Less than 24 hours after securing the Women’s Rugby World Cup title with a dominant 33-13 victory over Canada at a sold-out Twickenham, England’s victorious Red Roses brought their unique brand of chaotic joy to their first post-match media duties and a subsequent fan party.
What was scheduled as a low-key press conference with head coach John Mitchell and two players quickly devolved into an impromptu team celebration. Five players bounded into the room, leading to a scramble for extra chairs, and the press corps was greeted by a delightful display of post-victory euphoria.
Prop Hannah Botterman, who had her physio-imposed ban on celebratory knee-slides lifted after the final whistle, was the centre of attention, resplendent in a red cowboy hat. She sat alongside a grinning Maud Muir and Abbie Ward, and a baseball cap-wearing Meg Jones.
Captain Zoe Aldcroft revealed the true extent of the celebrations, admitting she and Botterman had partied until 6:30am, having broken her 13-month, two-day abstinence from alcohol to toast the victory. Coach Mitchell, meanwhile, had “faded out” by 1:30am.
The party then moved to a ‘Champions Party’ for fans at a damp Battersea Power Station.
From a balcony, the squad engaged the hundreds of supporters, with Botterman again taking the lead by encouraging the crowd to chant for Saturday’s Player of the Match, flanker Sadia Kabeya.
The noise then peaked as scrum-half Natasha Hunt and Meg Jones led a rousing, team-themed rendition of the hit song Freed from Desire, with the lyrics creatively changed to ‘England’s on fire.’
Aldcroft, lifting the trophy once more for the delighted crowd, highlighted the squad’s strong bond as the secret to their success.
“The big thing is our culture – we are so bonded as a team and we have so many fun experiences,” she told the fans. “‘We’ve enjoyed this time together and it brings us together on the pitch. Thank you so much for the support right from the start of the tournament in Sunderland to at Twickenham. It has been amazing.”
