Sarah Rendell<\/p>\n
Best player Sophie de Goede. The Canada forward was impressive and versatile throughout. The fact she had just returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury was mindblowing.<\/p>\n
Best match New Zealand v Canada<\/a>. Many had expected the semi-final to be a close match but Canada blew the world champions away. The sheer pace of their game was unmatched and Justine Pelletier was phenomenal.<\/p>\n Best try Fiji\u2019s Kolora Lomani v Canada<\/a>. Ellie Kildunne\u2019s knockout-phase tries need an honourable mention but Lomani\u2019s set York\u2019s stadium alight. It was a sumptuous score which involved almost the entire Fiji team.<\/p>\n Breakout star Braxton Sorensen-McGee. The 18-year-old Black Fern almost broke the record for the most tries in a single World Cup: she scored 11, only two fewer than Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in 2017. The teenager has a bright future.<\/p>\n Unsung hero Hannah Botterman. The England prop deserved at least one player-of-the-match award for her efforts in this tournament. Fronted up in defence, at the breakdown and in the set piece.<\/p>\n Favourite moment Teams dancing with each other. A key example was after England\u2019s pool match against Samoa<\/a>. The two sides came together in a huddle and then some players danced alongside each other. So wholesome and so rugby.<\/p>\n This World Cup was\u2026 The turning point for women\u2019s rugby. The momentum of this tournament cannot be slowed down. More investment must be made and hopefully the crowds will continue to come back at an international and club level.<\/p>\n In 2029 I hope\u2026 There is more competition between all of the teams at the tournament. For that to happen, nations must put money into programmes and get more games on the calendar \u2013 the WXV series will help.<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s Justine Pelletier put in a barnstorming performance in the semi-final against the Black Ferns. Photograph: Bob Bradford\/CameraSport\/Getty ImagesRobert Kitson<\/p>\n Best player Ellie Kildunne. Whenever England needed a surge of electricity, \u201cSpecial K\u201d delivered. Deceptively quick and immune to pressure. Plus an honourable mention for Canada\u2019s Sophie de Goede, aka Sophie de Greate.<\/p>\n Best match New Zealand v Canada<\/a>, semi-final. The match that underlined the rising quality of the women\u2019s game. The Canadians\u2019 fast-paced rugby, commitment and offloading skills blew New Zealand away in an eye-opening Friday night encounter in Bristol.<\/p>\n Best try Ellie Kildunne. Her try in the final against Canada<\/a> again displayed Kildunne\u2019s gliding elusiveness and instinctive rugby brain. Give her half a yard of space and there are few better players to watch, male or female.<\/p>\n Breakout star Braxton Sorensen-McGee. The New Zealander is only 18 but clearly a talent with the potential to be around for years. Quick, predatory and a useful goalkicker as well.<\/p>\n Unsung hero Rachel Malcolm The Scotland captain spoke out before the tournament about the \u201cdisruptive\u201d delay in confirming her players\u2019 contractual futures, and also spoke impressively after her team\u2019s quarter-final defeat against England.<\/p>\n Favourite moment The first half of South Africa v New Zealand<\/a> in Exeter. The pumped-up South Africans threw everything at the Black Ferns and, in the process, transformed perceptions of women\u2019s rugby in their homeland.<\/p>\n This World Cup was\u2026 Everything the organisers hoped for and more. I\u2019m still trying \u2013 and still failing \u2013 to find anybody who attended a game and didn\u2019t enjoy the experience.<\/p>\n In 2029 I hope\u2026 More than a couple of teams arrive in Australia with a genuine chance of winning the tournament. And that more funding is forthcoming for ambitious nations in need.<\/p>\n England players are greeted by a large crowd outside Twickenham stadium before the Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup final against Canada. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianAndy Bull<\/p>\n Best player Sophie de Goede. Rolls mauls, makes breaks, kicks goals, grabs lineouts, poaches turnovers, throws offloads, and smashes tackles. Canada wouldn\u2019t have made it to the final without her.<\/p>\n Best match Canada\u2019s 34-19 win against New Zealand in the semi-finals was a cut above. New Zealand played on so long into overtime it felt like they just couldn\u2019t believe they\u2019d already been beaten.<\/p>\n Best try Ellie Kildunne\u2019s second in England\u2019s semi-final against France<\/a>, a slinky run in, out, and around a flock of tacklers. England\u2019s star player shone brightest when they needed her most.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week’s action reviewed<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Breakout star Braxton Sorensee-McGee looks altogether too innocent to be anywhere near an international rugby field, until she has the ball and half a yard of space in the 22.<\/p>\n Unsung hero Samoa\u2019s head coach, Ramsey Tomokino, who has had to pay his team\u2019s expenses out of his own pocket on more than one occasion. They were beaten inside out, but there\u2019s more than one way to turn up for a World Cup.<\/p>\n Favourite moment Samoa\u2019s jubilant reaction to the only three points<\/a> they scored in this tournament. They were so busy dancing when that penalty went over against England that they were late to take their places for the restart.<\/p>\n This World Cup was\u2026 A triumph away the field, but with too many unequal matches on it. It\u2019s a testament to just how well organised it was that the lopsided results didn\u2019t stop everyone from having such a good time.<\/p>\n In 2029 I hope\u2026 The unions, and World Rugby, do the work needed to narrow the gaps between the best teams and everyone else. There are plenty of sides that deserve a lot more investment and support.<\/p>\n Samoa\u2019s delight after scoring their first points at a Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup \u2013 against England at Franklin\u2019s Gardens on 30 August \u2013 encapsulated the joyful spirit throughout the tournament. Photograph: Morgan Harlow\/World Rugby\/Getty ImagesLuke McLaughlin<\/p>\n Best player Hannah Botterman. Relentlessly destructive on both sides of the ball, the Bristol Bears prop often looks a cut above at club level: the same applied as England excelled on the biggest stage.<\/p>\n Best match Australia 31-31 USA<\/a>. The fight for second behind England in Pool A generated a classic. Samantha Wood\u2019s missed conversion for Australia resulted in a draw: the right result after a fierce, gripping encounter.<\/p>\n Best try Amy Cokayne, France v England<\/a>. In context of the semi-final tussle against France \u2013 England were leading 7-5 after half-time \u2013 a textbook driving maul led to a score of paramount importance. Perfect execution under intense pressure.<\/p>\n Breakout star Desiree Miller (Australia). A hat-trick against Samoa<\/a>, two in that memorable ding-dong against USA in York, and a sixth try of the tournament in the quarter-final against Canada<\/a>. Lightning pace, lethal finishing.<\/p>\n Unsung hero Raquel Kochhann (Brazil). Olympian, cancer survivor and scorer of Brazil\u2019s first points at a Rugby World Cup: Kochann personified the squad\u2019s spirit. Note to marketers: she is open to a hair product sponsor.<\/p>\n Raquel Kochhann is wired for sound and as she, and her Brazil teammates, arrive at Franklin\u2019s Gardens for the group game against Italy. Photograph: Morgan Harlow\/World Rugby\/Getty Images<\/p>\n