New Zealand Wins Bronze, England Beat Canada

New Zealand beat France 42-26 at Twickenham to win the Women’s Rugby World Cup bronze, rebounding from their semifinal loss to Canada. The Black Ferns led 26-7 at halftime and scored six tries overall, with co-captain Ruahei Demant, Sylvia Brunt, Renee Holmes and Laura Bayfield among the scorers; 18-year-old Braxton Sorensen-McGee added two second-half tries to finish with 11 in the tournament. Holmes was named player of the match after a 17-point haul, and retiring star Portia Woodman-Wickliffe left the field to an emotional reception. France threatened a late comeback with three tries in 10 minutes but could not close the gap. In the final, England defeated Canada 33-13 before a record Twickenham crowd of about 81,885 to claim their third Women’s Rugby World Cup title and extend a 33-match winning run.