Star Power: Top 3 performers of the World Cup 2025
OPINION: The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 came and left us all in awe of the potential of women’s sports.
Records were broken, new heroes emerged, and the tournament cemented its place as a landmark moment in rugby history. With the competition now in the rear-view mirror, it’s only fitting to look back at the players who stood out on the world stage.
Sophie de Goede
One can’t talk about the RWC 2025 World Cup without talking about Sophie de Goede. Arguably one of the best players in the world at the moment, the athlete’s incredible prowess has earned her the nickname Sophie De ‘Great’.
Over the course of the tournament the 26-year-old has made more runs than anyone else in the competition (106) and made the most offloads (12). She has stolen three line-outs and is fourth for the most tackles with 82.
De Goede ended RWC 2025 as the third-highest points scorer, slotting 20 conversions and two penalties with the boot. The 26-year-old also scored three tries.
The British Columbia native has been directly involved in several of the team’s tries and it came as no surprise that the loose forward was crowned World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year following the Final at Twickenham.
Nadine Roos
From flyhalf, scrumhalf and fullback and even being used as a line-out jumper during the Springbok Women’s quarterfinal match against Black Ferns, Roos has been nothing short of remarkable.
A true athlete, she lays her body on the line for her team. She played in all four games scoring three tries, making 44 runs for the team.
The star certainly stole the show when she got amongst the forwards at line-out time, creating one of the most iconic moments at the World Cup.
A relentless runner and expert distributor, Roos was key to the Springbok Women’s historic campaign.
Braxton Sorensen-McGee
When you see her on the field one can’t fathom that she is just 18 years old. Her pace and handling skills made her stand out and saw her score the most tries in the tournament – 11.
She tops the charts for the most clean breaks with 15 and also boasts the stat for most meters carried with 550.
The young gun won the Breakthrough Player of the Year, beating her teammate and current World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Jorja Miller.
Honorable Mentions:
Sadie Kabeya (England)
Aseza Hele (South Africa)
Babalwa Latsha (South Africa)
Ellie Kildunne (England)
Asia Hogan-Rochester (Canada)
