Zoe Aldcroft insisted her England team had taken their place among the greats after winning the World Cup by dispatching Canada 33-13.
A dismal record of just one win in six successive final appearances weighed heavily on the Red Roses, but at Allianz Stadium they rose to the occasion magnificently in front of a record crowd for a women’s game of 81,885.
It registered a record-extending 33rd successive victory and, crucially, England saved their best performance of the tournament for when it mattered most.
When asked if the Red Rose are the greatest team in women’s rugby, captain Aldcroft said: “It definitely feels like that.
“We have had 33 wins in a row and we have finally put the cherry on top of the cake by winning the World Cup.
“It feels great. Honestly, it’s unbelievable. It is literally what dreams are made of.
“We have so much belief in this group, we have built something so special over the last three years and this final was about sticking to our processes and believing in ourselves.
“Everyone had to do their own job and that is what everyone did. I’m just so proud of every single one of these girls.
“It was such an amazing occasion as well, playing in front of almost 82,000 people. That was next level and it was a chance to redefine women’s rugby.
“We have been on a journey of ‘for the girls’ and it wasn’t just about the girls in that circle, but also the girls we inspire and the girls who have come before us.”
Respected veteran coach John Mitchell was recruited in the wake of England’s agonising defeat to New Zealand in the final of the delayed 2022 World Cup final with the purpose of delivering the ultimate prize.
“It’s big. To be part of a winning World Cup side is huge,” said former All Blacks boss Mitchell.
“Sometimes you look back and think ‘jeez, certain tournaments elude you’, so being part of bringing closure to a World Cup is very fulfilling.
“This is a phenomenal team. It has been good, very good, but we needed to bring closure to what we set out to do three years ago today.”
Canada’s semi-professionals had been the World Cup’s form team but they were well beaten in the final, which captain Alex Tessier described as an “underperformance” from her side.
“We started the game a bit flat and couldn’t quite find our rhythm, then the connection wasn’t there at times,” Tessier said.
“We didn’t panic but we didn’t manage to play our game and I think that cost us the game in the long run.
“They were just better than us. Against England, if you don’t score when you have the ball, you can’t win the game. We’re definitely not happy about the result.”
