New Zealand beats England in Women’s Rugby World Cup final

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Replacement winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga scored her second try in the 72nd minute as defending champion New Zealand rallied to beat top-ranked England 34-31 in a breathtaking final to the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Hooker Amy Cokayne earlier had scored three tries at the heart of England’s trademark rolling maul as the Red Roses overcame a red card in the 18th minute to lead 31-29 with time running out. But New Zealand, also down to 14 players after a yellow card to co-captain Kennedy Simon, produced a superb try to win back the lead and held on to delight a crowd of more than 40,000 at Eden Park, a world record for a women’s rugby match.