ENGLAND women suffered the same heartache as their male counterparts last night, going down 20-6 to the New Zealand Ferns in the World Cup semi-final.
Much had been made of England’s good form throughout the tournament, but their real test came last night as England attempted to reach the World Cup final for the first time ever.
However, after taking the lead with a great Fran Goldthorp try early on, England were simply outclassed by a New Zealand side that proved to be far too strong and powerful – epitomised by the destruction caused by centre Mele Hufanga.
That being said, the inspiration that the England women have given t ordinary girls and women up and down the UK cannot be underestimated and the 7,000-strong crowd that flocked to York’s LNER Community Stadium last night was proof of that.
Not only was there a superb attendance within the venue, there was also a brilliant number that watched the semi-final live on BBC2.
In fact, at its peak, the World Cup semi-final attracted 1.2 million people, further proof of just how far come the women’s game has come in such a short space of time.
Unfortunately, despite such good numbers, England could not get over the line and now the challenge for the next three years until the 2025 World Cup takes place in France is to improve even further – both on and off the field.
