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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 only then realised that the Red Roses had won the Rugby World Cup. The final against Canada had been so “gruelling,” Kabeya found it hard to believe they were global titleholders until she the final signal came. “It was unbelievable,” Kabeya says. “The full-time whistle was a lot of comfort, a chance to breathe out and then: ‘Wow, we’ve done it.’”

England’s triumph capped a lengthy winning streak, a 33-game winning run, but the wider effect is what Kabeya remembers most. Notably, exiting the team coach to be welcomed by massive crowds and the cheers from over 81,000 spectators after the anthems.

“I can’t even explain it,” the young forward says. “The stadium entrance was unforgettable, a once in a lifetime experience. Just to see the amount of support, the variety present – households, people who are more youthful, older, loads of men coming to the game – it was huge. I definitely have to watch videos back to see it because I feel I missed some of it because I was a bit in shock.

“You glance around and you observe the entire crowd. I think of the pointing fingers and being like: ‘Check it out.’ It was insane. I got my phone out immediately, I was like: ‘I need to film this.’”

If Kabeya was provided lasting recollections then she also gave spectators something to remember, with a award-winning match effort steering England to their 33-13 victory. Crowds chanted her now-familiar chant at the Battersea Power Station celebrations the following day, when the “Do, do, do Sadia Kabeya” was initiated by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all moments she did not comprehend could be a possibility a in her younger days.

Kabeya first started playing rugby about 15 miles south-east of Twickenham, at the a local institution in the London borough of Croydon. Initially playing alongside the boys, she was supported by her coach and ex-international player Bryony Cleall to pursue the sport. When she started at her initial team, in a different locale, she felt she had to alter her behavior to fit in.

“It was in another part of town, which is a largely homogeneous neighborhood,” Kabeya says. “I was inexperienced and I wanted to fit into the team so culturally I changed the songs I enjoyed, 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 joined the club and I kind of wanted to change that and hold back.

“It’s only as I have gone along in the sport and found those with shared experiences and have helped me rediscover myself that I am embracing my identity. I am authentic today.”

In addition to motivating young players, Kabeya has developed a product which will eliminate obstacles deterring involvement. Collaborating with a partner, she has created a satin scrum cap to protect a range of hair types from rubbing, chafing 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 keeping your hair safe.

“A rugby headgear is something that has been around for a long, long time, it’s not a revolutionary idea. But to include this feature, it is such a minor adjustment but it can create substantial change. In secondary school I used to use makeshift protection because I didn’t want to get my hair messy but I was passionate about rugby so it didn’t bother me.

I was a proper south London girl when I came to Richmond and I attempted to suppress that and conceal my true identity

“However, for other players that would be the end. It would be: ‘I’m avoiding participation because I prefer to avoid damage, I want to prevent damage.’ To have something that could keep people in the game or attract new players is significant.”

The conclusion of the tournament has been triumphant for the player. Her future games for the national team will be in the Six Nations in next season, while in the interim her attention turns to the next club competition for her team, Loughborough Lightning. In the three years between the last two World Cups, she found it quite challenging, dealing with setbacks and a “emotional struggle” during the 2025 Six Nations: “I started assuming: ‘Oh I’ll be okay, I’ll be able to handle it.’

“I think the more difficult things became outside rugby, the worse it got on pitch. I was capable of stepping back and address the issues and speak to the right people to achieve optimal mental state for a World Cup. I think, particularly in athletics, you frequently postpone action to seek solutions. But today, utilizing available help and experts I can consult regularly rather than facing problems later is huge.”