It was 6.30am when the last of the triumphant Red Roses began to roll back in to their Teddington team hotel, captain Zoe Aldcroft and prop Hannah Botterman among the last women standing the morning after the night before. A long-awaited World Cup winners’ party had been, as one would expect, wild – it did not take long for a redesigned trophy to be repurposed into a drinking vessel, as is custom after such a success.
For Aldcroft and scrum half Natasha Hunt, the first sups of victory perhaps tasted a little sweeter; celebratory ciders in the dressing room were their first drinks for more than a year, the pair turning tee-total in pursuit of a long-awaited success. “13 months and two days,” came the croak of the captain when asked how long it had been without alcohol – not that she had been counting.
The flanker and four other players, remarkably, were up in time for an 11am press conference, with Botterman expressing her frustration that a live feed meant she had to be on her best behaviour. The loosehead had shown admirable restraint throughout the tournament, in a way, having been banned from knee-sliding by the team physio for fear of doing herself a mischief; with a World Cup secure, the restriction from lifted, and Botterman was free to test the skiddiness of the surface in away dressing room at Allianz Stadium.
“It was actually a lot more slippery than people might have thought,” she explained, red cowboy hat on head. “In fact, I actually think it helped one of my knees.”
Botterman had been an agent of chaos from the very start of the celebrations. Close chum Amy Cokayne was in full, eloquent flow as she faced the press in the mixed zone post-match only for a beer down her back to serve as rude interruption. Ellie Kildunne, meanwhile, was lapping it all up, a bespoke cowboy hat on her head and a Red Roses grill on her tooth, with a camera draped over one shoulder to chronicle some special memories.
England returned to the centre of the pitch a couple of hours after lifting the trophy to soak in the moment, before departing to a function with family and friends. Among the gathered guests were Abbie Ward’s daughter, Hallie, Marlie Packer’s son and defence coach Sarah Hunter’s baby, too. Special moments indeed.
At midnight, the players descended on the pub retitled the Red Roses Patch in their honour, a favourite Twickenham watering hole having become a place of pride for the team over the years. It was there where their first press conference of the year had been held – there was perhaps rather less decorum about their post-match business here.
Earlier, the place had been packed with punters and, in a private area, some of the past England greats. World Cup winners from 1994 and 2014 mingled and shared memories, all beaming at how the game had come and delighted to have new company. Alice Cooper and Sue Dorrington were right amongst things – two of the “Founding Four” who created the Women’s World Cup back in 1991. Other trailblazers like Gill Burns soaked it all in – this was as much a day for them to celebrate as the current crop.
For John Mitchell, meanwhile, there were special moments with his wife, the head coach brought to tears as he faced the press having finally achieved the World Cup glory he had long sought. There had been plenty of friends from the Surrey village in which he lives, too – a man who had vowed to help turn the side from good to great had achieved his goal. He, along with other sensible members of staff like Charlie Hayter, the understated but vitally important head of women’s performance, ducked out at a relatively reasonable hour, letting the squad have their moment as they had done most of World Cup final week.
“Some parts of the day that will stick in my life forever,” Mitchell said. “When we got off the bus, we were walking over to entry and I had a quick glance at the south stand and the place was just spinning with people. I don’t think I have ever seen that before.
“I thought the national anthems, the way they were sung it seemed so powerful. It seemed so England which was cool. To be associated with these girls, they are driven, they have changed my life, changed the way I think as well. A trophy is one thing, a medal is another thing but it’s actually the quality of the people you work with is the ultimate.”
A celebration event at Battersea Power Station will ensure the party continues into another day at least, with the England squad given two weeks off before returning to their clubs to rest, recover and revel. First, though, sustenance; the Red Roses biscuits made by Tom Kirby, head chef, have been a popular confectionary throughout the campaign and were given a glorious twist for the morning after the final, glittering in gold to mark the achievement of a special side.
