Twickenham glowed under a soft autumn sun, its stands brimming with history and hope. On the edge of south-west London, the Allianz Stadium’s 82,000 seats were packed, every voice, every flag, every heartbeat a part of something larger than sport.

England, the tournament hosts and favourites, unbeaten champions-in-waiting, faced a determined Canada, a side made strong by grit, by unexpected victories, and by the belief that they could shake the rugby establishment.

For England, this was redemption: memories of past finals lost, of near misses, of falling short when the weight of expectation was heaviest. For Canada, it was an opportunity to crown their underdog story with glory, to show the rugby world that their commitment, their spirit, could bridge gaps of experience and pedigree.

This was more than a match. It was a statement: that women’s rugby had come of age. The record-setting crowd, the sold-out Twickenham, the roar of the stands spoke of something transformed.

There was an early scare for England as Canada struck first through winger Asia Hogan-Rochester,

Ellie Kildunne responded with a wonderful weaving solo try of her own creating a roar that almost lifted the Emirates A380 flying overhead, turbulence was definitely a possibility.

Amy Cokayne, Abbie Ward, and Alex Matthews added tries to give England a commanding 26-8 halftime lead. 

In the Second half Canada gained some momentum when England’s Hannah Botterman was shown a yellow card. Hogan-Rochester scored again for Canada, stirring hopes of a comeback, but Matthews’ second try sealed the game and the World Cup for England.

This final will serve as both inspiration and foundation. And for the sport globally, the 2025 final will be a reference point, a moment of unity, where the women’s game’s potential shone in full.

French rugby lost one of its quiet giants on Tuesday when Jean-Louis Bérot died tragically at the age of 78. His death the result of a fall while hunting in the Landes countryside he loved so dearly stunned not only his hometown of Dax, but the wider rugby family across France.

Born on 28 July 1947, Bérot grew up in a part of France where rugby is not just a sport, but a culture and a way of life. From the start, he embodied the values of his region: resilience, humility, and a fierce passion for the game.

He began his career with US Dax, before moving on to Stade Toulousain, where his versatility as both a fly-half and scrum-half made him invaluable. He returned to Dax in 1973, never straying far from his roots. For Bérot, rugby was never about glory; it was about representing his people.

Between 1968 and 1974, Bérot wore the jersey of France 21 times. He faced the mighty All Blacks, toured South Africa and Australia, and competed in the Five Nations Championship.

In 1974, against Ireland, with the game hanging in the balance, Bérot stepped up and landed a penalty from over 40 metres out, on an awkward angle, deep into injury time to earn France a victory.

Bérot was never one to chase headlines. He carried his victories, and his disappointments, with the same quiet dignity.

When his playing days ended, he poured his energy back into his club and his town. He coached US Dax in the late 1970s and 1980s, later serving as an administrator and also as president of its omnisports organisation.

Away from rugby, Bérot trained as a physiotherapist and created the Thermes Bérot, a thermal spa in Dax that became a cornerstone of the local community. To many, he was not just a former international star, but a trusted professional, a neighbour, and a friend.

US Dax, spoke of “immense sadness” and promised to honour him with a tribute at their stadium. Former teammates, opponents, and fans remembered a man who combined rare talent with humility, intelligence, and kindness.

His passing is a reminder that even the strongest fall, but the spirit they leave behind continues to inspire. In Dax, in Toulouse, and in every corner of France where rugby is played, the name Jean-Louis Bérot will remain spoken with respect, gratitude, and love.

You cannot help but feel desperately sorry for France and New Zealand, a semi-final loss is the cruellest of defeats, with not even the luxury of being able to slink off quietly into the sunset to lick one’s wounds.

For the semi-final losers, there is also the ordeal of having to prepare for the match that no one wants to play in, the dreaded 3rd/4th place off.

These days the optics have slightly sweetened the bitter pill with a change of name to that of Bronze medal match, but ultimately no term can hide the fact that all it decides is who finishes the higher loser.

An 82,000 crowd will fill Twickenham next Saturday to watch this match as a 12.30 warm up to the main screening, the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final between England and Canada.

The 2025 tournament has seen the warm summer days of September drift slowly into a fully leaf blown Autumn as the daylight diminishes, and the central heating gets perilously close to activation, a sign in our house that the annual thermostat wars are about to begin.

Central heating was not required at Aston Gate on Friday night, however, as Canada and New Zealand faced each other.

In this much anticipated contest, the red-hot maple leaf blowers scattered the Black Ferns to the four winds.

It was a performance for the ages from Canada who dominated from first kick to last except for a ten-minute Black purple patch in the second half when New Zealand scored two tries. By this time, Canada had built up such a commanding lead that it was all too little too late.

Sophie de ‘too darn’ Goode strode this match like a colossus, she was top tackler, top carrier and the scorer of a try three conversions and a penalty.

Her Father, Hans, could only dream of such an occurrence during his playing days as a big, hard, old-fashioned second-row with Cardiff.

The second semi-final on Saturday afternoon saw England take on France at the same venue.

For France, there were tears before the match and indeed after the final whistle. The tears of emotion and national pride rolling down the cheeks during ‘La Marseillaise’ mixed with the Bristol drizzle, but after a bruising eighty minutes they were replaced by tears of disappointment and missed chances after suffering a ninth Rugby World Cup semi-final defeat.

France gave England a real battle but butchered at least three first half try scoring opportunities as they dominated possession following an early English try from Ellie Killdune after just 5 minutes.

The Red Roses went into the half-time break with a 7-5 lead against the run of play. However, a feeling that England would grind out a victory in the second half was brought to bear after they out scored France four tries to two.

For England there will be relief that a poor performance was not capitalised on by the French, and for the French themselves they will look on this game as a missed opportunity.

So we head to Twickenham next weekend for two matches. Firstly that dreaded bronze medal encounter France v New Zealand at 1230 and at 4pm the 2025 Women’s Rugby Cup Final between the haves and the have-nots, England and Canada. It promises to be quite a day.

The bookmakers will be sleeping peacefully in their beds tonight. But to be perfectly honest, you didn’t have to be Nostradamus to forecast the semi-final line up for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Despite the predictability of the outcomes, the four quarter-finals held in Exeter and Bristol continued to excite and entertain the record crowds that continue to turn up in their thousands to enhance and lighten up this tournament.

However, if the outcomes were predictable, No one would have forecast that South Africa would be level with New Zealand at half-time (10-10) or that the Black Ferns would have to make 249 tackles before eventually running out 46–17 winners.

Comfortable wins for England, New Zealand (eventually) and Canada contrasted with the one match that encompassed the magical ingredient of jeopardy-Ireland v France.

With Dublin weather arriving in Exeter, Ireland totally dominated the first half with the wind and rain at their backs building up a 13-0 lead.

18 unanswered points from France in the second half gave them victory despite a nervous final few minutes with the women in green throwing the kitchen sink at a defence that made 273 tackles.

Three yellow cards for France meant they played 30 minutes down to fourteen players, and their involvement in an alleged biting incident will no doubt dominate proceedings in the coming days.

As ever it is to the victor the spoils and two compelling matches on Friday and Saturday will determine the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup finalists. I have a feeling neither the bookmakers nor the late great Nostradamus will be unduly troubled.

Braxton Sorensen-McGee is just eighteen years old, a winger, full back, playmaker, finisher, a black fern in bloom, a story only just beginning to unfold and yet already one for the ages.

Last Sunday in Brighton the first of her three tries against Ireland left the crowd gasping. Scorching down the right wing she shimmied, side stepped and swerved with such beauty and power that Sorensen and McGee went in different directions leaving the Irish defenders holding nothing but the hyphen.

With five family members having played league for the Kiwis including stars of the game Dane and Kurt Sorensen the oval ball game was well and truly in her blood.

Her rugby life began as a two year old watching her brother playing rugby league. She followed his footsteps in borrowed boots too young to know she was already chasing destiny.

Despite being voted New Zealand Rugby League U16 Player of the Year the union code was calling her. At Auckland Girls’ Grammar she took the field, and with the Auckland Storm she claimed her place among the brightest, becoming Farah Palmer Cup Rookie of the Year in 2023. Her rise continued into the sevens format as Co-captain of New Zealand’s U18s,

Then came 2025. In Super Rugby Aupiki, with the Blues in full flight she scored six tries in eight games, and in the final, she stole the ball, ran seventy metres, and sealed the championship with the lightning in her boots.

On her Black Ferns debut earlier this year she scored a brace of tries against Australia crossing the white line twice and looking like she had played international rugby all her life.

Her second try was a 40 metre sprint, a long range effort that now appears to be part of her DNA and arguably worthy of registering intellectual property rights.

Rugby World Cup 2025 has brought her magical talents to a global audience with Six tries in a week, those remarkable back to back hat tricks against Japan and Ireland were a joy to behold.

Sorenson-McGee finished the pool stage as the tournament’s leading point scorer with 38 points, six tries – those two hat-tricks against Japan and Ireland – and four conversions.

Her attacking threat has made her joint-top line-breaker with 10 and together with the 228 metres gained, it puts her amongst the most dangerous ball carriers in the tournament.

Back home, her dog Thunder must be one of the fittest canines on the planet. I would imagine the pace of ‘walkies’ must be quite challenging for him. They say owners take after their dogs so you may not be surprised to discover that her fur baby is a Rottweiler.

Black Fern number 262 is straining at the leash to face South Africa in the first World Cup quarter final in Exeter this weekend and make no bones about it, we are in the presence of a rugby superstar.

Come the day and come the hour the women in green tried to answer Ireland’s call, but in the end that old black magic worked its spell in the Sussex September sunshine.

In the chocolate box of rugby, there were no soft centres at the Brighton & Hove Stadium. Despite the ominous feel of Autumn just a side-step away, there was no chance that any stray black fern leaves would be blown away.

A wonderful weekend of World Cup rugby in Sussex that began with the Red Roses overcoming the Wallaroos culminated with the women from the land of the long white cloud heading north-west as Group Winners. They will play a quarter-final tie against South Africa in Exeter.

For the second day running, a near capacity crowd basked in glorious sunshine and the factor 50 was flowing almost much as the tournament sponsors Asahi Dry lager.

Ireland started the brighter and dominated the opening ten minutes, but were unable to turn that early territorial superiority into points.

New Zealand were given a welcome breather when the referee paused the match at 3pm for the National Emergency Alert to pass. This had the desired effect for the women in black as three minutes later centre Stacey Waaka (one of the non-soft centres) crashed over for the opening try.

From then on the New Zealand defence was merciless their physicality and organisation were faultless and tries from Chryss Viliko and Braxton Sorensen-McGee gave the Black Ferns a 19-7 half-time lead.

New Zealand were even more remorseless in the second half and two further tries from Sorensen-McGee completed her hat-trick before Maia Joseph’s last minute touchdown completed a comprehensive 40-0 victory.

Renee Holmes’s was immaculate with the boot landing five out of six conversions to complement her fine all round display. Her kicking accuracy could be a huge factor when it comes to the sharp end of the tournament.

Ireland were well and truly beaten here by a very impressive Black Ferns team. On this showing, they will be a real threat to the Red Roses and anyone else who gets in the way of their World Cup ambitions.

    

Sussex, Sussex by the Sea! Good old Sussex by the Sea!

 You may tell them all we stand or fall, For Sussex by the Sea…

William Ward Higgs

To be in Sussex by the sea on an early sun-kissed September Saturday afternoon as the Women’s Rugby World Cup entered its final stage of group matches is one the perks of a job that mostly occupies the cold and wet winter weekends when daylight is in short supply.

Six miles inland from Brighton’s shingle beaches that once enticed Edwardian day trippers escaping the London smog, England faced Australia in a Pool A match at the home of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

The village of Falmer is located within the South Downs National Park, nestled on the edge of the rolling chalk hills and rich green woodlands characteristic of the region. The historic village itself retains its rural downland character, but it also houses the Amex Stadium, renamed the Brighton & Hove stadium for this World Cup weekend.

A 30,443 crowd and an unsubstantiated number of seagulls proved that when it comes to creating a wonderful ear-splitting family rugby occasion, this lovely south coast arena is right up there with the best of the city slickers.

The Red Roses certainly think so, having had their every move serenaded by youthful screams and cheers

Thirty-two miles down the road is the town of Chichester birthplace of England wing Jess Breach fittingly gaining her 50th in her home county

She marked the occasion with a try in the 8th minute and the accompanying cheer could be heard all the way down the A27.

But it was Australia that made all the early running and a 6th minute try stunned the partisan crowd and indeed the England team themselves.

The Wallaroos dominated possession for the first half hour and held on to the lead until Abbie Ward crashed over from close range on 32 minutes.

Six minutes later Kebeya’s try earned England a 19-7 lead going into the break.

The second half was a different story as the Red Roses made hay in the sunshine with four unanswered tries as the Wallaroos wilted.

England’s 47-7 win meant they ended the day as Pool A winners and now face Scotland in a Bristol Quarter Final next Sunday.

For Australia in defeat there is the very worthy consolation prize, as group runners-up, of a place in the last eight where they will come face to face with one of the tournament favourites Canada.

A capacity crowd once again emphasised how the women’s game is growing in popularity and quality, and as the sun set over the South Downs it will rise again tomorrow morning and another full house will arrive to witness New Zealand face Ireland, good old Sussex by the sea.

The World Rugby Women’s High Performance Referee Manager appears to have her hands full at the moment.

Managerial and parental roles are keeping her fully occupied during the Women’s Rugby World Cup tournament and her husband and two young boys accompanying her on this rugby odyssey are making sure the non-rugby roles get equal attention, commitment and dedication.

Behind that cold corporate sporting title ‘Women’s high performance match referee manager’ lies the name of one of women’s rugby’s great pathfinders.

For those of us who covered the women’s international game when there was just one man and his dog watching from the sidelines, the name and the face are reassuringly familiar it is that of Alhambra Nievas González. 

There is a kind of strength that doesn’t roar, it echoes. Alhambra carries such strength, woven from Andalusian sunrises, the whisper of the Sierra Nevada winds, and the sound of a rugby ball hitting green grass.

Her name taken from Granada’s fabled palace speaks of heritage and grace, qualities that she carries in abundance.

She was 19 when rugby claimed her. It wasn’t love at first sight, it was more like a meandering mountain river finding its course and that river continues to flow occasionally changing its direction.

Between her studies in telecommunications engineering, she found herself drawn to the oval ball, to the grit and values of a sport that was to shape her life.

She wore the bright red shirt of Spain with pride, skill, and great determination, but the rugby gods were already shaping her destiny.

In 2006, at a children’s tournament, she was handed a whistle and the rest as they say is history.

The higher she began to climb, the more the seemingly immovable barriers began to fall. 

From local fields to world arenas, she continued to rise in relentless and determined steps: Sevens tournaments, Rugby World Cups, Olympic qualifiers and then Rio 2016 and the Olympic sevens final beneath a golden Brazilian sun.

That same year, history put its arm around her shoulder as she became the first woman to referee a men’s international match and the first female World Rugby Referee of the year.

In 2018, she hung up her whistle, but this was not an ending, it was a new beginning as World Rugby named her Referee Development Manager.

As a result, her influence began to stretch way beyond the sport and the matches she alone could call.

She was shaping voices, building confidence, turning first-time referees into commanding presences.

Even in the stillness of a pandemic, she found ways to keep the game alive launching a Virtual High-Performance Academy where young women and men could still chase the dream she had once caught.

Alhambra Nievas is not just a woman who blew a whistle. She is a lighthouse in a sport that for too long thought the sea was only for men.

When the history of rugby is told, there will be a chapter where the crowd is quiet, and where a lone whistle cuts through, it is Alhambra’s whistle, and everything changes.

Rugby referees the world over could not have a better team-mate alongside them, she has been there and done it and thanks to her, it will be that little bit easier for those that follow.

Working alongside Ali as the Elite Women’s 15s Match Officials Head Coach is another trailblazer former Irish international player and world class referee Joy Neville.

Alhambra and Joy have not only been there done it and got the T shirt, they actually designed and printed the T shirt themselves, such has been their influence on the women’s game.

For Alhambra, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 will be another journey on that meandering mountain river as she continues to inspire the new generation of match officials.

Vamos Amiga !

It was the 73rd minute in Exeter when the impossible became inevitable.

The scoreboard was already leaning heavily toward France, their dominance undeniable. But in that fleeting burst of space, Brazil’s Bianca Silva didn’t see the gulf in rankings, the gulf in resources, or the gulf in expectation. She saw her chance and took it.

Silva’s pace, honed from years on the sevens circuit, carried her clear. With the French line scrambling, she stretched out and touched down. Brazil had scored their first ever try at a Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The roar inside Sandy Park was louder than the margin on the scoreboard suggested. French fans, Brazilian fans, neutrals alike rose to their feet. It was more than a try, it was history being written in green and yellow.

Brazil’s rugby journey has long been tethered to the shorter format. As Olympic hosts in 2016, they invested in women’s sevens, and names like Bianca Silva became known for speed and flair. But XVs rugby, with its physical grind and tactical layers, was a different mountain.

Their path to England in 2025 wasn’t straightforward. They battled through qualifiers with limited resources, training in borrowed facilities, balancing full-time jobs with international ambitions. Many players had never experienced a full professional setup until this tournament.

For France, it was another commanding performance, their 84–5 victory a reminder of their place among rugby’s elite. But even French players joined in applause for Silva’s try. It was the kind of sporting moment that bends the narrative away from results and toward meaning.

“We’ve been waiting for this,” Silva said afterward, her voice breaking. “That try wasn’t just for me — it was for every girl in Brazil who’s picked up a rugby ball and wondered if this dream was too far away.”

Her teammates embraced her as if they had won the match itself. In many ways, they had.

Brazil’s try doesn’t erase the disparities in the women’s game. The challenges remain: funding, visibility, opportunities. But what Silva gave her team, and her country, is something beyond statistics.

A first try is a foothold. A reminder that they belong. A spark that could light fields far from Exeter, in São Paulo parks, in Brasília schools, in Rio’s favelas where children might now dream not just of football or volleyball, but of rugby.

On August 31st, 2025, in the southwest of England, Brazil crossed a line they had been chasing for years. The scoreboard may one day be forgotten. Bianca Silva’s try will not.

When Marine Ménager walks onto a rugby pitch, it is never just about her. The French international centre is often introduced in tandem with her twin sister, Romane. Together, they have become one of the most fascinating stories in world rugby: two siblings who not only share DNA but also a career path that has carried them from small-town pitches in northern France to the world stage.

For Marine, the twin dynamic has never been a burden but a source of strength. “We push each other, we compete, but above all we understand each other,” she once explained in an interview. That understanding is obvious when they play: one reading the field, the other exploding through a gap, both instinctively aware of the other’s movement. It’s the kind of chemistry you can’t coach—it’s lived.

Yet Marine has built an identity that is distinctly her own. While Romane often earns headlines for her finishing power, Marine’s value lies in her versatility. She is a centre who can turn a defensive stand into an attacking opportunity, a player who thrives in chaos but also brings calm when the game’s intensity peaks. Teammates describe her as relentless, the kind of competitor who raises the standard simply by refusing to settle for less.

Her journey has mirrored the growth of women’s rugby in France. When she began, the sport was still carving space in a crowded national landscape dominated by football and men’s rugby. Now, thanks to athletes like Marine, French women’s rugby is televised, discussed, and celebrated on a new scale. She has become a face of that movement—part athlete, part ambassador, fully committed.

The 2022 World Cup in New Zealand highlighted her importance. France’s third-place finish was bittersweet, but Marine’s performances underscored her resilience. She played not only for the result but for the credibility of the sport she loves. Every tackle, every run carried weight beyond the scoreboard.

Away from the spotlight, she is grounded. Those who know her speak of someone intensely dedicated to training yet unpretentious, someone who never forgets her roots in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. The drive that pushes her through international tournaments is the same drive that kept her on muddy northern pitches as a child, refusing to be told rugby wasn’t for girls.

Marine Ménager stands as more than just a player. She is a symbol of determination, of partnership, and of the new chapter unfolding in women’s rugby.

Marine’s story is not only about tries scored or trophies won. It’s about resilience, family, and the rise of a sport where women like her are no longer pushing at closed doors—they’re kicking them open.

Marine is donning that iconic blue jersey at the Rugby World Cup but sadly twin sister Romane suffered a concussion against Italy in the Six Nations having only just come back from an extended break for a previous concussion and is taking an extended break whilst considering her future.

France have started the 2025 tournament with two wins against both Italy and Brazil. Sterner tasks lie ahead with a likely quarter final against Ireland or New Zealand but for now the mood in the camp is that they are building nicely.