England's Sadia Kabeya: Connecting with fellow athletes who look like me helped me open up’

As the game concluded, a wave of relief swept through. Before a historic audience, she embraced her Red Roses colleague Lucy Packer and then understood that the Red Roses had won the Rugby World Cup. The clash with Canada had been so “exhausting,” Kabeya found it difficult to accept they were world champions until she the final signal came. “It was incredible,” Kabeya says. “The final whistle was a lot of relief, a chance to breathe out and then: ‘Wow, we’ve done it.’”

England’s triumph capped a dominant three years, a unbeaten streak of 33 matches, but the wider effect is what Kabeya cherishes deeply. Specifically, getting off the team bus to be welcomed by massive crowds and the cheers from over 81,000 spectators after the anthems.

“I struggle to put it into words,” the England star says. “The stadium entrance was unforgettable, a unique moment. Just to witness the incredible backing, the variety present – families, people who are younger, older, numerous guys in the stands – it was immense. I absolutely must see recordings to relive it because I don’t think I captured it enough because I was a bit in amazement.

“You look up and you observe the entire crowd. I recall people gesturing and being like: ‘Check it out.’ It was crazy. I quickly pulled out my phone, I was like: ‘I must capture this.’”

If Kabeya was provided lasting recollections then she also gave spectators something to remember, with a award-winning match effort leading the Red Roses to a decisive triumph. Fans voiced her popular refrain at the title-winning party the next day, when the “Sadia Kabeya chant” chorus was led by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all events she never imagined could be a reality a ten years back.

Kabeya first started playing rugby about 15 miles south-east of Twickenham, at the her school in the London borough of Croydon. First participating with boys, she was encouraged by the PE teacher and ex-international player Bryony Cleall to pursue the sport. When she joined her first club, away from south London, she felt she had to adjust her identity to belong.

“It was in a different area, which is a largely homogeneous neighborhood,” Kabeya says. “I was just starting out and I aimed to blend in so I modified my preferences what music I was listening to, my way of talking. I have changed my accent when I was in my teens 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 gone along in the sport and met other people who look like me and have helped me rediscover myself that I am embracing my identity. I am myself now.”

While encouraging future athletes, Kabeya has created an item which will remove more barriers blocking some from taking up the sport. Working with her sponsor, she has developed a specialized headgear to safeguard various textures from friction, irritation and damage.

“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 sweating and undergoing intense activity but also keeping your hair safe.

“A rugby headgear is something that has been around for a long, long time, it’s not a groundbreaking concept. But to include this feature, it is such a tiny detail but it can create substantial change. In high school I used to play with a plastic bag on my head because I aimed to maintain my hairstyle but I was passionate about rugby so it wasn't an issue.

I was a proper south London girl when I came to Richmond and I felt the need to adjust and suppress myself

“However, for other players that would be enough. It would be: ‘I’m not playing because I prefer to avoid damage, I don’t want to have breakage.’ To have equipment that encourages participation or attract new players is important.”

The ending of this World Cup cycle has been successful for the athlete. Her future games for the national team will be in the European championship in April, while in the interim her focus will be on the next club competition for her side, Loughborough Lightning. In the three years between the last two World Cups, she found it rather difficult, facing physical issues and a “psychological challenge” during the previous competition: “I came in thinking: ‘Oh I’ll be fine, I’ll be able to ride it out.’

“I think the harder her personal life was, the worse it got on pitch. I was able to go away and address the issues and seek appropriate help to prepare psychologically for a major tournament. I think, especially in sport, you wait until you hit rock bottom to try and do something about it. Whereas now, accessing support systems and people who I can use consistently instead of waiting to hit a bump in the road is significant.”