'The Wales v Scotland game was really close, really exciting and people watching as neutrals thought 'what a fantastic game'. 'There is such a gap between the top two and the rest,' England World Cup-winner Kat Merchant said.

Ioan Cunningham's side were still beaten 59-3 by England and 39-14 by France, but did come out on top of a tight and entertaining game with Scotland in round two. Wales - further into professionalism than Scotland and Ireland - showed signs of catching up and have climbed to their highest world ranking of sixth after finishing third in the championship.

It will take time to close the gap with England and France, who have been professional for longer. Pre-tournament excitement about all the teams having contracted players for the first time has been tempered somewhat by lop-sided scorelines. The Stade de France in Paris will be unavailable before it is used as an Olympic venue in 2024, but other stadiums for the 2023 men's World Cup ranging from 33,000 to 70,000 capacity could be good options. While a game at the Principality Stadium may still be a few years off for Wales, France could start to think bigger. Wales hosted 8,862 fans in Cardiff, Scotland were cheered on by 4,862 in Edinburgh and Italy welcomed 4,700 in Parma. With the exception of France's 18,603 in Grenoble, the other records broken in the tournament are more modest. England prop Cornborough announces pregnancy.A 'pinch-yourself moment' on a record-breaking day.It all contributed to it being a special day in English rugby history.'

It's very cool to see so many people here today who aren't Twickenham regulars. 'The queue for food and merchandise was four times as long as the queue for Guinness. 'It is a very different crowd today - far more women and children,' BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones said on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast. Travelling around the country since 2018 has built England's fanbase, culminating in Saturday's world-record crowd. The Sugababes were booked for half-time of the Red Roses' Grand Slam victory against France and tickets priced at £20-£30 for adults and £5 for children brought more families in too. How do teams keep growing crowds?Įngland created a template for a women's rugby matchday, catering to a different Twickenham audience as far more women than usual flooded in. ® SEAHAWKS, SEAHAWKS LOGO, SPIRIT OF 12, WE ARE 12, BRING ON THE 12, LEGION OF BOOM, 12 and 12S are trademarks of the Seattle Seahawks.As the sport continues to evolve and grow, here are some of the key questions it faces.

Tomorrow's End by G.R. Morris