The brilliant prediction Hannah Botterman has made about RWC 2025
England prop Hannah Botterman is certain the Red Roses will fill all 82,000 seats at Twickenham when her side host the World Cup in 2025. Long gone are the days when England were content to pack Doncaster’s 5,000-capacity Castle Park or even Twickenham Stoop, which holds 14,800 and hosted the 2010 World Cup final.
The Red Roses have already sold more than 40,000 tickets for their final Six Nations encounter with France at Twickenham on April 29, and could be on course to break the world attendance record for a women’s rugby match, 42,579, set at last year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
Asked if that tally could double in three years’ time, Botterman was emphatic, telling the PA news agency: “Yes. Yes, is the answer. It is obviously really exciting that the tournament for the Six Nations hasn’t even started, yet we have already sold 40,000, that’s obviously half of where we want to be.
“Come 2025, a few years down the line, the biggest tournament you can play in your career at home, I think we can get there.”
That side could look quite different from the one set to face newly-professionalised Scotland in Saturday’s Six Nations opener at the 10,200-capacity Kingston Park, with England aiming to win their fifth consecutive trophy and fourth straight Grand Slam after the latter was not contested in 2021 due to the pandemic.
Head coach Simon Middleton, who guided the Red Roses to World Cup finals in 2017 and 2022 – England finished runners-up to New Zealand on both occasions – is set to step down following the tournament after nearly eight years in the role. Captain Sarah Hunter, England’s most capped player, also said she would be hanging up her boots after Saturday’s opener in her native Newcastle, and a combination of injuries, a pregnancy and personal circumstances meant nine uncapped players were named in Middleton’s 42-player training squad.
Botterman said: “It’s an end of an era and sad to see both of them go, especially Sarah obviously, with everything she has done for the game, but Simon as well. It’s important that we change for the good going forward. Obviously, we will have a new coach coming in and it will be really interesting to see what sort of spin on things they bring.
“When I got my first cap it was due to there being quite a few injuries and you have just got to take that opportunity and you have got to run with it. It’s going to give these new players a real bite to want to come back and, even when these players are fit, giving them a run for their money.”
The 23-year-old was speaking at Twickenham, where the Women’s Sport Trust, England Rugby and O2 announced the launch of a long-term visibility study aiming to uncover data that could help grow the women’s game in the lead-up to the 2025 World Cup.
Botterman’s rehabilitation from the knee injury she sustained the day before England’s World Cup semi-final is progressing well and the Saracens forward hopes to be fit for England’s fourth-round meeting with Ireland.
Some have suggested a woman should be targeted as Middleton’s successor, but the 23-year-old disagreed, insisting every qualified candidate should be considered. “I want the best person for the job,” she said. “It would be a disservice to ourselves if we just put a woman in as head coach and they weren’t the best person for the job.
“Yes, it’s important to have that representation, 100 per cent but at the same time, we just want the best person. The gap between us and other teams has gotten a lot smaller and it’s how can we grow that? How can we keep on getting better? So it’s really important for me that they’re ruthless and they’ve got a bit about them, but also have a bit of compassion and understand how us as women work.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Why do people keep on picking Ardie at 7 when he's a ball in hand 8? A modern 7 is the lead tackler and ruck clearer which isn't his strength.
14 Go to commentsSly dig there at Ireland’s propensity to back a non-Irish coach. Must really want it. I’m not sure I like ROG very much. Comes off as unpleasant. But he’d gain my respect if he took a number 7 ranked team and turned them into WC winners. Not even back-to-back. Argentina? Scotland? Or how about Wales? France would be too easy, no?
1 Go to commentsA bit of sensationalism, but surprised by the comments about SBW. I’ve always thought of him as a pretty authentic person. There is nothing worse than working with a colleague you’ve seen straight through.
9 Go to comments100% agree with your comment about Touch. I’ve been playing it competitively since Covid. It’s on a Wednesday night after work. It means the weekend is free for time with my family.
1 Go to commentsRodda back is massively important for the Wallabies. Kaitu at hooker important too coz he was very good a few years ago.
1 Go to commentsThe pink cabous might be eligible this year and the Boks don’t need him
7 Go to commentsNasser and kaitu are options for hooker. Especially Nasser. You forgot Rodda who touch wood will be fit at test time and if fit he’s number one. Great partner for the great Skelton and Oz best lineout caller. Third best lock is LSL whom I’d be inclined to sub on for Skelton around 60 minutes. Probably start valetini at 8 because I like a big body back there. Cale should play 6 at the brumbies. For Wallabies definitely cale in the squad but as an apprentice. Dunno who starts at 6 seru wright Swinton hanigan with Will Harris and Harry Wilson not far away. Seru and Swinton my front runners but Swinton is going. Still if we don’t cap seru then Fiji must coz they need his lineout skills and easily compensate for his lack of weight
7 Go to commentsYeah but who was it?
9 Go to commentsThink you might have written this just before the Brumbies got thrashed last weekend
7 Go to commentsI really do believe that Billy Proctor should be selected at least in the larger squad but also it would be my choice at 13, much more a center than Ioane who can still play at wing. Roigard if fit should play, otherwise it should be Perenara or Christie. Also, Iose could deserve a spot at blindside. Of course, being a Canes supporter I’m biased but I really believe that at least Billy P is deserving a chance and being Holland one of the Selectors, I’m having a little hope he could grab it.
14 Go to commentsI would not play Swinton I’d pick Wright or Hanigan. The rest are decent starters, but can’t agree on any subs except Tupou. My take on the subs: Gibbon, Ueslese, Tupou, LSL, Wilson, White, Will Harrison, and Petaia.
7 Go to commentsSBW the biggest moron to pull on a black jersey a park footy player at best
9 Go to commentsSBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
9 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
14 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
14 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
7 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
9 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
14 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
14 Go to comments