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The moment the match ended, a wave of relief swept through. Before a historic audience, she hugged her England teammate Lucy Packer and then understood that the England team had secured the Rugby World Cup. The clash with Canada had been so “demanding,” Kabeya found it difficult to accept they were global titleholders until she the whistle blew. “It was incredible,” Kabeya says. “The full-time whistle was a lot of relief, a moment to exhale and then: ‘Wow, we’ve achieved it.’”

England’s triumph concluded a dominant three years, a 33-game winning run, but the off-field impact is what Kabeya recalls fondly. In particular, getting off the team bus to be welcomed by massive crowds and the applause from the packed stadium after the anthems.

“I find it hard to describe,” the 23-year-old flanker says. “The stadium entrance was unforgettable, a unique moment. Just to witness the incredible backing, the diversity in it – parents and children, people who are less mature, older, loads of men coming to the game – it was immense. I definitely have to watch videos back to see it because I don’t think I captured it enough because I was a bit in awe.

“You look up and you observe the entire crowd. I remember everyone pointing up and being like: ‘Look, look.’ It was insane. I instantly reached for my device, I was like: ‘I need to film this.’”

If Kabeya was provided lasting recollections then she also made some for the fans, with a player-of-the-final performance leading the Red Roses to a decisive triumph. Crowds chanted her well-known slogan at the title-winning party the next day, when the “Do, do, do Sadia Kabeya” was sung by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all moments she did not comprehend could be a actuality a in her younger days.

Kabeya first picked up a rugby ball about a short distance from the stadium, at the her school in her hometown. Starting out with male peers, she was motivated by an instructor and ex-international player Bryony Cleall to continue with rugby. When she became part of a new squad, in a different locale, she felt she had to adjust her identity to be accepted.

“It was in Richmond, which is a mostly white community,” Kabeya says. “I was young and I aimed to blend in so I modified my preferences my musical tastes, my way of talking. I have changed my accent when I was in high school but I was a proper south London girl when I came to Richmond and I kind of wanted to change that and conceal my true identity.

“It’s only as I have advanced in my career and connected with similar individuals and have brought me out of my shell again that I am embracing my identity. I am myself now.”

While encouraging future athletes, Kabeya has designed gear which will reduce hurdles blocking some from taking up the sport. Working with her sponsor, she has produced a unique rugby cap to protect a range of hair types from abrasion, rubbing and dehydration.

“It’s been a development because we had to find the right material with how it can perform without causing discomfort as it has to be appropriate for the sport, where you’re losing fluids and undergoing intense activity but also protecting your hair.

“A protective cap is something that has been around for a long, long time, it’s not a revolutionary idea. But to add this layer, it is such a minor adjustment but it can make such a big difference. In my younger days I used to use makeshift protection because I didn’t want to get my hair messy but I loved the sport so it wasn't an issue.

I was a typical resident when I joined the club and I attempted to suppress that and suppress myself

“However, for other players that would be enough. It would be: ‘I’m staying away because I want to protect my hair, I don’t want to have breakage.’ To have something that could keep people in the game or attract new players is significant.”

The completion of the competition has been successful for the athlete. Her next appearance in an England jersey will be in the Six Nations in the spring, while in the interim her focus will be on the forthcoming domestic league for her team, Loughborough Lightning. In the period leading up to the tournament, she found it quite challenging, experiencing injuries and a “mental dip” during the 2025 Six Nations: “I started assuming: ‘Oh I’ll be alright, I’ll be able to handle it.’

“I think the worse it got off pitch, the worse it got on pitch. I was capable of stepping back and put in the effort and speak to the right people to prepare psychologically for a World Cup. I think, especially in sport, you frequently postpone action to attempt to make changes. But today, utilizing available help and people who I can use consistently as opposed to reacting to issues is significant.”