Women’s Rugby World Cup in NZ

Blackheathen

This is the 15 a side variety, not 7s and is the tournament originally scheduled for last year but postponed due to COVID.  The games will take place in Auckland and Whangarei (north of Auckland) over 5 weekends (no midweek matches).

The current holders are the NZ Black Ferns having won the title in  2017 in Ireland. They will have an almighty battle on their hands though with France and England who both trounced them in November last year on their northern tour (not having played together for 27 months).  The England team are on a record-breaking 25 test winning streak and the French side have beaten the Black Ferns 4 games in a row.  NZ though have the benefit of All Black Wayne Smith and Sir Graham Henry coaching them.

There are 12 nations competing, split into 3 groups:
Pool A -  NZ, Australia, Wales, Scotland
Pool B -  Canada, USA, Italy, Japan
Pool C -  England, France, South Africa, Fiji

The tournament starts this Saturday before a near sold out 35,000+ crowd at Eden Park, Auckland to watch the triple header:
South Africa v France
Fiji v England
Australia v New Zealand

WelshAddick

Is it on tv

Blackheathen

Yes.  It’s on local tv and SparkSport.

Its on ITV Rugby on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.  Highlights will be on YouTube from 10am following overnight matches.

ITV Hub will have a full programme after transmission has finished.

WelshAddick

Thank you 

Karim_myBagheri

Never watched women's rugby but having a lawsuit and a documentary tonight I believe about the men's game with the concussion problem, does the women's game have similar problems? Or maybe they don't hit as hard or the rules are different to help to try and prevent long term damage? 

Danepak

I’ll be watching some of it for sure, but looking at the bookie odds for individual matches (in round 1), it doesn’t look very exciting (apart from USA v Italy and Wales v Scotland).

Blackheathen

Karim_myBagheri said:

Never watched women's rugby but having a lawsuit and a documentary tonight I believe about the men's game with the concussion problem, does the women's game have similar problems? Or maybe they don't hit as hard or the rules are different to help to try and prevent long term damage? 

This is from an article in the Guardian:

Blackheathen

No surprises here watched by a record 40,000+ crowd.  Rita Ora - married to NZ film director Taika Waititi - entertained the crowd at half time during the NZ v Australia game.

France 40 South Africa 5
England 84 Fiji 19
New Zealand 41 Australia 17

England, World Cup favourites scored 10 second half tries to flatten a spirited Fiji side playing in their first World Cup.  They are the lowest ranked side in the tournament but they scored two wonderful tries on counter-attack which raised the roof.

England’s next game is against France next Saturday at 8pm local time.

Blackheathen

Todays games:

Wales 18 Scotland 15, Canada 41 Japan 5, Italy 22 USA 10

The Wales Scotland game took more than two and a half hours with constant stoppages, yellow cards for Wales, injuries on both sides and even a bit of a scrap.  There were sterling tries from both sides coming off set pieces and driving mauls.  The Scottish back line were brilliant but Wales denied them with a last gasp penalty goal.

Swindon_Addick

Scotland are realistically out after that result, as they'd need a result against Australia or NZ to have a path to the quarter finals. Wales may also miss out due to not getting a bonus point; the other groups have weak-looking fourth teams so 4 points probably not enough to be one of the top two third placed sides. It's a tough format, but presumably dictated by the number of countries capable of playing at this level without being a major injury risk.

Blackheathen

Australia held off Scotland 14-12 in a bruising encounter despite having two players sent off.

USA 30. V Japan 17

England edged France 13 - 7 but both teams were that good they could meet again in the final.  The difference tonight was England’s kicking game.

SuedeAdidas

https://twitter.com/michaeiofwales/status/1580190216786423808?s=46&t=8byTEU9ctnEZbSUjDmiy8A

Swindon_Addick

SuedeAdidas said:

https://twitter.com/michaeiofwales/status/1580190216786423808?s=46&t=8byTEU9ctnEZbSUjDmiy8A

Very amusing, other than for the player involved, but what precisely does it have to do with the women's world cup? It says on screen it's from the women's qualifiers of some competition or other. The women's world cup doesn't have women's qualifiers, what with all the players being women.

Blackheathen

Todays results and the tables so far with a game to go in the group stage:

New Zealand 56 Wales 12,  Canada 22 Italy 12,  Fiji 21 South Africa 17

AddicksAddict

The difference in ability between the players in the professional ranks and the others is, understandably, quite marked; the France-England game particularly looked very competent.  It's hard to see the winner coming from anywhere other than NZ, France or England.

Blackheathen

England duly thumped South Africa 75-0 with 13 tries (half time 29-0) to take their place in the quarter finals.  Full list of scores:

Saturday:  Australia 13 Wales 7, France 44 Fiji 0, NZ 57 Scotland 0
Sunday:  Japan 8 Italy 21, Canada 29 USA 14, England 75 South Africa 0

The line-up for the quarter finals is:

Saturday, October 29:  France v Italy.  The NZ v Wales game will be at 07.30 BST

Sunday, October 30:  Canada v USA,  The England v Australia game will be at 01.30 BST

Live commentaries of the England and Wales games will be on BBC Radio 5 and BBC Sounds, also live text commentaries on the BBC Sport Website and app.  If England beat Australia they will play the winners of Canada v USA in the semi-final.

Nug

It’s a shame the games aren’t a bit more competitive. The final should be a good game but there is so much of a gap in standard. I’m sure England will beat Australia convincingly and absolutely destroy either Canada or the USA. In fact if England don’t win the tournament comfortably it will be a massive failure on their part.

Raith_C_Chattonell

The first half of England's quarter final match v Australia starts at 1:30 am tomorrow morning (UK time).  The second half starts at 1:15.  Strange but true.

AddicksAddict

Nug said:

It’s a shame the games aren’t a bit more competitive. The final should be a good game but there is so much of a gap in standard. I’m sure England will beat Australia convincingly and absolutely destroy either Canada or the USA. In fact if England don’t win the tournament comfortably it will be a massive failure on their part.

Wales - Scotland, USA - Japan, SA - Fiji, there have been lots of competitive games.  Yes, there's a big gulf between the top three and the rest but that gap isn't going to close if the games aren't played.

Blackheathen

Two one sided quarterfinals today:

France 39 Italy 3 and New Zealand 55 Wales 3

The semi final will be a cracker though and a step up for the Black Ferns.  They scored 9 tries to none today but they will be facing a French team in the semi-final who have beaten them four in a row since 2018.

Tomorrow it’s Canada v USA and England v Australia.

Blackheathen

Nice easy win for England in their quarter final today and they will play Canada in the semi final on Saturday, November 5

Canada 32 USA 11,  England 41 Australia 5

AddicksAddict

Australia's try was full of the kind of running England can expect from the NZ so, if the Ferns can overcome Les Bleus (what is the French team's nickname if not that?), I think England will have to do more than just grind the opposition into the dust to beat them.

Blackheathen

bolloxbolder

Thought we'd win more comfortably. Did we rest players for the final? 

AddicksAddict

Not sure about some of the referee / TMO decisions in the France - NZ game, seems a bit of a homer.

Blackheathen

Blackheathen

The NZ v England Final will be live on ITV and ITV4 on Saturday, November 12 at 06.30 GMT.  Highlights will be available on ITV Sport YouTube channel.

Blackheathen

Huge interest in the World Cup Final on Saturday, approaching the level of anticipation in 2011 when NZ hosted the men’s World Cup.  A full house of 40,000 is assured for Eden Park and it is suggested that might have been the case even if NZ hadn’t reached the Final.

Such is the higher profile of women’s rugby a Lions tour of NZ  is being planned for perhaps 2024 or 2025 with 3 Test matches and 3 other games.

Blackheathen

Eight minutes to go and England down 34-31.  A pulsating game spoilt a little bit by the sending off of an England back for what we heard the ref say was reckless play.  Actually it was a head butt.

Two minutes to go.  England penalty just outside 25.  Kick for touch and England win line out.  Another penalty 5 yards out.  NZ hold them out and the whistle goes for full time.

New Zealand are the world champions.

MuttleyCAFC

So nearly and a massive effort from England being a player down so early. Well done to them.

kinveachyaddick

watched the second half. Great game of rugby and gutted for the Red Roses