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Here's how England players reacted to winning the 2025 World Cup
By Lucy Lomax
England have achieved the ultimate dream of winning a home World Cup, and the trophy is back in their hands for the first time in over a decade.
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On an emotional afternoon the world champions reacted to the momentous occasion for women’s sport as a whole and what it means to have a World Cup winners medal around their necks.
Winger Abby Dow spoke with emotion about the goal this England team had achieved of winning the title of world champions.
“I think the emotions really started hitting me personally when we arrived at Twickenham Stadium. We’ve had it in the past when we played France, and we’ve had like 58,000 people here, and you just get that crowd hitting you.
“Everyone’s asked me how I’m feeling and I’m not actually sure. I think I was kind of in shock when the whistle went, just from the emotions of the last tournament, the last World Cup that we had, where you had a shock of a different realisation, and just pride, and then I think I started hugging people and I am not really a hugger.
“And then I broke down…I think everything just hit me.
“I’m incredibly proud of the girls, incredibly proud the journey that we’ve come on as individuals and as a team. I’m just… I’m overwhelmed. And it’s just absolutely incredible.
“And I think the most important thing is realising not that we’ve won a medal today, but that we have won for women’s sport and for women’s rugby. It’s here to stay, and it’s such a privilege, for me to be part of it, and to just see (almost) 82,000 people cheering us on and being there for us- they’re the best fans.”
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Lock Rosie Galligan also referenced the pain of the World Cup final defeat three years ago and how it’s been used as motivation to drive the team forwards.
“Something that we said pretty much straight away after the New Zealand heartbreak was, we can go right some wrongs and do it in our own backyard,” said the 27-year-old.
“And so there was no better motivation than knowing that we were going to be at home in front of a sold out Allianz Stadium three years later.
“Every game before this hasn’t been perfect, but why be perfect in the earlier stages when you can save it for the final?
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“I’ve had the privilege of playing in every game of this World Cup, whether it was starting or finishing the game and you have different expectations, but at the end of the day, you’re giving your all to every performance and today was that moment where I was finishing the game and what a feeling to be coming on at the end.”
Two-time world champion, having won it back with England in 2014, and two-time try scorer on Saturday afternoon, Alex Matthews, had a phenomenal game in the final and admits she let out her emotions pre-match when she saw the crowd and her mother.
“Getting off the bus, seeing a whole stadium, just people hanging over the stairs. That was overwhelming. And I saw my mum in the crowd, I think it had a little tear and I think that’s actually what I needed. I let it all out, because, you know, emotions aren’t a bad thing. I had goosebumps, even in the game, (it was) just amazing.”
The number eight spoke of the impact this World Cup will have.
“I think just the fact that it’s at home, and the fact that it’s been such a successful World Cup campaign for women’s rugby as a whole, like winning is just the icing on cake. I thought in my head anyway, coming here, either way it’s a win because the amount I think we’ve done for the game over the last three years.”
Centre Megan Jones, spoke about her feelings in a whirlwind tournament which saw her nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year.
“I’m ecstatic, to be honest. I think achieving a common goal with the group…honestly, there’s no words for it. I hope we just relish this opportunity and relish this moment and just carry it with us for the rest of our lives.
“Women’s sport is on the up. We’re leading with compassion, with vulnerability, we’re leading with love. And that’s what humans want at the end of the day. And I think as soon as we do that, and we keep doing that, I think it’s going to keep momentum going into the later years.”
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