Women's Rugby World Cup: Round 3 - Quarter-Finals confirmed as Pool stages wrapped up

England secured the top spot in Pool A after surpassing a resolved Australian side, who pushed the Red Roses through a shaky first half hour in Brighton. England prevailed with a second half blitz, with John Mitchell's side set to face Scotland in the quarter-finals. Canada will take on the Wallaroos after topping Pool B, as New Zealand take the top seed from Pool C and Ireland progress as runners-up. France and South Africa qualify from Pool D, with the full brackets for the quarter-finals as follows.

Canada secured top spot in Pool B with a commanding 40–19 win over Scotland in Exeter, though the scoreboard flattered the margin of victory in what was, for long stretches, a bruising and competitive encounter. The world number two side struck first through McKinley Hunt before a penalty try and a typically powerful finish from hooker Emily Tuttosi pushed them clear.

Scotland, who had already booked their place in the last eight, showed their intent as Rhona Lloyd crossed in the corner and Evie Gallagher stormed through after the interval to narrow the gap to just seven points. But Canada’s set-piece dominance and superior physicality ultimately told. Tuttosi grabbed her second try, Brittany Kassil and Olivia DeMerchant added further scores, and the Maple Leafs’ composure in key moments was decisive.

Francesca McGhie’s late try, her sixth of the tournament, offered Scotland a consolation, but the night belonged to Canada, who underlined their status as genuine contenders. Scotland now turn their attention to a quarter-final clash with hosts England in Bristol, while Canada head into the knockouts with momentum firmly on their side.

CANADA: 40
TRIES: 5 (Hunt, Penalty Try, Tuttosi 2, Kassil, DeMerchant)
CONVERSIONS: 4 (De Goede 3, Tessier)

SCOTLAND: 19
TRIES: 3 (Lloyd, Gallagher, McGhie)
CONVERSIONS: 2 (Nelson 2)

The USA closed their pool campaign with a statement 60–0 victory over Samoa, yet the emphatic scoreline wasn’t enough to secure progression to the knockout stages. For the first time in Women’s Rugby World Cup history, the Eagles will not feature in the quarter-finals.

Knowing only a bonus-point win could keep faint hopes alive, the USA delivered with ten tries, led by a remarkable four-try haul from back-row powerhouse Freda Tafuna, who built on her brace against Australia last week. Veteran prop Hope Rogers added two scores of her own, with Charli Jacoby, Katana Howard, Eti Haungatau, and Olivia Ortiz also crossing to complete the rout. Fly-half Gabby Cantorna kicked five conversions.

Samoa battled bravely and came agonisingly close through Taytana Pati Ah-Cheung late on, but ultimately bowed out without registering a try in their debut World Cup campaign. Despite the dominant win, the Eagles’ fate was sealed later in the day as Australia’s narrower defeat to England secured the Wallaroos the final quarter-final berth on points difference, leaving the USA reflecting on what might have been.

USA: 60
TRIES: 10 (Tafuna 4, Rogers 2, Bargell, Coulibaly, Jarrell, Ortiz)
CONVERSIONS: 5 (Cantorna 5)

Wales ended their Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign on a bittersweet note, narrowly losing 28–25 to Fiji in a thrilling Pool B encounter at Exeter’s Sandy Park. With both sides already out of quarter-final contention, the match was a dead rubber in theory, but it delivered nine tries and end-to-end excitement for the 14,000-strong crowd.

Carys Cox gave Wales the perfect start, racing over from a five-metre line-out before Fiji hit back through Josifini Neihamu’s double. Alex Callender and Setaita Railumu traded scores, with Repeka Adi Tove stretching Fiji’s advantage to 28–10. Sisilia Tuipulotu and Kayleigh Powell brought Wales back within reach early in the second half, but missed conversions proved costly. Lisa Neumann’s late try set up a dramatic finish, yet Fiji held on, sealing a deserved bonus-point win for the Pacific Islanders.

WALES: 25
TRIES: Cox, Callender, Tuipulotu, Powell, Neumann

FIJI: 28
TRIES: Neihamu 2, Railumu, Adi Tove
CONVERSIONS: Vueti 4

England surged into the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with an emphatic 47–7 win over Australia in Brighton, topping Pool A in style. The Red Roses overcame an early scare to deliver a commanding seven-try performance, setting up a mouthwatering clash with Scotland in the last eight.

It was the Wallaroos who struck first, Adiana Talakai finishing from a maul with debutant Samantha Wood adding the extras. But England soon clicked into gear, Jess Breach marking her 50th cap with a sharp finish before Abbie Ward and Sadia Kabeya gave the hosts a 19–7 half-time cushion.

From there, England’s forwards took control. Kabeya added her second immediately after the restart, while Kelsey Clifford powered over twice from close range in a dream cameo off the bench. Sarah Bern capped the display with a trademark surging try, as Holly Aitchison racked up six conversions. Australia, brave in patches, had no answer to England’s relentless power and precision. For John Mitchell’s side, it was the perfect springboard into the knockouts.

ENGLAND: 47
TRIES: 7 (Breach, Ward, Kabeya 2, Clifford 2, Bern)
CONVERSIONS: 6 (Harrison 6)

AUSTRALIA: 7
TRY: 1 (Talakai)
CONVERSION: 1 (Wood)

Japan closed out their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 29–21 victory over Spain in York. With both sides already eliminated from quarter-final contention, the match provided a showcase of attacking flair and determination despite the forgone conclusion.

Full-back Sora Nishimura set the tone with Japan’s opening try, but Spain hit back strongly through hooker Cristina Blanco Herrera and lock Monica Castelo to take a halftime lead. In the second half, Japan gradually wrested control, with captain Iroha Nagata and prop Wako Kitano powering over to restore their advantage. Wing Komachi Imakugi and number eight Jennifer Nduka added further scores, sealing the win despite a late consolation try from Victoria Rosell Martinez.

The victory gave Japan a fitting send-off from the tournament and highlighted the progress of the Brave Blossoms’ emerging talent, leaving fans optimistic about the future of women’s rugby in the country.

JAPAN: 29
TRIES: Nishimura, Nagata, Kitano, Imakugi, Nduka
CONVERSIONS: Otsuka, Yamamoto

SPAIN: 21
TRIES: Blanco, Castelo, Martinez
CONVERSIONS: Argudo 2, Pena

Italy closed out their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 pool campaign in emphatic style, running in 12 tries to defeat Brazil 64–3 and secure a bonus-point victory. Both sides had already been eliminated from quarter-final contention, but the match offered Italy the chance to preserve their proud record of winning a game at every Women’s World Cup in which they have competed.

Brazil struck first with a penalty from Raquel Kochhann, capitalising on a shaky Italian start, but Italy quickly asserted themselves. Rapid offloads and sharp attacking play allowed Sara Mannini, Valeria Fedrighi, Francesca Granzotto, and Vittoria Minuzzi to cross repeatedly before halftime, putting Italy 30–3 ahead. The second half saw further dominance, with hat-tricks for Granzotto and Minuzzi, plus scores from Gaia Buso, Giada Corradini, and Sofia Stefan. Italy’s clinical finishing overwhelmed Brazil, whose brief numerical disadvantages in the closing stages widened the margin further.

ITALY: 64
TRIES: Mannini, Fedrighi, Granzotto (3), Minuzzi (3), Corradini, Buso (2), Stefan
CONVERSIONS: Bitonci, Granzotto

BRAZIL: 3
PENALTIES: Kochhann

Reigning world champions New Zealand showcased their attacking might to finish top of Pool C with a commanding 40–0 victory over Ireland. Both sides had already booked quarter-final places, but the Black Ferns wasted no time asserting their dominance. Teenage wing Braxton Sorensen-McGee was the star of the show, crossing for a hat-trick of tries and producing the try of the half as she danced past three defenders to extend New Zealand’s lead to 19–0 before the break.

Stacey Waaka opened the scoring, with prop Chryss Viliko adding a second, while Maia Joseph rounded off the victory with a late score. Sorensen-McGee’s second-half brace further highlighted her poise and finishing ability, ensuring the Black Ferns topped the pool with an impressive bonus-point win. Ireland, meanwhile, face Pool D winners France in Exeter next Sunday, looking to rebound from their first defeat of the tournament.

NEW ZEALAND: 40
TRIES: Waaka, Viliko, Sorensen-McGee (3), Joseph
CONVERSIONS: Holmes 5

France secured top spot in Pool D with a dominant 57–10 victory over South Africa, setting up a quarter-final clash with Ireland. Les Bleues made the perfect start, with full-back Emilie Boulard and centre Gabrielle Vernier scoring early to set the tone. A red card for South Africa’s Chumisa Qawe after a head-on-head tackle shifted momentum decisively, allowing France’s forwards Charlotte Escudero and Agathe Gerin to exploit the extra space.

Boulard added her second try before the break, and the second half saw Joanna Grisez score twice, while Annaelle Deshaye and Alexandra Chambon also crossed for tries. South Africa’s Nadine Roos scored a late consolation try, but France’s clinical execution and attacking fluency highlighted their peak form ahead of the knockout stages. With this win, Les Bleues will face Ireland next Sunday, while South Africa must regroup to take on world champions New Zealand in Exeter.

FRANCE: 57
TRIES: Boulard (2), Vernier, Escudero, Gerin, Grisez (2), Deshaye, Chambon
CONVERSIONS: Queyroi 2, Bourgeois 4

SOUTH AFRICA: 10
TRY: Roos
CONVERSION: Dolf
PENALTY: Dolf