3. Claudia MacDonald: Fiji 19 – 84 England – 2021 Rugby World Cup
After a year’s delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ‘2021’ Rugby World Cup finally kicked off in New Zealand, in October 2022. The Red Roses patiently bided their time, before they set out on their journey which would take them all the way to the Rugby World Cup Final, and a dramatic defeat to the hosts.
However, over a month before England’s finale against the Black Ferns, Simon Middleton’s side took on Fiji, with Claudia MacDonald lining up on the left wing to make her first Rugby World Cup appearance. MacDonald had a phenomenal game in the number 11 jersey, as she scored four tries in a one-way demolition of the Fijians.
MacDonald set the tempo with the match’s opening try, crossing over for her first Rugby World Cup score after just five minutes. That must have certainly shook any pre-match nerves, as the the winger hit cruise control, running in a hat-trick after the second half re-start. The then Wasps Women star crossed over for tries after 56, 70 and 76 minutes, finding top gear against the tiring Fijian players.
MacDonald was unable to grab another try for the rest of the 2021 Rugby World Cup, with the now Exeter Chiefs player’s four tries placing her joint-sixth in the overall try-scoring charts. A truly one of a kind World Cup debut for MacDonald, and she will be hoping to replicate the efforts when England host the Rugby World Cup in 2025.