🔗 Share this article

When the match ended, relief washed over. With a massive turnout watching, she embraced her Red Roses colleague Lucy Packer and then understood that the her side had claimed the Rugby World Cup. The final against Canada had been so “gruelling,” Kabeya found it tough to comprehend they were global titleholders until she heard that sound. “It was incredible,” Kabeya says. “The final whistle was a lot of ease, a chance to breathe out and then: ‘Wow, we’ve accomplished it.’”

England’s victory concluded a three-year reign, a 33 consecutive victories, but the off-field impact is what Kabeya recalls fondly. Notably, exiting the team coach to be met with throngs of fans and the applause from the packed stadium after the anthems.

“I find it hard to describe,” the 23-year-old flanker says. “The team procession was spectacular, a unique moment. Just to witness the incredible backing, the mix of people – families, people who are less mature, more senior, many male attendees – it was massive. I definitely have to watch videos back to relive it because I believe I didn’t fully absorb it because I was a bit in shock.

“You gaze upward and you observe the entire crowd. I recall people gesturing and being like: ‘See that.’ It was insane. I instantly reached for my device, I was like: ‘I have to record this.’”

If Kabeya was provided lasting recollections then she also created memories for supporters, with a starring display in the final leading the Red Roses to a decisive triumph. Crowds chanted her now-familiar chant at the post-victory event the day after, when the “Sadia Kabeya chant” was initiated by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all moments she did not comprehend could be a reality a decade ago.

Kabeya first picked up a rugby ball about in a nearby London area, at the her school in Croydon, south London. Initially playing alongside the boys, she was encouraged by the PE teacher and ex-international player Bryony Cleall to follow her passion. 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 another part of town, which is a mostly white community,” Kabeya says. “I was young and I aimed to blend in so I adjusted my habits the songs I enjoyed, how I was speaking. I don’t speak how I used to speak when I was in secondary school but I was a typical resident when I moved to the area and I kind of wanted to change that and conceal my true identity.

“It’s only as I have progressed in rugby and met other people who look like me and have encouraged my authentic personality that I am discovering my true self. I am myself now.”

In addition to motivating young players, Kabeya has designed gear which will remove more barriers blocking some from taking up the sport. Collaborating with a partner, she has produced a unique rugby cap to safeguard various textures from rubbing, rubbing and damage.

“It’s been a development because we had to source suitable fabric with how it can function while allowing airflow as it has to be appropriate for the sport, where you’re perspiring and facing physical demands but also keeping your hair safe.

“A rugby headgear is something that has been existing for decades, it’s not a novel invention. But to add this layer, it is such a tiny detail but it can have significant impact. In my younger days I used to play with a plastic bag on my head because I didn’t want to get my hair messy but I loved the sport so it wasn't an issue.

I was a true local when I came to Richmond and I wanted to change that and conceal my true identity

“However, for other players that would be enough. It would be: ‘I’m staying away because I prefer to avoid damage, I aim to maintain health.’ To have gear that supports involvement or welcome additional athletes is significant.”

The ending of this World Cup cycle has been golden for Kabeya. Her future games for the national team will be in the international tournament in next season, while in the interim her attention turns to the forthcoming domestic league for her side, Loughborough Lightning. In the time before the championship, she found it far from easy, dealing with setbacks and a “emotional struggle” during the recent tournament: “I came in thinking: ‘Oh I’ll be alright, I’ll be able to handle it.’

“I think the worse it got off pitch, the more it affected her performance. I was able to go away and put in the effort and seek appropriate help to prepare psychologically for a global competition. I think, notably in competitive environments, you often delay until crisis point to seek solutions. Whereas now, utilizing available help and experts I can consult regularly rather than facing problems later is huge.”