Women’s Rugby World Cup: England raise spying fears ahead of semifinal clash with Canada

England take on Canada at Eden Park on Saturday evening. Photo / Photosport

England’s women’s rugby team have raised fears that their World Cup semifinal strategies could be leaked due to sharing a hotel with their opposition.

England face Canada on Saturday in the first of the tournament’s semifinals, both being held at Eden Park, and while England are huge favourites to take out the tie, they are afraid their opposition have been handed a chance to gain an unfair advantage.

“I just don’t think it’s particularly right that you’re playing a team in a knockout stage and you’re sharing a hotel with them,” forwards coach Louis Deacon told the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes in, planning-wise, behind the scenes. That stuff can sort of affect the way you play the game. If they get hold of some information that’s key to a game and we end up losing the game because... I don’t think it’s really appropriate to share a hotel at this level of competition.”

There are three hotels across Auckland that are hosting the four teams involved in the semifinals and a draw was made in early 2020 that determined which stayed where, based on world rankings at the time.

The world’s number one team at that point was the Black Ferns and, as a result, it is the only team staying at its hotel. England wasn’t so lucky.

However, it’s not the first time England have shared a hotel with an opposing team this tournament, having done so with South Africa in group play. Deacon says this situation is much different.

“Obviously, we didn’t play them [South Africa] until round three,” said Deacon. “We were upstairs, right at the top and they were downstairs. We’d only see them in the lobby and in passing. Our spaces were completely separate and it wasn’t too bad. But I think at that stage, it’s okay. But knockout stage, it’s just a little bit different. So hopefully they’ll look at that next time.”

A World Rugby spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph the situation should come as no surprise to the England team’s management.

“Three Auckland hotels are being used for the duration of the tournament. Teams selecting the Grand Millennium either as first or second choice team hotel for the semis and finals did so knowing that they would be sharing with another team as was the case for hotels in the pool phase.

“All of this was clearly communicated to teams and acknowledged well in advance of the tournament.”