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New Zealand’s women are now on equal footing with the men after earning the right to call themselves World Champions with a 41-32 result over England at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on Saturday to bring a close to the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup. The two sides treated spectators to an exciting game of rugby that saw the defending champions leading 17-10 at the break only to see the game slip away by an outstanding Black Ferns team in the second half.
While many had predicated a New Zealand victory on the back of their outstanding form leading into the final, few would have foreseen the manner in which they accomplished it. The Black Ferns employed an unusual kicking strategy in the first half that backfired, but then changed tack in the second half, using an impressive forward effort to overpower the much-vaunted English pack. Three tries to Toka Natua earned the loosehead prop Player of the Match honors and underscored a tremendous performance from the New Zealanders.
It’s the fifth time the Black Ferns have lifted the trophy and makes up for their shock defeat in the pool stages at the 2014 tournament that saw them finish 5th overall. England were crowned champions that year and also in 1994. The USA are the only other nation to have won the title, winning the inaugural Women’s Rugby World Cup Final at Cardiff Arms Park in 1991.
