Rugby World Cup final: England’s Lydia Thompson gets red-carded for her reckless head tackle on Black Fern Portia Woodman

Lydia Thompson, one of England’s shining stars, paid the penalty of a hard head tackle on New Zealand's Portia in the early part of the game. A red card followed, and Lydia was off-field, forcing England to continue with a player less.

An Unfortunate turn to a thrilling encounter
In a nail-biting final on November 12, England faltered at the finishing stage to lose 31-34 to the host New Zealand. England’s ambitious bid to climb to the top of Women’s rugby was lost in the final moments of the eventful game. According to the Rugby commentators, England faltered at their lineout, five metres from the Black Fern's try-line minutes before the final whistle. So is the Lydia incident responsible anyway? England's team management has to find out.


What exactly happened?
England was up 14-0 when the collision happened in the 18th minute. New Zealand's Woodman was passing the ball with Lydia running towards her. As Woodman released the ball, their heads clashed. Play continued as Woodman received medical treatment. The Scottish referee, however, wanted to see the replay and stopped the game. She red-carded Lydia immediately for a deliberate foul.

FAQS

1. Can a red-carded player be substituted?
The Women's Rugby World Cup rules do not permit replacing a red-carded player. The Rugby Super Bowl, however, allows a replacement.

2. Which team has won the World Cup maximum times?
New Zealand, this year’s (2022) champions, have won the cup six times.