82,000 to be at the World Cup final: What it means to England

When England’s squad for a home Rugby World Cup was announced in July, 24 players had competed on a World Cup stage before, and eight were World Cup debutants.

No matter whether this is a fourth or fifth World Cup (Alex Matthews, Marlie Packer, Emily Scarratt) or your first, the momentous achievement and occasion of playing in front of 82,000 people this Saturday hasn’t been lost on the Red Roses.

Matthews who captained the team for their pool stage game against Australia, won the tournament back in 2014 when she was only 21 years old.

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“It was an amazing feeling. It was a pinch yourself moment and I was so fortunate to achieve that with a great bunch of girls so early in my career. This tournament feels different because of the amount of coverage, the number of fans supporting us each week, messages of support we receive daily and with it being at home in England,” said the number eight.

“The support has been on another level and it’s only going to continue to rise beyond the conclusion of this World Cup. We can’t thank the supporters enough for their incredible backing and we know they will be cheering us on loud and proud at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.”

On the other end of the scale Morwenna Talling is attending her first World Cup and has secured her spot in the starting line up throughout the tournament in the second row, fighting for her place alongside Abbie Ward and Rosie Galligan.

“When England last won the World Cup in 2014, I was 12. Although the coverage of the tournament wasn’t like it is now, it was so inspirational to see female rugby players achieving something with their country,” said the 23-year-old.

“We are now in that spotlight and hold a responsibility as Red Roses to inspire young girls and boys to take an interest in our sport, whether watching or playing, and we hope that our sport continues to raise its profile following on from this World Cup.”

Maddie Feaunati is another debutant who has relished the World Cup environment. “I’ve made so many memories throughout this tournament and it’s not over yet. The bonds we have made as a squad have been incredibly special, and they will last with me for a long, long time.

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“Having a home World Cup has meant we have been closer than ever to the supporters who have backed us immensely from Sunderland down to Brighton across to Bristol and across social media too. It’s an experience I’ve relished but we have one more memory to make as a group. We will stick to our process and look to enjoy every moment of the week ahead of a sold-out Allianz Stadium which will be bouncing with thousands of England fans!”

Lucy Packer who started the last World Cup final back in 2022, has only started the one match for England this campaign against Samoa, but has come off the bench in every game so far, believes the tournament is the start of something huge for the women’s game in general.

“I have really enjoyed the past few weeks with the girls. We obviously have our goals as a team but wider to on the field, it has been awesome to see how much people have enjoyed this World Cup – not only following the Red Roses but all the other nations too.

“It feels like the start of our sport growing exponentially. For us, we have our job to do, and we’ll stick to our process ahead of Saturday. We appreciate everyone for supporting us the whole way.”