Introduction
The 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup took place in Ireland from August 9 to August 26, 2017. Organized by World Rugby, it was the eighth edition of the tournament and marked a new era for the women’s game, with unprecedented media coverage, sold-out venues, and professional broadcasting standards.
The competition was played across two venues — the University College Dublin (UCD) Bowl for the pool stage and Kingspan Stadium (Belfast) for the knockout rounds.
The tournament concluded with a spectacular final in Belfast where New Zealand defeated England 41–32, claiming their fifth world title and reaffirming their status as the most dominant force in women’s rugby history.
Participating Teams
A total of 12 national teams competed, divided into three pools of four teams each.
Qualified teams:
- Oceania: New Zealand, Australia
- Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Wales
- Americas: Canada, USA
- Africa: none (South Africa did not qualify)
- Asia: Hong Kong, Japan
Host nation: 🇮🇪 Ireland
Pool Stage
The pool stage took place from August 9 to 17 in Dublin.
Each team played the other three in its group once, with points awarded as follows:
- Win = 4 points
- Draw = 2 points
- Bonus = 1 for scoring 4+ tries, or losing by ≤7 points
The three pool winners and the best runner-up advanced to the semi-finals.
Pool A
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏴 England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 158 | 22 | +136 | 15 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 103 | 47 | +56 | 10 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 63 | 85 | -22 | 5 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 192 | -170 | 0 |
Pool B
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 22 | +187 | 15 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 122 | 68 | +54 | 10 |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 177 | -155 | 0 |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 177 | -155 | 0 |
Pool C
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 27 | +85 | 15 |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 74 | 49 | +25 | 10 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 82 | -34 | 4 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 104 | -76 | 0 |
Knockout Stage
The top four teams (New Zealand, England, France, and USA) advanced to the semi-finals, while the others competed for ranking positions.
Semi-Finals
- 🏴 England 20–3 France
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand 45–12 United States
Bronze Final
- 🇫🇷 France 31–23 United States
Final – August 26, Kingspan Stadium (Belfast)
New Zealand 41–32 England
In one of the greatest finals in women’s rugby history, England dominated the first half with tries from Lydia Thompson and Scarratt, but the Black Ferns’ powerful forward pack turned the match around.
Toka Natua scored a hat-trick of tries, and Kendra Cocksedge controlled the tempo superbly, leading New Zealand to their fifth world crown.
🏆 Champion: New Zealand
🥈 Runner-up: England
🥉 Third place: France
Final Rankings
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 🥇 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 🥈 🏴 England | |
| 🥉 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4th 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5th 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6th 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 7th 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8th 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 9th 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10th 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 11th 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | |
| 12th 🇼🇸 Wales |
Outstanding Players
- Portia Woodman (New Zealand): The tournament’s star and top try scorer with 13 tries, showcasing her blistering speed and finishing ability.
- Kendra Cocksedge (New Zealand): Controlled every game from scrum-half, crucial in the final.
- Toka Natua (New Zealand): Hero of the final with three tries, unstoppable in open play.
- Emily Scarratt (England): England’s leader and reliable kicker, top point scorer of the tournament.
- Jessy Trémoulière (France): Key playmaker for France, combining skill and vision in attack.
Summary
The 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup was a watershed moment for the sport.
It featured record-breaking audiences, professional-level broadcasting, and an overall rise in competitive standards among all teams.
New Zealand’s fifth title cemented their dynasty, but the gap between them and the northern hemisphere powers — particularly England and France — had clearly narrowed.
The tournament also confirmed Portia Woodman as one of the greatest players in women’s rugby history and set the stage for a new professional era in the women’s game.
Would you like me to continue with the 2021 (played in 2022 in New Zealand) tournament next — written in the same structured, historical article format?
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