Source: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

World Cup sparks record fans

England’s World Cup Final losers are inspiring record numbers of fans for their new season as a consolation for the heartbrake of missing out on becoming world champions. Quins say ‘around 50,000’ have already bought tickets for the women’s and mens double-header versus Bristol next month. Furthermore, ‘more than 20,000’ have already bought tickets for

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Heartbreak House

The Red Roses walk empty away How did the red-hot favourites come to lose yet another world cup final, when everything seemed to favour them? Here are a few discussion-points. The shortest answer would be: the Black Ferns encouraged some of their greatest Sevens players to switch across to the Fifteens game. Sevens Kiwi experts

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Canada v France

  France have so much experience of finishing third at world cups that you have to wonder whether the coaches needed to exercise them at all pre-match. Tough and resourceful as the Canadians were, the French had the edge at all the decisive moments. They used a following breeze to build attacking positions. Emilie Boulard

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Black is your favourite Colour again

New Zealand v England, the Final – Eden Park A game of unspeakable intensity and drama saw the Black Ferns snatch a sixth World Cup trophy and end that 30-match winning run of the visiting Red Roses. Pre-match The first thunderclap came with the announcement that Leanne Infante had failed a fitness test. This was

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The Tussle for the Bronze Medal

Canada v France This is the match that many people suggest is quite unnecessary. Is it just to provide a curtain-raiser for the big event? In the light of recent evidence we may wonder how many Kiwis will bother to turn up for a match not involving their beloved Black Ferns. They haven’t done so

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Source: New Zealand Rugby

Weighing Things up

Who’s ahead, Roses or Ferns? Up to the start of this tournament the Red Roses were the odds-on favourites to win a third world cup. But then Wayne Smith’s magic started to take its effect on the hosts and world champions, the Black Ferns. The two sides appear before a record-breaking crowd at Eden Park

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The Final Choice

England’s 23 to take on the World Champions After years of waiting and guessing, now at last we discover the management’s idea of the ideal England team. Here is the squad for the game that really matters: 15. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 30 caps) 14. Lydia Thompson (University of Worcester Warriors, 57 caps) 13. Emily Scarratt

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Source: Hannah Peters - World Rugby via Getty Images)

Black Ferns team named for Rugby World Cup Final

The Black Ferns team to face England for the Rugby World Cup title, at a sold-out Eden Park this Saturday, has been named. The team is; Phillipa Love (24) Georgia Ponsonby (12) Amy Rule (11) Maiakawanakaukani Roos (13) Chelsea Bremner (11) Alana Bremner (12) Sarah Hirini (16) Charmaine McMenamin (30) Kendra Cocksedge (67) Ruahei Demant

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