England holds off New Zealand 24-12 in women's rugby

LONDON (AP) — Top-ranked England downed world champion New Zealand 24-12 at Twickenham on Saturday, a year out from the next Women's Rugby World Cup.

Tries by flanker Marlie Packer, winger Abby Dow, fullback Ellie Kildunne and scrumhalf Natasha Hunt staked England to 24-0. The Black Ferns rallied with a pair of tries by wing Katelyn Vaha'akolo, shaking off rust from being inactive since thrashing Australia in July.

England has won three of four from New Zealand since 2021. The one exception was the 2022 World Cup final won by the Black Ferns in Auckland. England has since won 17 straight tests.

Both teams were also warming up for the WXV1 in Vancouver in two weeks.

Coming off a 38-19 win over France last weekend, England took the lead in the 17th minute against the run of play. Prop Sarah Bern's burst helped to set up the driving maul that ended with Packer touching down.

The Black Ferns showed greater energy in attack but Packer’s try ignited the hosts, who sent Dow racing over. The try was made possible by Tatyana Heard’s bullet pass to Dow.

Kildunne was the next over the whitewash after finishing England’s patient buildup with a step inside, leaving New Zealand in urgent need of a rousing halftime team talk to prevent a heavy defeat in front of a 41,500-strong crowd.

Instead, a fourth try was leaked to Hunt just two minutes after the interval, even though England was down to 14 players because of Zoe Aldcroft's yellow card.

The Black Ferns hustle a try through Vaha'akolo in the 52nd and, in further evidence the intensity was draining from England's game, she added her second heading into the final quarter. But the comeback stopped there.

New Zealand's Tanya Kalounivale, center, is tackled by England's Natasha Hunt and Marlie Packer during the Women's International match between England and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)

England's Alex Matthews is tackled by New Zealand's Renee Holmes, right, during the Women's International match between England and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)

England's Abbie Ward wins the ball from the lineout during the Women's International match between England and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)

England's Abby Dow scores their side's second try of the game during the Women's International match between England and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)

England's Emily Scarratt is tackled by New Zealand's Kennedy Tukuafu, right, during the Women's International match between England and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)