Skip to content

Lydia Thompson on living with 'complete blame' for England's World Cup final loss to New Zealand after red card

Red Roses wing Lydia Thompson speaks of the mental anguish she has suffered since November's World Cup final defeat to New Zealand, during which the 31-year-old was red carded for a high tackle, feeling "complete blame" for the loss: "You can't believe you can get that low. But you do"

Lydia Thompson
Image: England wing Lydia Thompson has spoken about living with 'complete blame' for the Red Roses World Cup final loss

Lydia Thompson says she has been living with "complete blame" for England's Rugby World Cup final defeat to New Zealand in November, holding back tears recounting her 18th-minute red card.

England faced hosts the Black Ferns in the final as massive favourites, having comfortably defeated all their rivals in the lead-up, but Thompson's red card in the 18th minute for a high tackle on New Zealand's Portia Woodman changed the complexion of the Test, with the Red Roses ultimately falling to a heart-breaking 34-31 defeat.

Four months on, Thompson spoke of the anguish she has felt since that day at Eden Park, and gave an insight into the mental torment she has suffered.

"Those multiple thoughts keep flooding you like: letting the team down, obviously it made their day a lot harder. A complete blame for the loss of the World Cup," Thompson told ITV.

"You kind of can't believe you can get that low. But you do.

England's Lydia Thompson, left, collides with New Zealand's Portia Woodman during the final of the women's rugby World Cup at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, Nov.12, 2022. Thompson is given a red card for the clash. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
Image: Thompson was red carded in the 18th minute of the final for a head-on-head high tackle on New Zealand's Portia Woodman
England's Lydia Thompson leaves the field after being shown a red card during the final of the women's Rugby World Cup

"To be honest, I didn't think I was ever going to be able to talk about it. But that's why I thought it is time to talk about it because I just want to say thank you to people. The overwhelming kindness people showed me...I guess you don't expect it because you feel so terrible.

"No one had said anything I can imagine to be as hurtful as what my own thoughts were saying to me. I've been my own worst enemy I guess.

Also See:

England's Abby Dow and Lydia Thompson look dejected after defeat to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final
Image: England's Abby Dow consoles Thompson (No 14) after the World Cup final loss at Eden Park

"I'm still on the journey of kind of coming to terms of it. But bottling up isn't the best thing. As much as I kind of thought I'd be strong enough to just move past it. I haven't been. I've had so much help. And yeah, I want to know that I'm there for anyone else."

Thompson and the Red Roses are back in international action on March 25, as they host Scotland at Kingston Park in Newcastle on the opening weekend of the 2023 Women's Six Nations.

Around Sky