What did we learn from the 2021 Rugby World Cup?
Now that the dust has settled on this year’s tournament, no doubt the jubilation will extend long into the festive season for Black Ferns fans (and most likely any neutral fan of attacking, running rugby) and the pain will continue to linger on for the Red Roses and their supporters.
It’s always important to reflect and take learnings from monumental events (especially ones that took five years to happen), arguing what went well (selling out Eden Park for the final, the Black Ferns finally getting the sort of recognition they deserve), and the things that can be improved in three years’ time in England (getting rid of triple headers, more sociable kick-off times, and choosing stadiums wisely).
Let’s discuss the topics above and summarise where we’re at as we move towards the Rugby World Cup in 2025.
1. New Zealand reign supreme at World Cups
Stating the obvious, of course we all knew this, they had five titles under their belt before a ball was kicked. However, what we didn’t quite know is they were capable of the gargantuan turn around the team went through after their disastrous northern tour last year. The painful warts-and-all cultural review which followed led to the eventual appointment of coaching wizard Wayne Smith (and other mythical All Blacks coaching staff of old) and…we know the rest. The team was led by new co-captains Ruahei Demant and Kennedy Simon, they stuck to their DNA of attacking, free flowing, (some call it ‘chaotic’), unscripted rugby and obliteration on the field ensued, with only England and France able to keep up with the pace (indeed England did so with 14 players for 60 minutes).
No one can underestimate the transformation of this New Zealand side from being dismantled by England in November 2021 with a minus points difference of 41 in the second game, to winning a World Cup final against the same opposition, ending a 30-game winning streak whilst at it. Miraculous.
2. Home crowds can make magic happen
There are many what-ifs in sport, and none more so than THAT World Cup Final-especially for England fans. What if Leanne Infante hadn’t been injured, what if Lydia Thompson had tackled Portia Woodman lower, what if Zoe Aldcroft, Sarah Hunter, Marlie Packer and Amy Cokayne had been on the pitch for that final lineout? What if Kennedy Simon’s yellow card had been a red or England had opted to kick for the posts instead of the corner in the dying minutes- the fact is to all the above, we will never know.
But what I would feel happy to bet my bottom dollar on is that New Zealand wouldn’t have been the force to be reckoned with or perhaps even managed to reach the final had it not been for the physical support of their nation behind them- thousands turning up every match whether in Whangerei or Auckland to scream their admiration and encouragement.
The atmosphere of the final was like nothing I have ever experienced before, the noise whenever a Black Fern made even an inch of space or gave an offload and bump that up a notch for a Ruby Tui or Portia Woodman touch- it was electric. What if the Black Ferns hadn’t had 41,000 behind them in that final?
Inspire a nation the Black Ferns did, but it also worked the other way round, with the nation inspiring the Black Ferns to do the impossible and achieve a fairy-tale ending.
With the growth of the women’s game globally, home advantage will only continue to become more and more of a factor. Gone are the days where a World Cup final attracted 13,000 like we saw at the Twickenham Stoop in 2010 when England last hosted the tournament. We’re now talking potentially five times that size and it is nothing short of what the women’s game deserves.
Whether England will be able to accomplish the same feat on the field in front of 80,000 home supporters at Twickenham in three years’ time remains to be seen, but from the evidence of the past six weeks, a home crowd can sway the odds into your favour.
3. Head injuries continue to plague the game
On a less positive note, head injuries continue to be a talking point in the world of rugby and how best to reduce their occurrence is still a topic which brings debate. This was no different for the tournament just gone. Only two red cards were dished out throughout the entire competition, with many arguing this should have at least been double, considering the head collisions which took place in the Black Ferns v France semi-final. However, whatever the referees’ stance was for this tournament, the fact remains that three players went off in the final alone due to head injury protocols with two, Portia Woodman and Zoe Aldcroft not returning to the field.
Two of these three incidents were a result of poor tackle technique, but getting this right in a split second, under pressure, whilst you and/or your target is moving at speed, can’t possibly happen 100% of the time. The best way to discourage high tackles and make the game safer through the implementation of the laws continues to rumble on.
4. Introducing new teams to the tournament added surprise and intrigue
As ScrumQueens founder Ali Donnelly put it when speaking to the Women’s Rugby Pod last week: ‘Shock horror, you give women an opportunity to play and they do really well.’ Introducing new teams into the mix such as Japan, Fiji and South Africa, with these countries not having played many of the other nations in years or ever before in Fiji’s case, brought mystery, intrigue and delight.
However, I don’t think it was until we actually saw South Africa, Fiji and Japan take to the field against the best sides in the world that we fully appreciated what they bring.
Fiji scored three insanely entertaining tries against England, won their first ever World Cup game and were thrilling (if not exhausting!) to watch, South Africa impressed with their physicality and showcased players such as Aseza Hele who could have been a contender for Breakthrough Player of the Year had the Women Springboks gone further than the pool stages. Japan were delightful and uplifting in equal measure with their offloading style of play and big hearts. As their Head Coach Leslie McKenzie put it after their final pool game loss against Italy: “I was entertained, everyone was entertained, who doesn’t want to see a replacement second row come on and put a kick through in to the 22, that’s gorgeous.”
The benefit of having more national teams gain exposure to top level World Cup rugby will only be amplified in 2025 when the tournament increases from 12 to 16 and this will also allow for four pools of four, dramatically reducing the chances of two teams in the same pool playing each other again in the early knock-out stages.
No one likes foregone conclusions in sport and I think even the most avid rugby supporter would have been disappointed to learn Wales were playing New Zealand in their quarter-finals for the second time in 13 days and the USA and Canada were to face off twice within the space of a week!
5. Does anyone really like triple headers?
For a fan it’s hard to get up for three matches in a weekend, let alone three in one afternoon. This structure doesn’t benefit crowd numbers, viewing figures (or the journalists working at the tournament) and isn’t brilliant for the players when they see people leaving just before their game kicks off (which happened after the Scotland v New Zealand pool game), the poor French and Fijian teams who played after must have felt slightly disappointed. I understand the necessity to fit multiple matches into a tight schedule and the cost of using numerous stadiums as opposed to one, this is why I can get my head around double headers being used for pool stage matches, however, when the knock-outs come round surely these matches need to be celebrated in their own right like what happens at the men’s World Cup?
It will be interesting to see what the RFU decide to do, especially with an increase in the number of teams in 2025.
6. Kick-off times- not good for a European audience or growing the game
This will be easier for England in 2025 due to the fact that more nations will be closer to the same time zone (and the fact that New Zealand’s was only kind to countries in the Oceania region such as Fiji and Australia). My main gripe was the quarter-final which was hell for sleep schedules in Europe, but mainly England fans.
Wales and France had it slightly easier with their respective kick-off times being later in the morning on the Saturday, but Red Roses fans would have been livid hearing the kick-off for their quarter-final against Australia was at 1:30 in the morning (during which time the clocks went back!), when actually switching England’s game to the second quarter-final slot of the day and putting Canada v USA first would have suited the North American time zone better too.
Let’s make women’s rugby as easy to watch as possible! Given that the time zone was relatively similar for England, Wales, Scotland, South Africa, France and Italy, it feels the European audience should have been given more consideration. Obviously geographically speaking where the tournament is hosted will always bring about compromise and the host nation broadcaster will always get the pick of the bunch, but the planning did seem more avoidable than New Zealand Rugby and the organising committee would care to admit.
7. Stadiums matter
On the whole, I believe NZR got it right when it came to the choice of stadiums. Using Eden Park for the opening day and the semis and final was a success, despite the stadium not being full for the former two match days. The choice of Whangerei also meant Northlands got to experience live women’s rugby and they came out in their thousands. The Northlands Event Centre has a full stand on one side and a small seated stand on the opposite. However, there was a large bank behind the half stand which made for a fantastic atmosphere when filled.
Granted, we were extremely lucky with the weather, but this stadium was great for fitting over 10,000 into the quarter-finals and 16,000 for New Zealand’s pool stage match against Scotland, whilst maintaining an intimate, family feel. However, the same could not be said of Waitakere Stadium in Auckland. The capacity of this ground was only 4,900 and from a match day experience point of view it was lacking. The big screen was not exactly big and too far away from the seats for the average person to see the score or time clock. There was no separate score board or time clock anywhere to be found in the stadium. Also, the athletics track surrounding the pitch also meant the crowd was a good 30 metres away from the action on the pitch which affected the atmosphere.
Let’s hope come 2025 England pick their stadiums wisely. We know the RFU plan to spread it across the country which from a participation and accessibility point of view is brilliant, however, we need to make sure the chosen stadiums are fit for purpose, allowing for a fantastic match day experience and fan zone to go alongside the spectacle on the pitch.
On the whole, as we head into 2025, there are many positives to take from 2021. With more teams turning professional, particularly in the northern hemisphere, the standard of rugby can only improve.
With the tournament being hosted in England and the RFU one of the most progressive unions for the women’s game, you have to feel optimistic that the marketing and organisation of the tournament will be the best it’s ever been. Throw into the mix the fact that England have some of the best sports stadiums in the world, the participation of the women’s game in the country is on the up and we are continually seeing records being broken for attendances at international and club level, then one gets a warm feeling that 2025 could be record breaking and potentially the catalyst for rugby which mirrors the trajectory of England’s Lionesses earlier this year.
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments