How do England deal with the pressure of a home World Cup?

There is an expectation that comes with hosting a home Rugby World Cup. The lights seem to shine a little bit brighter. There is a little more hope. And there is more pressure.

In the case of the Red Roses, that pressure has been present ever since the final whistle of the 2021 Rugby World Cup final in New Zealand.

That day at Eden Park the side did not lift silverware or add their name to the honours list for a third time. Instead it was the Black Ferns who did that.

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

Since then the solitary cloud to hang over the squad has been about being the home nation of this year’s World Cup and finally backing up years of dominance with the one trophy that has evaded World Rugby’s top-ranked side for over a decade.

With 29 days until the 2025 Rugby World Cup gets underway, England confirmed which 32 players had won the right to write their names in the record books.

Emily Scarratt will compete at a fifth World Cup, World Rugby women’s player of the year Ellie Kildunne has recovered from the hamstring injury that prematurely ended her Women’s Guinness Six Nations early and there are four players that have tasted success in the tournament before.

The squad is settled and have their sights set on a tournament opener against the USA at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. The only question being, how do you deal with the pressure?

“You hear that word, pressure, all the time,” John Mitchell, England’s head coach, said. “It’s just a word. You’ve got to turn it into an action and some people tend to frame it negatively and when you frame it negatively, it becomes more around the risk of failure,” Mitchell said.

“I see this as an opportunity to be successful, so it is going to come down to extremely good leadership that is looking to always chase solutions.
“That’s where my thinking is at; it is not about me. I come second. It is about the girls. It is about the girls realising their potential.”

Ahead of any tournament Mitchell has never outright discussed winning.

Instead, his focus has been on the mindset of his players. To shed the baggage of their 2021 World Cup final loss. Add more depth to the England squad. To just be a better rugby team.

In that, he has never hidden away from the big decisions.

Whether it was ending Marlie Packer’s time as captain in favour of Gloucester Hartpury’s Zoe Aldcroft or even telling players whether or not they had made the cut for a home World Cup a week before the official announcement.

It is this attitude which has allowed players to thrive under his leadership and yielded three Guinness Women’s Six Nations titles and two WXV 1 crowns.

“I think at the end of the day, before my time, the Red Roses have set the standard,” Mitchell said. “They look to remain consistent and something that only comes through chasing solutions.

“Really, at the end of the day, looking at the ability to be successful with opportunity, they tend to stay away from the risk of failure.

“We’re a different team from 2022. We’re guided by different values that we set out back in Chester when we first started. Now we’ve got an opportunity to earn the right and finish something that we started.”

Before their World Cup campaign gets underway in Sunderland, England will contend with Spain in Leicester before a trip to France.

A chance to stretch their legs for the first time since the Six Nations ended in April will allow the Red Roses to shake off the game day rust and get the cogs whirring before the eyes of the rugby world cast their eye over the pacesetters of the women’s game, who are 25 matches unbeaten.

Even among that immense winning streak there have been character tests. This year’s Six Nations finale against France at Allianz Stadium acts as case and point, where the winning margin was just one point in a 43-42 marathon.

Able to hold firm even as France battered down the door with late tries for Morgane Bourgeois and Joanna Grisez, England found a way to see it out. And it could be the difference between winning it all this September.

“Some of the wins we’ve had in this cycle, preparing for the World Cup, have been tough as well,” Mitchell said. “There’s enough belief and there’s been enough feedback of where out game needed to improve.

“We know where a lot of our opponents will try and attack us as well. (England) definitely have that belief, but we also understand that it’s a tournament and we’re going to have to earn the right.

“We’ve got to earn the right through our pool place. Our focus is definitely on our first Test match against the USA. That’s where everything is driven. We won’t look any further ahead than that. We’ll just remain where our feet are and deal with that.

“The belief that we’ve got and the way that the girls live the values, the way that the girls transfer a lot of the language that we talk about interactions are very quick at doing that.

“There’s a nice look in their eyes at the moment as well.”