Ellie Kildunne sprinkles stardust to move England one step from glory

While there are too many stories in women’s rugby of a union neglecting the women (Scotland player Jade Konkel-Roberts retired after Scotland reached the quarter-finals saying their progress was “no thanks” to the Scotland Rugby Union), this isn’t one of them. Canada’s women’s team are ranked second in the world, the men’s side are ranked 24th. Women’s sides often rely on the money brought in by the men’s side and Rugby Canada simply doesn’t have the money. The only other women’s team in the top-10 without their male counterparts for company are the USA.

While Canada crowdfunded their way to this final, England have enjoyed full-time professionalism since 2019, in a programme that continues to strengthen, and a domestic league that boasts the most competitive women’s rugby in the world. And the result is telling: they are preparing for their seventh World Cup final in a row without significant difficulties. England seemed so certain to reach the final, that before the second semi-final started the Canadian team were speaking about facing England. And yet, Les Bleus provided a real challenge for the Red Roses.

A rousing Ashton Gate crowd watched as England secured their place in the final. In the fifth minute, England scored their 100th try of 2025, via the hands of Ellie Kildunne, who returned to the squad after missing the quarter-final due to a head injury. England would go on to score four more on this wet day, but not all without controversy. The refereeing team seemed to miss the ball coming forward off Natasha Hunt’s boot in the build-up to the try, which should have resulted it being disallowed. Similarly, in France’s opening try, winger Marine Ménager’s foot appeared to be in touch, but the try stood.

It was by no means an easy victory for England, whose handling errors let them down. They stuck to a ball-playing gameplan in the first half, running from deep in their own half, despite a struggle keeping the ball in hands. After the half-time whistle blew, captain Zoe Aldcroft stood with senior Red Roses players Abbie Ward, Hunt, Zoe Harrision and Meg Jones before heading into the changing room. Both sides lacked composure and for England, it was costing them territory and possession. Immediately the second half started, England resorted to their classic try-scoring tactic of the lineout driving maul, and continued to hold the ball tighter in the middle of the pitch.

A test like this was exactly what England needed. This tournament, for all its brilliance, has lacked competition. Scorelines have been too one-sided, and England needed to arrive at the Allianz Stadium battle-hardened.

But it was Canada who provided the best entertainment of the semi-finals. Their victory against New Zealand, the World Cup holders, ended the Black Ferns’s 11-year, 4,063 day unbeaten Rugby World Cup record. In being denied a third consecutive World Cup final, New Zealand must re-evaluate their internal programme. Their governing body failed to capitalise on hosting the tournament in 2022, not playing another match for 229 days. When they hosted WXV 1, an international women’s rugby tournament, in 2023, the team finished fourth, attendances were low and coverage was minimal. “We want to play more games,” said Kennedy Tukuafu, New Zealand’s co-captain, on Friday night. England shouldn’t have such problems. They get regular Test-match rugby and are already marketing their Women’s Six Nations games to fans at the World Cup, but it serves as a warning: capitalise now, or the game will not continue to grow.

Canada started strong. They scored three tries in the opening 25 minutes and kept the Black Ferns scoreless for 26 minutes. Sophie de Goede, the Canadian second row who converted her own try and scored a total of 14 points, and scrum-half Justine Pelletier, who directed the game with sniping passes, were particularly impressive.

And so the stage is set, England will face Canada in the 2025 Rugby World Cup: a repeat of the 2014 edition which England won. And finally, thankfully, there is some jeopardy. Canada will have watched England’s defensive weakness on the edges, and England will have watched Canada’s fatigue under pressure.

There is no certainty, no form, or no record win streak that matters in a World Cup final. England know that better than anyone else, having lost five of the last six finals. It will all come down to one match, 80 minutes, 15 v 15. Game on.

“Nobody really remembers how you win in these tournaments, you’ve just got to win,” said head coach John Mitchell after England withstood a battling France team to earn a place in next Saturday’s final.

England had to revert to the lineout driving maul in the second half, after handling errors had stunted the team’s progression up the pitch in the first half. It is a tactic they have been criticised for in the past – playing “boring rugby” – but it was the flair of England’s first-half play that cost them dearly with possession and territory. “We had to work ourselves out of a difficult situation where we weren’t accurate in the first half,” he said.

Centre Meg Jones agreed. “First half we put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” she said. “We problem-solved really well. I think defensively some of the tackles we were putting in were outstanding from the girls. We were relentless and that’s exactly what we want to show. We’ve got a lot of heart, a lot of passion, and we want to wear our heart on our sleeve as much as we can.”

Such a tough semi-final is the ultimate preparation for England, which according to Mitchell, gives him greater confidence for the final.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “Our girls are so driven to be better. To get yourself out of a difficult performance like tonight is a credit to them. Defensively, in the middle of the field we were very good. There was some courage and a lot of heart shown there.”

The final beckons and the target on England’s back could not be bigger. “Canada have got this story about how they’ve had to fund their way to this World Cup,” Marlie Packer said. “The Red Roses are world No 1, the team everyone wants to beat. We need to focus on ourselves.

“How often do you get a home World Cup? We’ve put in a really tough performance against France. France had nothing to lose. We knew we needed to stay in the fight. We’ve got the result and so now we’ll enjoy it.”

But after their toughest test yet, England allowed themselves the chance to celebrate. “We will enjoy the moment we have had,” said Jones. “I’m sure there will be a lot of singing on the bus, Botts [Hannah Botterman] is usually the one leading that. We will be singing tonight, but back on it tomorrow.”

Photograph by Alex Davidson – World Rugby via Getty Images