 43, a patron of the Rugby Football Union, shared a photo with players Megan Jones, Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach, and wrote: "Good luck England! Wishing the very best of luck to the @redrosesrugby in their Women's Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham today. We're so proud of you!" The photo showed Kildunne and Breach wearing white cowboy hats with the team emblem, while Kate wore a red stetson decorated with a tiara.

The couple also used X to praise both England and the Commonwealth nation Canada after the clock went red to kickoff the match, adding to a round of public congratulations from other leaders. King Charles, speaking through the Royal Family’s official accounts, offered warm wishes to both teams before the match and highlighted the occasion as a landmark achievement for women’s rugby. He wrote that supporters on both sides of the Atlantic would watch with pride and urged the players to compete with the spirit and grit that defines the sport.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also joined in, posting after the final whistle: "Congratulations @RedRosesRugby! You have shown the very best of England and inspired a generation." He had previously wished the team luck on social media before kickoff, noting that the tournament was already the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup in history and that England hoped to host it successfully on home soil.

Historically, England had reached the finals in 2014, 2017 and 2021 but fell short on two occasions to New Zealand before delivering this triumph on home turf. The 2025 final thus represented both a culmination of years of development and a signal of the sport’s expanding footprint in England, echoing the summer’s momentum created by the Lionesses’ Euros win in 2022 and reinforcing the broader narrative of rising prominence for women’s sports across the country.