CNN —When England’s women first played at Twickenham in 2003, the crowd was scattered about the vast stadium, almost imperceptible in the pictures taken that day.
Twenty years later, in the latest historic occasion for women’s rugby, a world record crowd of 58,498 supporters watched England win the Women’s Six Nations by defeating France 38-33 in a thrilling finale at Twickenham, the home of English rugby union.
The previous record for a women’s game was 42,579, set at the 2022 women’s rugby World Cup final in New Zealand.
To produce a game like that on a stage like this is everything that is good about the game.
Ultimately, however, it was too little too late – France’s last try arrived as the clock ticked into the red – and England clung on for victory.