Key events
Preamble
So here we are, the final of the Rugby World Cup 2025 as favourites from way back England face Canada, the second best team in the world.
Sequential rankings can be deceptive. For example, at the age of eleven I came fourth in a butterfly stroke swimming race at an interschools gala. Not bad on the face of it, but dig a little deeper and the truth is there were only four kids in the race, I hadn’t actually swam the stroke before, and I climbed out of the pool after one length of the designated two I was so far behind.
This is not to say that Canada are the land borne equivalent of my incompetent thrashing about in municipal chlorinated water, but there is a gulf to consider between the sides today; one that is reflective of the sport as a whole.
England have spent at least five years as the best team on the planet. This is no accident as they are well funded by their Union at international level, have a thriving domestic competition and a profile within the sport that cuts through to other fanbases. Canada meanwhile, despite their rare talent, had to crowdfund their appearance at the tournament. These relative places on the spectrum of women’s rugby sustainability and profile mirror their displays coming into this final.
Pressure makes diamonds, they say, but that’s usually nonsense in a non-geological context. In a human setting pressure creates anxiety, and England’s performances under the weight of expectation in their home tournament have become increasingly tight, albeit physically dominant. Canada have nothing to lose and are playing with a bruising freedom that raises pulses and smiles all round. This makes for a tantalising final.
But the Red Roses are not here to win friends, they want to win the trophy that for all their obvious brilliance has eluded them since 2014; to be the Best Team In The World™ without the asterisk. One more match to go.
