Leah Williamson and Beth Mead have commented on Rugby World Cup.

The Lionesses lost 34-31 to New Zealand in the final in Lyon on Sunday, with a late try from the Black Ferns sealing victory. It was a heart-breaking end to a incredible tournament for England, who had reached the final for the first time since 2014.

And Williamson and Mead were quick to show their support for the team on social media, with both players taking to Twitter to praise the Lionesses. Mead wrote: “Absolutely gutted for this team. They have been immense all tournament and truely deserve it.”

And Williamson added: “So proud of this team. What an incredible journey. Thank you for everything.” The Arsenal pair are not the only ones to have paid tribute to England, with a number of other high-profile names also taking to social media to show their support.

These include former England striker Gary Lineker, who wrote: “So close. So very close. England were magnificent and can hold their heads high.

England had Leah Williamson and Beth Mead to thank for their early lead, with the latter scoring a sensational solo goal in the 10th minute. New Zealand hit back with tries from Kendra Cocksedge and Ayla Auckland but England led 18-14 at half-time thanks to another Leah Williamson try.

The second half was an even more thrilling affair, with both teams exchanging blows. England were first to strike through captain Sarah Hunter but the Black Ferns soon hit back through a try from prop Toka Natua.

The game see-sawed back and forth and it was anyone’s guess who would come out on top. In the end, it was New Zealand who had the last laugh, scoring a try in the dying minutes of the match to secure a 34-31 victory.

It was a heart-breaking defeat for England but they can take solace in the fact that they put up a brave fight against the reigning world champions. Leah Williamson and Beth Mead were both outstanding throughout the match and will no doubt be key players for England in future Rugby World Cups.