Spain may not have stunned the World Champions, but their brave showing set the tone for their World Cup campaign, holding the Black Ferns to just a 21–3 lead at halftime.
The Leonas were welcomed by a raucous atmosphere at York Community Stadium, with more than 7,000 fans making their voices heard. That energy fueled Spain’s spirited defensive effort, which saw them rack up an astonishing 170 successful tackles.
For veteran prop Laura Delgado, the crowd’s passion was decisive.
“I have played in a lot of matches, experienced rugby in so many countries, but what I experienced today was a completely new experience to me. Like, wow. The crowd was immense.”
‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
With 51 caps to her name, Delgado admitted the fans gave Spain a lift even as New Zealand pushed them to the limit.
“They inspired us to a level that I cannot put into words. New Zealand was challenging our bodies to the limit, but we didn’t feel the pain, as the fans kept giving us a morale boost. I just wanted to smile the whole time. I thought to myself, ‘Por nosotras y por ellos’ – ‘we are going to do this for us and for them.’”
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Lock Lourdes Alameda echoed the sentiment, pointing to the impact of the crowd throughout the day.
“We couldn’t contain our emotions. Look, when we first arrived, there were people with drums to welcome us. From the warm-up to the post-match, they were there for us. We felt empowered. It made that last try feel even better. We owe them massively.”
Alameda, who completed 19 tackles, was proud of how Spain stood their ground.
“Happy. I think I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel happy and proud about our performance. We wanted to tackle them, to throw them back, to try and match their physicality. I think we could’ve done better when we had the ball, but still, we did well. We scored a try from a pick-and-go against New Zealand. That’s massive for us.”
Fly-half Amalia Argudo offered insight into the Leonas’ mindset heading into the clash.
“We came into the game with a lot of ‘ganas’. We wanted to show them who we are and make life a living hell for New Zealand. We weren’t going to throw the game, even if they are the World Champions. We deserve to be here, and we will be a competitive team until the end.”
Argudo, who scored Spain’s first points of the tournament, made it clear the moment belonged to more than just her.
“It belonged to the whole team. That kick wasn’t only mine; it was the whole team that scored those first three points. We are more than the 15 players who started the game; we are the 23 who were called for the game, the 32 picked for the World Cup, the 50 who fought for a chance to be in England. We are a team.”
Delgado highlighted discipline as the key to frustrating the Black Ferns.
“We worked hard and with precision when it came to discipline. We had conceded far too many penalties during our tour of Japan, and after carefully reviewing the situation, we identified areas for improvement. I think it was a cornerstone of our strong first half.”
Looking ahead, Argudo knows Ireland will pose a different challenge.
“Ireland is a completely different beast, as they have their own playing style. For us to have any chance of scoring points against them, we need to have the same mindset as we did against New Zealand. We need to take the game to them and not wait for it to come to us. We need to pressure them and find a way to keep possession.”
For Delgado, Spain’s display in York reinforced the country’s wider potential.
“Spain has unlimited potential as a sporting nation, and the fans play a key role in it. We knew we were going to face the World Champs, so our confidence wasn’t the best. But the moment we stepped onto the pitch, it changed. All the struggles that we endured, all the pain that we had to live through, were just gone, and it was because of them.”