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Who will win the Women's Rugby World Cup? The pundits have their say
The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup is on the verge of crowning its champion, with Canada and England set to clash this Saturday at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
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Canada are powered by the rugby genius Sophie de Goede and have dreamt of this moment since 1991, but can they deny England from a third World Cup title in the Red Roses own garden?
Without having to resort to reading tea leaves or any magic, we asked six top pundits to tell us who they think is going to be leaving West London with a trophy and at least one reason why they are winning it.
Here are their responses…
Elma Smit (The Good, the Scaz and the Rugby podcast / Sports journalist and content creator) – England
My prediction is England by one. If we were ever going to see extra-time in a women’s final, this will probably be the one.
In that case, it’d have to be three… but I think England by the smallest possible margin. The home advantage will play a massive role in it.
Martyn Thomas (freelance journalist) – England
This is what the majority of that team has been working towards for the best part of eight years.
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They are the best team in the world, even if they haven’t clicked into top gear yet this Word Cup and they possess frightening depth. If the score is tight at half-time they can bring on eight fresh world-class players.
Wendy Young (Your Scrumhalf Connection / sports journalist) – Canada
I’m all in on Canada. While everyone is looking at the history and statistics that favour England, it’s the intangibles that will be the difference here.
This team has a culture, a passion, and a belief that is unmatched.
You have to look at their entire journey. They’re a team that operates on a fractional budget compared to their top tier competitors.
Yet, they launched a “Mission: Win Rugby World Cup” crowdfunding campaign with an unapologetic goal of winning the whole thing. The fact that they funded their preparation from the ground up, with the backing of their fans, shows just how much they want this.
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Their culture is built on resilience and a singular focus on their plan. We saw it in their semi-final against New Zealand. They didn’t just win, they absolutely dominated a team no one thought they could, with a final score of 34-19.
That wasn’t luck, that was a comprehensive execution of their plan. They have a belief that goes beyond what’s on paper, and in a final, that’s what makes the difference. They believe they can finish the job.
Alice Soper (Full Credit Podcast and freelance journalist and content creator) – Canada
I’m picking Canada. And why? I have seen this team grow from paint by numbers to creating their own masterpieces.
Gauthier Baudin (Freelance sports journalist and content creator) – Canada
In my preview of the competition, I stated that Canada would beat the Black Ferns in the semifinals and that they were the only team capable of competing with England as a collective.
They play together really well, so I predicted that Canada would win the tournament. While England are a very good side, in a game against Canada the North Americans have the upper hand, as they concede almost no turnovers and close ranks really well.
Nick Heath (Lead commentator for Women’s and Men’s Six Nations and sports journalist) – England
England will win but it will be a one-score game. If both teams play at the same standard as they have through the tournament, then Canada will win.
However, if they play as well as they can England will get the cup. I think the Red Roses will benefit hugely from home advantage. We saw what happened with the Black Ferns three years ago, and it will also prove to be a significant advantage for England.
They have some dynamite defenders in their back row, who are also great carriers. England will need to be wary of the Canada offload threat, but I think they will have a gamelan to disrupt that.
Concerning the backline, England has a more devastating one to finish and score tries.
Ella Ferguson (Content creator and sports analyst) – Canada
I think Canada can do it, I want Canada to do it, but the question is whether they will do it.
Given the pace with which they play the game, the belief in the side and the class of their entire team, I think they will complete the ultimate fairytale and lift the World Cup trophy on Red Roses turf.
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