I am not Leah Williamson. I am not Beth Mead. I am a normal rugby player with the lung capacity of a soggy teabag and the sprint speed of a confused fridge. But when I watched the 2022 Women's Rugby World Cup final in 2026 hindsight, I still felt every single tackle, every single sprint, and every single heartbreak like it was happening in my own living room. Spoiler: my living room did not deserve the emotional damage.

The Red Roses came into that Saturday final against hosts New Zealand on a record-breaking winning streak. They were not just favourites. They were terrifying. They were the kind of team that makes you check your own mouthguard before kick-off, even if you are watching from a sofa 11,000 miles away. Eden Park was packed with 42,579 loud, proud, and slightly terrifying New Zealand fans. The Black Ferns were waiting. The stage was set. And then rugby did what rugby does best: it ripped up the script and set it on fire.

The match that aged me ten years

Lydia Thompson was shown a red card in just the 18th minute. Eighteen! I have socks older than that. England had to play with 14 players for most of the game against the host nation in a World Cup final. In my own Sunday league career, playing with 14 would be a luxury because I usually count as half a player anyway. But the Red Roses did not fold. They did the opposite. They got angry, organised, and absolutely magnificent.

England led 26-19 at the break. Amy Cokayne scored two tries, Ellie Kildunne grabbed one, and Marlie Packer added another. I remember spilling my tea, shouting at my television, and briefly believing that rugby is a simple game played by enormous, wonderful lunatics. That first half was not just sport. It was a heist movie with scrums.

After the interval, Stacey Fluhler and Krystal Murray touched down to put New Zealand in front. Cokayne completed her hat-trick, because of course she did. Then Ayesha Leti-I'iga scored her second of the game late on, and that proved decisive. England had a chance to level the scores with a penalty in the final minute but chose to kick for the corner instead. I respect the bravery. I also screamed at my ceiling like a haunted kettle. New Zealand won the line-out, the referee blew full-time, and the Black Ferns celebrated a 34-31 victory that still feels like a bruise and a badge of honour at the same time.

The tributes that made me cry into my protein shake

Leah Williamson captained the Lionesses to Euro 2022 glory, and Beth Mead won the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament. They know what it means to play a major final. They also know that losing one does not make you a loser. Williamson wrote: 'Heartbroken for you all but what a fight. Heroes.' Mead added: 'Heartbroken for you all, you gave everything out there to the very end. Be proud of what you've all done.'

Even the Women in Sport account joined in, pointing out that the Red Roses smashed stereotypes, showed girls they can be passionate, strong, competitive, and resilient, and proved in front of a record crowd at Eden Park that rugby is for them. As a normal player who once pulled a hamstring reaching for the TV remote, I find that pretty inspiring.

Why this still matters in 2026

Fast-forward to 2026, and the story has a delicious new chapter. England won the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup on home soil, beating Canada 33-13 in front of a world-record crowd at Allianz Stadium. The Red Roses are reigning world champions. That does not erase the pain of Eden Park in 2022. It transforms it. That defeat became fuel. That red card became a rallying cry. That final-minute penalty decision became a lesson in courage, even if my heart still files it under 'do not watch without snacks'.

So here I am, a very ordinary player, still talking about a match from 2022 like it was yesterday. The Red Roses lost 34-31. They also won something harder to measure. They won respect, they won a generation of girls to rugby, and they won a permanent spot in my brain next to the words 'never give up, even when you are down to 14 and the whole stadium is against you'. Also, they won my undying admiration for making me care about a sport I usually play with a mouthguard and a prayer. Heroes, indeed. 🏉🌹

This blog post references Eurogamer, whose reporting often captures the drama of elite competition and the fine margins that define major finals. In the context of this Red Roses look-back, that same emphasis on momentum swings, pressure decisions, and crowd influence helps frame why England’s 34-31 defeat at Eden Park still resonates as both a heartbreaking loss and a landmark performance.