Ten standout moments from World Cup pool stage

The Women's Rugby World Cup has reached the quarter-finals stage and we say goodbye to half of the teams.

England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, France and South Africa all progressed.

But those who are departing have also had some big moments to remember.

Here are 10 standout moments from the pool stage - some of which went viral.

Pacific Islands have their moment

Fiji captain Alfreda Fisher broke down in tears before her side's final game of the World Cup against Wales.

"It is the last one but we will give it our best and finish on a high," she said.

The 21-year-old is Fiji's youngest ever captain and her side delivered against Wales, winning 28-25 in Exeter.

"This is huge, it's massive for Fiji Rugby and Fijiana. We set out on this journey to inspire young women and girls to play rugby back at home in Fiji, and I think the team have done that. I'm so proud of them," head coach Ioan Cunningham said.

Samoa, whose part-time players have had to crowdfund to take their place in the tournament, were the other Pacific Island side to qualify for the World Cup.

They too managed to have their moment.

Fly-half Harmony Vatau, with her side trailing 47-0 to England, kicked a penalty to register Samoa's first points in the tournament since 2014.

That moment brought huge celebration and was Samoa's only points scored across the pool stage.

Fiji finished third in Pool B after their victory over Wales

Brazil grab special debut try

Women's World Cup debutants Brazil failed to score a try in their opening defeat by South Africa.

And that illustrious first try looked beyond them when they were 72-0 down against a formidable France side in their second pool game.

However, up stepped star full-back and sevens captain Bianca Silva, who dummied and raced over half of the pitch to score. A fitting first World Cup try in only Brazil's 18th XVs Test match.

The scorer was fitting, too, as Silva's rugby career started after being picked out from the Brazilian favelas [shanty towns] to play as part of a charity project.

The crowd in Exeter erupted as the 27-year-old accelerated clear. Only the French were not willing her on.

Emiliano Caffera's side failed to score a try in their final defeat by Italy, leaving Silva on her own for at least four more years.

'Watershed moment' for South Africa

Not only did South Africa reach their first ever Women's World Cup quarter-final, but they did it with a game to spare.

A comfortable opening win over Brazil was followed up by an impressive 29-24 victory over Italy on 31 August.

Sinazo Mcatshulwa's late try snatched the vital win needed at York Community Stadium, with qualification confirmed later that day after France's hammering of Brazil.

Destructive number eight Aseza Hele has been the Springbok Women's standout performer, bagging four tries in the opening two games.

The South Africa men's team are four-time world champions, but finally the women's side have been able to compete at the highest level.

"It feels like a watershed moment," prop Babalwa Latsha said after the win over Italy.

"We've been building up to it for the past three, four years - many sacrifices have been made and many tears have been cried for South African women's rugby.

"It's almost a moment that is like a lighthouse, if I may allude to that, where it illuminates a light so bright that it shines across the whole horizon. It's a brand new path that has been created."

Ruthless New Zealand deliver statement win

World Champions New Zealand have a knack of hitting form at just the right time.

Having hammered lowly-ranked Spain and Japan, it was hard to gauge exactly how well they were playing.

But a 40-0 thrashing of Ireland, who beat the world champions last September, in Exeter to top Pool C and set up a quarter-final with South Africa was a statement performance that has been missing since they won the last World Cup.

Black Ferns' 18-year-old wing Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored her second consecutive hat-trick and flanker Jorja Miller, 21, delivered another impactful display.

The injection of youth mixed with experienced World Cup winners from three years ago make New Zealand an intimidating prospect for any side.

"I will say it over and over again, the Black Ferns have won six Rugby World Cups," former England captain Maggie Alphonsi told BBC Sport.

"It is almost like between World Cups they focus on sevens, try a few things out and lose a couple of games.

"All of a sudden they come to a World Cup and they love the stage and pressure. They thrive off it."

Scotland make first quarter-final since 2002

Scotland were the first side to qualify for the quarter-finals after beating Fiji 29-15 in round two.

They will face World Cup favourites England in Bristol on Sunday, 14 September in their first Women's World Cup knockout game since 2002.

This came only months after it was revealed some players were continuing to "suffer with their mental and emotional health following the potential loss of their contracts".

Bryan Easson also announced in the summer that he will leave his role as head coach after the tournament.

Francesca McGhie scored a hat-trick to help Easson's side to a comfortable opening win over rivals Wales.

Fiji were then dispatched to set up a pool decider with World Cup contenders Canada, with the winner avoiding the Red Roses.

But a 40-19 defeat showed Scotland will have to vastly improve if they want to take that next step.

Kildunne shows off footballing skills

England opened up their home Women's World Cup with a 69-7 victory against the United States in Sunderland.

The game at Stadium of Light surpassed the highest in Women's World Cup history, beating the 42,579 who watched New Zealand win the final in 2022 at Eden Park.

Full-back Ellie Kildunne starred, scoring twice, but it was her footballing skills - fitting of the venue - that brought one of the loudest roars.

The women's world player of the year regathered her own grubber kick by knocking the ball up using her thigh, before feeding Jess Breach to score.

A piece of individual skill that many of the Sunderland players, now back in the Premier League, would be proud of.

The Red Roses will be without their star full-back against Scotland as Kildunne faces a mandatory minimum 12-day stand-down period after showing concussion symptoms against Australia.

'Bomb squad' go viral

South Africa men's coach Rassie Erasmus led the way when it came to innovation to maintain dominance up front for an entire 80 minutes.

Nicknamed the 'bomb squad' - Erasmus regularly fills his bench with six, sometimes even seven forwards to come on at the same time early in the second half to grind a team down.

That play is not as common in the women's game, but Springbok Women's coach Swys de Bruin stuck to his country's DNA and unloaded six forwards on the 50th minute in his side's opening 66-6 win over Brazil.

The move went viral on social media as the entire bench ran on to the pitch in Northampton to repeated chants of "bomb squad" by supporters.

Maher shows quality

"So many times people forget, but I am a rugby player first."

Social media sensation Ilona Maher - who has nearly nine million followers across her Instagram, TikTok and X channels - made clear before USA's opening game against England that she wanted her rugby to do the talking.

"I am proud to do both but I do want to be known as a rugby player," Maher told BBC Sport.

The 29-year-old has certainly done that, playing in every minute of USA's World Cup campaign, making 163 metres and forcing three turnovers.

Despite finishing the tournament with a 60-0 win over Samoa, the United States failed to reach the knockout stages, with Australia going through on points difference after both sides played out a thrilling 31-31 draw in round two.

Maher's team-mates might be heading home, but she is planning to stick around.

"It's been amazing, England [as Rugby World Cup hosts] have really stepped up and done so much for women's rugby and the opportunity to change it," Maher said.

"We still have three more weeks of this! I hope all the girls get to take it to new heights. I'll be watching all the games.

"It's too cool to not go to the knockout stage of the World Cup."

Family is everything

Surprisingly a Maher TikTok does not lead the way when it comes to the view count this World Cup.

Australia's Caitlyn Halse, 18, holds that record for her warm family embrace after drawing with USA in York in the game of the tournament so far.

The video of Halse's father pulling her up to the stands with a tight hug has an astonishing 13 million views.

The full-back bagged two tries against Samoa and the United States, which is probably why her father had such a beaming smile on his face.

Record crowds & special guests

Catherine, Princess of Wales, joined England in the changing room after their victory over Australia in Brighton

England's record opening crowd in Sunderland kicked off an impressive number of ticket sales across the tournament.

As of 2 September, 410,000 tickets had been sold across all venues, with the final at Twickenham sold out.

A staggering 30% of attendees have never been to a rugby match before.

Over 30,000 people watched the Red Roses defeat Australia in Brighton on Saturday, with that same venue bouncing again for New Zealand's win over Ireland on Sunday.

Double-headers across the country have also helped increase crowd size and generate special atmospheres.

Big crowds have also brought big sporting guests as Lioness Chloe Kelly was in attendance in Northampton to watch England beat Samoa, while former England captain Jamie George appeared in Brighton.

Yet those guest appearances were topped by Catherine, Princess of Wales, who was also in Brighton.

Who might we see in the knockout stages?