Did you catch the Women's Rugby World Cup final today? There were over 13,000 at The Stoop to watch England fall agonisingly short against the Black Ferns from New Zealand but, even in defeat, the England girls, led by the irrepressible Catherine Spencer, took a massive step in the evolution of the game. After the past couple of weeks of action in this tournament male patronisation will surely be a theme of the past. No, the women's game is not as fast or as physical as the men's, but it serves up an entertaining and skilful sport played out by fully committed, professional (with a small "p") and incredibly fit women who have lifted the standard of play beyond recognition in, seemingly, no time at all. Cath and her teammates will be absolutely gutted tonight because they believed they could and would become world champions but at least the sport is truly on the calendar now, and with women's rugby sevens a part of the 2016 Olympics, it looks like it is here to stay.
