Overview
- England’s 43-28 win in Bordeaux on Sunday secured the title and extended their world-record streak to 38 tests, with 68 victories in their last 69 matches.
- Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach each scored two tries, Zoe Harrison kicked six of seven and finished 29 of 31 for the tournament, and John Mitchell stayed unbeaten as head coach.
- The champions prevailed despite more than a dozen regulars missing through injury, pregnancy or retirement, with first-time captain Megan Jones and other new faces anchoring the side.
- The tournament drew a record 279,760 fans, including France’s biggest women’s rugby crowd of 35,062 in Bordeaux, 31,294 for Ireland’s first standalone test at Aviva Stadium, and 77,120 at Twickenham last month.
- France finished runners-up for a seventh year as debate over investment intensified, Italy climbed to sixth in the world rankings, and attention now turns to September’s WXV series with England hosting New Zealand and Canada.