No noise. No nonsense. Just England.
Hosted by Ireland
England: Runners-up
How England performed
The Red Roses went to the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland as holders, with Simon Middleton as head coach and Sarah Hunter as captain. They won all three of their pool matches in Dublin, beating Spain 56–5 at the UCD Bowl, then Italy 56–13 and the United States 47–26 at Billings Park UCD.
The knockout stage moved to Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast, where England beat France 20–3 in the semi-final. In the final on 26 August, New Zealand won a high-scoring match 41–32, and England finished as runners-up, three years after winning the 2014 title. Their record was four wins and one defeat from five matches, with 211 points scored and 88 conceded; 41 of those 88 points were conceded in the final.
England fixtures
Spain
5–56
England
England won
England tries: Megan Jones, Kay Wilson 4', Kay Wilson 18', Kay Wilson 31', Emily Scarratt 42', Harriet Millar-Mills 50', Kay Wilson 53', Alex Matthews 60', Amy Cokayne 68', Lydia Thompson 75'
Spain tries: Diana Gasso 35'
Italy
13–56
England
England won
England tries: Emily Scarratt 9', Alex Matthews 14', Lydia Thompson 26', Amy Cokayne 38', Tamara Taylor 43', Emily Scarratt 47', Danielle Waterman 55', Danielle Waterman 63', Lydia Thompson 75', Amy Wilson Hardy 78'
Italy tries: Maria Magatti 22', Elisa Giordano 51'
United States
26–47
England
England won
England tries: Emily Scarratt 10', Penalty try 15', Marlie Packer 19', Marlie Packer 25', Katy Daley-Mclean 39', Amy Wilson Hardy 41', Amy Cokayne 46'
United States tries: Kate Zackary 31', Cheta Emba 50', Naya Tapper 61', Kris Thomas 80'
France
3–20
England
England won
England tries: Sarah Bern 60', Megan Jones 80'
France tries: None
New Zealand
41–32
England
England lost
England tries: Penalty try 24', Lydia Thompson 31', Lydia Thompson 54', Isabelle Noel-Smith 76'
New Zealand tries: Selica Winiata 7', Toka Natua 38', Toka Natua 44', Charmaine Smith 52', Toka Natua 57', Kendra Cocksedge 62', Selica Winiata 68'
England statistics
Full England squad
| Player | Pos | Club | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoe Aldcroft | Second row | Darlington | – |
| Sarah Bern | Prop | Bristol | 1 |
| Rochelle Clark | Prop | Worcester | – |
| Poppy Cleall | Back row | Bristol | – |
| Amy Cokayne | Hooker | Lichfield | 3 |
| Vickii Cornborough | Prop | Harlequins | – |
| Vicky Fleetwood | Back row | Saracens | – |
| Sarah Hunter C | Back row | Bristol | – |
| Heather Kerr | ?? | Darlington | – |
| Justine Lucas | ?? | Lichfield | – |
| Alex Matthews | Back row | Richmond | 2 |
| Harriet Millar-Mills | Second row | Lichfield | 1 |
| Izzy Noel-Smith | ?? | Bristol | 1 |
| Marlie Packer | Back row | Bristol | 2 |
| Abbie Scott | Second row | Darlington | – |
| Tamara Taylor | Second row | Darlington | 1 |
| Rachael Burford | Centre | Harlequins | – |
| Natasha Hunt | Scrum-half | Lichfield | – |
| Megan Jones | Fly-half | Bristol | 2 |
| La Toya Mason | Scrum-half | Darlington | – |
| Katy Mclean | Fly-half | Darlington | – |
| Amber Reed | Centre | Bristol | – |
| Leanne Riley | Scrum-half | Harlequins | – |
| Emily Scarratt | Centre | Lichfield | 4 |
| Emily Scott | Fullback | Saracens | – |
| Lydia Thompson | Wing | Worcester | 5 |
| Danielle Waterman | Fullback | Bristol | 2 |
| Kay Wilson | Wing | Richmond | 4 |
| Amy Wilson-Hardy | Wing | Bristol | – |
18+ only. Odds and offers are subject to change and to the bookmaker's terms. Set a budget, never chase losses, and treat betting as entertainment. National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7.