WOMEN’S WORLD CUP COMES OF AGE
WOMEN’S rugby really came of age at the 2014 World Cup with big crowds flocking to the games in France, extensive media coverage and a title for England fully 20 years after their previous victory in Scotland in 1994.
It was a breakthrough moment, the rugby world paid full attention and off the back of the tournament a number of nations felt able to go down the professional route for the national teams while there was a restructuring at domestic level. Sponsors began to come forward, TV realised that there was an appetite from the viewing public to watch women’s rugby.
A capacity crowd at the Stade Jean Bouin in Paris watched a well-contested final between England and Canada with a 73rd minute try by Emily Scarrett, one of the tournament’s stand out players, seeing England finally pull away at the death to emerge as 21-9 winners. Later in the year she became the first woman to win the Pat Marshall trophy, awarded annually by the Rugby Writers Club to the outstanding rugby personality of the year.
The powerful centre broke in midfield from about 25 yards out. Tracking left to right she stepped and handed off one Canadian player and then accelerated through a gap to dismiss another two Canadian defenders.
It was a virtuoso moment and a fitting way to clinch a World Cup final. England might not have quite reached the heights of their 40-7 semi-final win over Ireland four days earlier – their best performance of the modern era – but they were the best team at the World Cup and fitting winners.
It was a team effort but unquestionably a special moment for some of the senior players who had worked so hard to establish a high profile for the women’s game in England, the likes of Noli Waterman, Rachel Burford, Rochelle Clarke, Tamara Taylor and veteran flanker Maggie Alphonsi who had overcome serious injury to make it through to the final.
The excellence of Canada
caught many out and was based on a handful of the outstanding individuals in the tournament in flying wing Megali Harvey, centre Andrea Burk, scrum-half Stephanie Bernier, hooker Hillary Leith and flanker Kelly Russell. They had fought out a gruelling 13-13 draw with England in an epic Pool game and had to dig very deep indeed to beat hosts France 18-16 in their semi-final and generally covered themselves in glory.
Ireland also produced a stunning 17-14 win over pre-tournament favourites New Zealand to top their Pool and ensure the Kiwis did not reach the knockout stages. It was an exceptional display with skipper and full-back Niamh Briggs producing the individual performance of the championship, but it left Ireland drained and they had little left for their semi-final showdown with England.