Heavirland, U.S. rugby take fourth
France second-row Lenaig Corson edges past Whitefish’s Nicole Heavirland (13) to score a try in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 bronze final with USA on Saturday at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. (INPHO/Billy Stickland)
The U.S. national women’s rugby team finished in fourth place at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday, dropping the bronze medal match to France, 31-23.
The Eagles outscored France 13-12 in the second half but couldn’t overcome a slow start that didn’t see the team score a try until the waning seconds of the first half.
Whitefish’s Nicole Heavirland played every minute of the tournament for the U.S., helping the Eagles to their best finish since 1998 when they finished second. The U.S. won the first World Cup in 1991.
“Our girls fought until the last minute as always,” U.S. captain Tiffany Faaee said in a press release. “This is only a glimpse of what these girls can do, we know we have so much more to give.”
New Zealand won its fifth World Cup later in the day, beating England 41-32.