England secure World Cup spot

Published: Monday, 2. July, 2012 in category England
Watmore: Scored 11 tries in total in Moscow

England were in impressive form throughout the competition, culminating in a 27-7 win over Spain in the final - with Joanne Watmore (2), Michaela Staniford (2) and Heather Fisher scoring tries.

England had earlier recorded wins over Portugal, Croatia, Germany, Ukraine and Russia to book their place in the final - with Watmore and skipper Staniford scoring 11 tries each over the course of the two days.

Head coach Barry Maddocks said: "Our primary aim this weekend was to qualify for the Rugby World Cup so to then win the title as well is a massive bonus.

"This has been a good season and I am delighted for the players. We have come a long way since coming together as a squad 14 months ago, and the hard work from everyone involved has really paid off.

"The challenge now is to keep going forward and getting better and we certainly plan to do that as we look towards the Rugby World Cup next season."