How the Red Roses have changed the game

By Felix Payne

This year was one to remember for the England women’s rugby team. After 5 weeks of grit and determination, England came away with the biggest prize and honour in the sport: to be crowned world champions. This was a massive achievement for the players and all the staff behind the scenes, but it was also amazing more generally for women’s sport.

The buzz around the tournament was massive, and crowds that hadn’t been seen in neither women’s nor men’s matches took up whole stadiums. It was a new era of women’s rugby.

The day of the final, I drove past the stadium and was amazed at the number of fans and the diversity of the supporters. There were many younger people and kids and older people that were coming to a rugby match for the very first time. The tournament was attracting all different types of audiences.

One of the main reasons for England’s success was the management and coaching from the head coach John Mitchell. He is well-respected, especially by the players who describe him as “honest” and “a good strategist”. He earned coach of the year after the victory. England had a great squad which included star players such as Hannah Botterman, Meg Jones and arguably the best player in the world, Ellie Kildunne. Personally, I think that it is the best team that England has ever had. 

The reaction after England beat Canada was monumental. Abby Dow said, “I think that the most important thing is not realising we’ve won a medal today, but that we for me to be part of it and to see almost 82 000 people cheering for us and being there for us – they’re the best fans.” This team is making a massive impact in women’s sport and are inspiring young girls to follow in their footsteps. Rosie Galligan also highlighted that the pain of the last world cup heartbreak against New Zealand drove them forward and that it is now behind them. 

Megan Jones also said that “Women’s sport is on the up. We are leading with compassion and vulnerability; we’re leading with love. And that’s what humans want at the end of the day. And I think as we do that, and keep doing that, I think it’s going to keep momentum going into later years.”

Sarah Massey, the managing director of the Women’s Rugby world Cup, claimed, “I have never seen a sport rise so quickly. Everyone has just got swept up in the magic of what this tournament has brought, on and off the pitch.”

England went about the tournament really well. As the coaching team said, not all the performances were perfect, but they performed when they needed to and that’s the important thing.

Grassroots

Across the Nation, Grassroots rugby clubs have opened their doors to world Champion women’s England rugby team for RugbyFest – a nationwide celebration of rugby designed to inspire the next generation. Hundreds of clubs hosted family fun days, mini festivals and taster sessions, uniting communities and giving new players the chance to experience rugby for the first time. Red roses players also visited clubs across the nation bringing delight to supporters.

Steve Grainger, Executive Director of Rugby Development at England Rugby, said that “the success of RugbyFest shows the appetite for rugby in communities up and down the country. Seeing the Red Roses visit places they have a connection to is incredibly powerful and will inspire countless young players to follow in their footsteps.”

RugbyFest is part of the Impact25 programme, which is now receiving £14.55m of Government funding. It is designed to grow participation and make more opportunities for women and girls to get involved in rugby over the coming years.

Grainger also stated, “2025 has been a huge year for women’s rugby in England, with record-breaking attendance and a tremendous uplift in women and girls’ participation’.

I found it thrilling to see the Red Roses achieve such a prestigious triumph and I will never forget the feeling when they won. They have well and truly wowed the nation and have done not only women and girls’ sport proud, but sport in general.