Introduction
The 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup was held in France from August 1 to August 17, 2014. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and the sixth to be hosted in Europe. The entire competition took place around Paris, with the pool stages hosted at the Centre National du Rugby in Marcoussis and the finals at Stade Jean-Bouin, the home of Stade Français.
The tournament saw 12 teams competing for the world title.
After years of near misses, England finally broke through, defeating Canada 21–9 in the final to claim their second world championship. The event was praised for its organization, competitiveness, and the visibility it brought to women’s rugby worldwide.
Participating Teams
A total of 12 national teams took part, divided into three pools of four.
France automatically qualified as host nation, while the other places were filled through regional qualification and prior tournament performances.
Qualified Teams:
- Host Nation: 🇫🇷 France
- Europe: England, Ireland, Spain, Wales
- Oceania: New Zealand (holders), Australia, Samoa
- Americas: Canada, United States
- Asia: Kazakhstan
- Africa: South Africa
Pool Stage
The tournament featured three pools (A–C) of four teams each.
Teams earned 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, and bonus points for scoring 4+ tries or losing by 7 or fewer.
The top four teams overall (pool winners plus the best runner-up) advanced to the semi-finals.
Pool A
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏴 England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 123 | 21 | +102 | 2 | 12 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 86 | 25 | +61 | 2 | 12 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 51 | 81 | -30 | 1 | 5 |
| 🇼🇸 Samoa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 148 | -133 | 0 | 0 |
Pool B
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 36 | +44 | 1 | 13 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 127 | 25 | +102 | 3 | 11 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 67 | 64 | +3 | 2 | 6 |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 166 | -149 | 0 | 0 |
Pool C
| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/- | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 6 | +92 | 2 | 14 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 54 | 23 | +31 | 0 | 8 |
| 🏴 Wales | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 54 | -16 | 1 | 5 |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 116 | -107 | 0 | 0 |
Notable Pool Matches:
- 🇮🇪 Ireland 17–14 New Zealand — one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, ending the Black Ferns’ 20-year unbeaten run.
- 🏴 England 13–13 Canada — a tense draw between the eventual finalists.
- 🇫🇷 France 17–3 Australia — the hosts showed their power early on.
Knockout Stage
After the pool rounds, the teams were ranked, and the top four advanced to the semi-finals, while the rest played classification matches.
Semi-Finals
- 🏴 England 40–7 Ireland
- 🇫🇷 France 16–18 Canada
Bronze Final
- 🇫🇷 France 25–18 Ireland
Final – August 17, Stade Jean-Bouin (Paris)
England 21–9 Canada
A strong English pack and the boot of Emily Scarratt decided the final. Scarratt scored a try, two conversions, and two penalties for a personal tally of 16 points.
Canada, led by Magali Harvey, fought bravely but couldn’t match England’s dominance in the scrums and lineouts.
🏆 Champion: England (2nd title)
🥈 Runner-up: Canada
🥉 Third place: France
Final Standings
| Position | Team |
|---|---|
| 🥇 🏴 England | |
| 🥈 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 🥉 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4th 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 5th 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6th 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7th 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8th 🏴 Wales | |
| 9th 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10th 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11th 🇼🇸 Samoa | |
| 12th 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan |
Outstanding Players
Marlie Packer (England): Tireless flanker, one of the key forwards driving England’s pack dominance.
Emily Scarratt (England): The tournament’s top scorer with 70 points, including 16 in the final; named Player of the Tournament.
Magali Harvey (Canada): Electrifying winger, World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year 2014, with 61 points and 4 tries.
Kelly Brazier (New Zealand): Consistent kicker and playmaker, 50 points overall.
Niamh Briggs (Ireland): Inspirational leader in Ireland’s historic win over New Zealand.