England's women rugby team breaks most consecutive wins record

Saturday 19 November 2022 was a day of celebration for the England's Women's National Rugby Union Team.

Following the adrenaline of a hard-fought Women’s Rugby World Cup and the final against New Zealand, the Red Roses reunited in London to celebrate a world record.

The team, two-time world champions (1994 and 2014) and current Six Nation Champions (conquering the title for four years in a row), have been presented with the Guinness World Records certificates for a big milestone reached by the team.

The Red Roses broke the record for most consecutive wins in International Rugby Union, with 30 consecutive wins between 9 November 2019 and 5 November 2022.

The certificate presentation happened in the team's home stadium, at Twickenham, London.

For three years in a row, Sarah Hunter's Red Roses went unbeaten.

The countdown started after a 28–13 defeat to New Zealand back in July 2019, and was followed by a continuous streak of successes, match after match and year after year. 

The British team embarked on a three-year unbeaten run, including three Six Nations clean sweeps for a total of 18 outright wins through the years. 

With their result, England women's national rugby union team surpassed Cyprus’s record of 24 international consecutive wins achieved between 2008 and 2014.

Although England didn’t taste victory at the most recent World Cup, where the final saw New Zealand's Black Ferns raise the cup after a tight head-to-head, they still maintain the record for the longest winning streak ever.

The British team is celebrating the record after conquering the runner-up spot during the ninth edition of the women's Rugby World Cup. 

Last week, the team fought tooth and nail against Krystal Rota’s Black Ferns. They ended their run with a 34-31 match, having played till the last tackle while being one player down after a red card.

The two teams had history and, on the pitch, the rivalry between them is blazing.

But where does this historical rivalry, pushing the athletes to always give their best, stem from? In one word: excellency. 

It’s safe to say that England’s Red Roses and New Zealand’s Black Ferns are the reigning champions in Women's Rugby, being the only multiple winners of the Women's Rugby World Cup in history.

And, in a nearly-full stadium that roared at every tackle and every score, it's easy to see why the two teams felt the game in their bones, and fought strenuously for the cup.

After qualifying by world ranking, England has racked up victory after victory during the global event: first against Fiji, then against France. 

Before the final, the Red Roses faced Canada in a heated semi-final that has been defined by The Telegraph as "one of the greatest contests of all time, men's or women's."

Meanwhile, New Zealand conquered their semi-final with France in an intense match that ended 25-24. 

In a nail-biting final, England faced the defending world champions at Eden Park, Auckland: the largest stadium in New Zealand. 

With both teams holding their own until the very last minute, the match saw the Black Ferns eventually conquering the cup on home soil. 

However, although the Red Roses may not be lifting a world cup, there’s still certainly plenty to celebrate after being recognized with a world record.

"It was a great pleasure to present this record for the most consecutive wins in international rugby union," said Joanne Brent, who adjudicated the event.  

"The Red Roses are fantastic athletes and role models, smashing records in pursuit of their goals and inspiring generations both old and young. We are very excited for this teams' future, both on and off the pitch." - Joanne Brent, Official adjudicator

Let the certificate presentation that took place in Twickenham stadium this past Saturday be a celebration of the excellence showcased by England's women's national rugby team through the years. 

We certainly can't wait to see which records the Red Roses will break next.