Skip to main content
News and Events
A view outside the Palatine Centre

Durham alumna Claudia Moloney-MacDonald crowned World Champion with the Red Roses

29 September 2025
Share page:
A huddle of Durham women's rugby players gather on the field ahead of a game.

Congratulations to Claudia Moloney-MacDonald (Economics, Josephine Butler College, 2018), who celebrated victory with the Red Roses women’s rugby squad on Saturday 27 September. They became world champions at Twickenham, beating Canada 33 points to 13. Claudia’s success reflects the journeys of many Durham students and graduates who combine academic study with competing at the very highest level of sport.

From Durham pitches to the world stage 

Claudia discovered rugby as a student at Durham, having previously played netball competitively as a teenager. She represented Josephine Butler College and the University, balancing her studies with a growing passion for the sport. 

After graduating in 2018, her rugby career accelerated quickly. Claudia made her England debut the same year and has since become a regular in the squad, playing both scrum-half and wing at international level. 

Victory at Twickenham 

On Saturday 27 September 2025, England overcame Canada at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, to lift the World Cup trophy. Claudia’s role in reaching the final marks the high point of a journey that began at Durham and has taken her all the way to the top of the women’s game. 

Professor Gillian Hampden-Thompson, Principal of Josephine Butler College, said: 

I have followed the Red Roses for many years and was lucky enough to be at the Stadium of Light for the opening game against the USA, so to see Claudia crowned a World Champion is incredibly special. We are immensely proud of all our alumni and their achievements, but Claudia’s success on the world stage feels particularly powerful given the growing visibility of women’s sport. That visibility matters as it inspires, it empowers, and it shows young people what is possible.
Professor Gillian Hampden-Thompson
Principal of Josephine Butler College

Read more: