England Seeks Immortality in Women’s Rugby World Cup Final

The Red Roses’ Challenge: From Good to Immortal in the Women’s Rugby World Cup

London – The challenge for the Red Roses in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final against Canada is clear: to go from very good to great. Although they hold the world record for unbeaten matches and six consecutive Grand Slam titles, that is not enough by their own standards. To become immortal in the sport, like the England of 1994 and 2014, they must win rugby’s biggest prize. Furthermore, given the impact of this tournament in England, they must excite the 82,000 fans in a sold-out Twickenham and establish a legacy that drives the growth of the sport. The Red Roses are aware of the implications of what they have achieved in the last five weeks in a record-breaking World Cup that has spread throughout the country, but also of the importance of the prize if they manage to beat Canada on Saturday. The key for the English players has been to stay in the present and not get carried away by what might happen. Captain Zoe Aldcroft emphasizes the importance of not making the event bigger than it is. “It’s going to be very exciting to see how far we’ve taken women’s rugby and I’m excited about this new era of women’s rugby on Saturday,” added Aldcroft.

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On the eve of their opening match against the United States, Natasha “Mo” Hunt was asked if the Red Roses had their own version of the “right England” mentality that guided the Lionesses to their Euro 2025 triumph. Hunt looked at Amy Cokayne, Cokayne looked at Hunt, and both turned to their defense coach and England legend, Sarah Hunter, for the answer. Hunt then asked: “What word would you use to describe us?” The answer could be “winners”, “relentless” or “motivated”. But this team will be defined by whether they can win the World Cup, for which they have been favorites for so long, and Mitchell has been tasked with steering that ship. Since taking office in May 2023, Mitchell has guided this group of immensely talented athletes through their incredible undefeated streak, preparing them for Saturday. “I think I spend more time in this job as a psychologist than as a rugby coach, and it’s something I also enjoy, I enjoy the mental side and I’ve been exposed to a lot of sports psychology over the years.” There were psychological wounds to heal. Of the 32 players on the World Cup team, 21 experienced the anguish of defeat in the 2022 World Cup final against the Black Ferns, a match they were expected to win, but lost by three points. That is their only defeat in 63 matches. It’s an amazing record, but with that comes the challenge of managing the pressure of what many felt would be an inevitable victory. Therefore, Mitchell’s goal since they first met as a group in Chester in July 2023 has been to rethink how they view the challenge of big tournament rugby. The talent has never been in doubt, but it has been about shaping the culture and forging a group that can deal with the external noise during these five weeks. “We are more focused on the opportunity for success, rather than the risk of failure,” says Mitchell.

For Mitchell, the key has been perspective. When he took office, he brought almost three decades of experience in a coaching career that led him to be coach of the All Blacks from 2001 to 2003, to Australia with the Western Force, to South Africa with the Lions, to coach the United States, to work with Eddie Jones when the England men’s team reached the 2019 World Cup final and then to Japan before ending up at the head of the Red Roses. His philosophy for England has been based on those years of familiarity with rugby, but also on personal experience, such as professional disappointments or the moment that changed his life in 2010, when he was stabbed twice in a robbery at his home in Johannesburg. “Life can take you back, life can take you forward,” said Mitchell. “But I think the older you get and the more involved you become, you have to be where your feet are.” Consistency is key to all of this. The participation of the entire team is needed, and upon entering this tournament, each team member knew their role. “The most difficult challenge for any team is the members who don’t play and making them understand how they can strengthen the team. We have worked a lot in that area, I don’t think we do it well all the time, but we have been able to make it work for ourselves up to this point.” “This point” is one match away from being champions. The tournament for England began with a comfortable victory over the United States in front of a record crowd in the group stage, and was backed up with more victories over Samoa and Australia. Then came their quarter-final victory against a struggling Scotland side, and they managed to overcome a complicated French team in the semi-final, where they were shaken by a couple of questions they were asked. “We’ve had to experience the 10s falling in the middle of the tournament, we’ve had to deal with the expectations that came from the tournament, we’ve had to deal with the reconfiguration of a performance, we’ve also had to deal with rugby in humid weather. There are many little things,” said Mitchell. “Ultimately, all you can do is try to prepare as much as you can before the tournament and make sure you stay consistent in the tournament no matter what is thrown at you or challenges you.”

Within the group, there is a wealth of experience. You have Emily Scarratt, who is in her fifth World Cup and, although she has played 18 minutes in this edition, her knowledge and experience have been invaluable, contributing as the team’s water carrier, but effectively she is the eyes and ears of the coaches. She is one of the four players in this group who won the 2014 World Cup, along with Hunt, Marlie Packer, and Alex Matthews. There’s defense coach Hunter, who is England’s most-capped player with 141 appearances. And then there’s Jones, nominated for World Player of the Year, and her roommate Ellie Kildunne, who earned the honor last year. Then you have the sport’s two best forwards: England’s starting trio and the three substitutes on the bench. And that’s just a snapshot of the talent in this team, not to mention their formidable second rows, or the forceful Sadia Kabeya, the inspiring captain Aldcroft, or their exceptional opening halves or their incredible wings. But they all carry this expectation. Mitchell has only spoken to the team as a group once this week. It was Tuesday morning. But the subject has remained the same. It’s the promise of what can be, but also the path to get there. “If we get to the point where we are big, then for me to see the smiles on the faces of the people, the players and the staff, will be the most rewarding,” Mitchell said, but that was one of the few times he allowed himself to extend to the realm of talking about what life would be like if they do the job on Saturday. For a group that has achieved so much, there is still that delicate unknown ahead. Mitchell has spoken of their ability, but also of their potential. However, he is still keen to talk about how Saturday will not be the beginning and the end. In 2010, he made a promise to himself that he would no longer be defined by the results on the field. So it is in that context that they face their biggest test since that day in Auckland in November 2022. “If you put a ceiling on the weekend, then that’s probably dangerous material. If we do, we can still be better,” he said. “I just don’t know when it will be finite, to be totally honest with this team. If we don’t, it won’t stop this team from growing. If we do, it won’t stop this team from growing. There’s a lot of talent on this team, but ultimately, it would be good for this team to be able to fulfill its potential and be rewarded for the effort they’ve put in over a long period of time.” A place in rugby immortality awaits them. This team seems to have handled the expectation and pressure brilliantly, but this weekend will be the acid test. Canada is a fearsome opponent and boasts one of the best players of the modern era, Sophie de Goede. But for the Red Roses, it will be about anchoring themselves in the present and trusting what has brought them this far. “As a group, we are very excited to go out,” said Mitchell. “We have been working on this for three years and now is our moment, we really feel it.”