Ten Standout Moments From World Cup Pool Stage

The Women's Rugby World Cup has reached nan quarter-finals shape and we opportunity goodbye to half of nan teams.

England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, France and South Africa each progressed.

But those who are departing person besides had immoderate large moments to remember.

Here are 10 standout moments from nan excavation shape - immoderate of which went viral.

Fiji skipper Alfreda Fisher collapsed down successful tears earlier her side's last crippled of nan World Cup against Wales.

"It is nan past 1 but we will springiness it our champion and decorativeness connected a high," she said.

The 21-year-old is Fiji's youngest ever skipper and her broadside delivered against Wales, winning 28-25 successful Exeter.

"This is huge, it's monolithic for Fiji Rugby and Fijiana. We group retired connected this travel to animate young women and girls to play rugby backmost astatine location successful Fiji, and I deliberation nan squad person done that. I'm truthful proud of them," caput coach Ioan Cunningham said.

Samoa, whose part-time players person had to crowdfund to return their spot successful nan tournament, were nan different Pacific Island broadside to suffice for nan World Cup.

They excessively managed to person their moment.

Fly-half Harmony Vatau, pinch her broadside trailing 47-0 to England, kicked a punishment to registry Samoa's first points successful nan tourney since 2014.

That infinitesimal brought immense ceremony and was Samoa's only points scored crossed nan excavation stage.

Women's World Cup debutants Brazil grounded to people a effort successful their opening conclusion by South Africa.

And that illustrious first effort looked beyond them erstwhile they were 72-0 down against a formidable France broadside successful their 2nd excavation game.

However, up stepped prima full-back and sevens skipper Bianca Silva, who dummied and raced complete half of nan transportation to score. A fitting first World Cup effort successful only Brazil's 18th XVs Test match.

The scorer was fitting, too, arsenic Silva's rugby profession started aft being picked retired from nan Brazilian favelas [shanty towns] to play arsenic portion of a kindness project.

The crowd successful Exeter erupted arsenic nan 27-year-old accelerated clear. Only nan French were not consenting her on.

Emiliano Caffera's broadside grounded to people a effort successful their last conclusion by Italy, leaving Silva connected her ain for astatine slightest 4 much years.

Not only did South Africa scope their first ever Women's World Cup quarter-final, but they did it pinch a crippled to spare.

A comfortable opening triumph complete Brazil was followed up by an awesome 29-24 victory complete Italy connected 31 August.

Sinazo Mcatshulwa's precocious effort snatched nan captious triumph needed astatine York Community Stadium, pinch qualification confirmed later that time aft France's hammering of Brazil.

Destructive number 8 Aseza Hele has been nan Springbok Women's standout performer, bagging 4 tries successful nan opening 2 games.

The South Africa men's squad are four-time world champions, but yet nan women's broadside person been capable to compete astatine nan highest level.

"It feels for illustration a watershed moment," prop Babalwa Latsha said aft nan triumph complete Italy.

"We've been building up to it for nan past three, 4 years - galore sacrifices person been made and galore tears person been cried for South African women's rugby.

"It's almost a infinitesimal that is for illustration a lighthouse, if I whitethorn allude to that, wherever it illuminates a ray truthful agleam that it shines crossed nan full horizon. It's a marque caller way that has been created."

World Champions New Zealand person a knack of hitting shape astatine conscionable nan correct time.

Having hammered lowly-ranked Spain and Japan, it was difficult to gauge precisely really good they were playing.

But a 40-0 thrashing of Ireland, who hit nan world champions past September, successful Exeter to apical Pool C and group up a quarter-final pinch South Africa was a statement performance that has been missing since they won nan past World Cup.

Black Ferns' 18-year-old helping Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored her 2nd consecutive hat-trick and flanker Jorja Miller, 21, delivered different impactful display.

The injection of younker mixed pinch knowledgeable World Cup winners from 3 years agone make New Zealand an intimidating imaginable for immoderate side.

"I will opportunity it complete and complete again, nan Black Ferns person won six Rugby World Cups," erstwhile England skipper Maggie Alphonsi told BBC Sport.

"It is almost for illustration betwixt World Cups they attraction connected sevens, effort a fewer things retired and suffer a mates of games.

"All of a abrupt they travel to a World Cup and they emotion nan shape and pressure. They thrive disconnected it."

Scotland were nan first broadside to suffice for nan quarter-finals aft beating Fiji 29-15 successful information two.

They will look World Cup favourites England successful Bristol connected Sunday, 14 September successful their first Women's World Cup knockout crippled since 2002.

This came only months aft it was revealed immoderate players were continuing to "suffer pinch their intelligence and affectional wellness pursuing nan imaginable nonaccomplishment of their contracts".

Bryan Easson besides announced successful nan summertime that he will time off his domiciled arsenic caput coach aft nan tournament.

Francesca McGhie scored a hat-trick to thief Easson's broadside to a comfortable opening triumph complete rivals Wales.

Fiji were past dispatched to group up a excavation decider pinch World Cup contenders Canada, pinch nan victor avoiding nan Red Roses.

But a 40-19 conclusion showed Scotland will person to vastly amended if they want to return that adjacent step.

England opened up their location Women's World Cup pinch a 69-7 victory against nan United States successful Sunderland.

The crippled astatine Stadium of Light surpassed nan highest successful Women's World Cup history, beating nan 42,579 who watched New Zealand triumph nan last successful 2022 astatine Eden Park.

Full-back Ellie Kildunne starred, scoring twice, but it was her footballing skills - fitting of nan venue - that brought 1 of nan loudest roars.

The women's world subordinate of nan twelvemonth regathered her ain grubber footwear by knocking nan shot up utilizing her thigh, earlier feeding Jess Breach to score.

A portion of individual accomplishment that galore of nan Sunderland players, now backmost successful nan Premier League, would beryllium proud of.

The Red Roses will beryllium without their prima full-back against Scotland arsenic Kildunne faces a mandatory minimum 12-day stand-down play aft showing concussion symptoms against Australia.

South Africa men's coach Rassie Erasmus led nan measurement erstwhile it came to invention to support power up beforehand for an full 80 minutes.

Nicknamed nan 'bomb squad' - Erasmus regularly fills his chair pinch six, sometimes moreover 7 forwards to travel connected astatine nan aforesaid clip early successful nan 2nd half to grind a squad down.

That play is not arsenic communal successful nan women's game, but Springbok Women's coach Swys de Bruin stuck to his country's DNA and unloaded six forwards connected nan 50th infinitesimal successful his side's opening 66-6 triumph complete Brazil.

The move went viral connected societal media, external arsenic nan full chair ran connected to nan transportation successful Northampton to repeated chants of "bomb squad" by supporters.

"So galore times group forget, but I americium a rugby subordinate first."

Social media sensation Ilona Maher - who has astir 9 cardinal followers crossed her Instagram, TikTok and X channels - made clear earlier USA's opening crippled against England that she wanted her rugby to do nan talking.

"I americium proud to do some but I do want to beryllium known arsenic a rugby player," Maher told BBC Sport.

The 29-year-old has surely done that, playing successful each infinitesimal of USA's World Cup campaign, making 163 metres and forcing 3 turnovers.

Despite finishing nan tourney pinch a 60-0 triumph complete Samoa, nan United States grounded to scope nan knockout stages, pinch Australia going done connected points quality aft some sides played retired a thrilling 31-31 draw successful information two.

Maher's team-mates mightiness beryllium heading home, but she is readying to instrumentality around.

"It's been amazing, England [as Rugby World Cup hosts] person really stepped up and done truthful overmuch for women's rugby and nan opportunity to alteration it," Maher said.

"We still person 3 much weeks of this! I dream each nan girls get to return it to caller heights. I'll beryllium watching each nan games.

"It's excessively cool to not spell to nan knockout shape of nan World Cup."

Surprisingly a Maher TikTok does not lead nan measurement erstwhile it comes to nan position count this World Cup.

Australia's Caitlyn Halse, 18, holds that grounds for her lukewarm family clasp aft drafting pinch USA successful York successful nan crippled of nan tourney truthful far.

The video of Halse's begetter pulling her up to nan stands pinch a tight hug has an astonishing 13 cardinal views., external

The full-back bagged 2 tries against Samoa and nan United States, which is astir apt why her begetter had specified a beaming grin connected his face.

England's grounds opening crowd successful Sunderland kicked disconnected an awesome number of summons income crossed nan tournament.

As of 2 September, 410,000 tickets had been sold crossed each venues, pinch nan last astatine Twickenham sold out.

A staggering 30% of attendees person ne'er been to a rugby lucifer before.

Over 30,000 group watched nan Red Roses conclusion Australia successful Brighton connected Saturday, pinch that aforesaid venue bouncing again for New Zealand's triumph complete Ireland connected Sunday.

Double-headers crossed nan state person besides helped summation crowd size and make typical atmospheres.

Big crowds person besides brought large sporting guests arsenic Lioness Chloe Kelly was successful attendance successful Northampton to watch England hit Samoa, while erstwhile England skipper Jamie George appeared successful Brighton.

Yet those impermanent appearances were topped by Catherine, Princess of Wales, who was besides successful Brighton.

Who mightiness we spot successful nan knockout stages?