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When the game concluded, relief washed over. With a massive turnout watching, she embraced her Red Roses colleague Lucy Packer and finally grasped that the England team had secured the Rugby World Cup. The final against Canada had been so “gruelling,” Kabeya found it difficult to accept they were global titleholders until she heard that sound. “It was amazing,” Kabeya says. “The end-of-game signal was a lot of ease, a opportunity to relax and then: ‘Wow, we’ve done it.’”

England’s triumph capped a lengthy winning streak, a 33 consecutive victories, but the off-field impact is what Kabeya cherishes deeply. Notably, stepping off the squad vehicle 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 walk-in was amazing, a rare opportunity. Just to see the amount of support, the diversity in it – parents and children, people who are less mature, more senior, many male attendees – it was huge. I certainly need to review footage to relive it because I believe I didn’t fully absorb it because I was a bit in amazement.

“You gaze upward and you see everyone in the stands. I think of the pointing fingers and being like: ‘Check it out.’ It was crazy. I got my phone out immediately, I was like: ‘I need to film this.’”

If Kabeya was provided lasting recollections then she also created memories for supporters, with a award-winning match effort leading the Red Roses to a decisive triumph. Thousands sang her well-known slogan at the Battersea Power Station celebrations the next day, when the “Sadia Kabeya chant” chorus was led by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all moments she did not comprehend could be a reality a ten years back.

Kabeya first picked up a rugby ball about 15 miles south-east of Twickenham, at the Harris city academy in the London borough of Croydon. First participating with boys, she was motivated by an instructor and former England prop Bryony Cleall to follow her passion. When she started at her initial team, outside her home area, she felt she had to adjust her identity to fit in.

“It was in another part of town, which is a predominantly white area,” Kabeya says. “I was just starting out and I aimed to blend in so culturally I changed my musical tastes, how I was speaking. I no longer talk like I did when I was in my teens 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 connected with similar individuals and have brought me out of my shell again that I am embracing my identity. I am true to who I am.”

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 friction, irritation and damage.

“It’s been a process because we had to find the right material with how it can perform without causing discomfort as it has to be suitable for athletic use, where you’re sweating and facing physical demands but also keeping your hair safe.

“A scrum cap is something that has been existing for decades, it’s not a revolutionary idea. But to incorporate this element, it is such a small thing but it can create substantial change. In high 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 deter me.

I was a proper south London girl when I moved to the area and I wanted to change that and hold back

“However, for certain individuals that would be it. It would be: ‘I’m not playing because I don’t want to do that to my hair, I want to prevent damage.’ 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 upcoming international matches will be in the Six Nations in the spring, while in the meantime her priorities include the upcoming Premiership Women’s Rugby season for her team, Loughborough Lightning. In the three years between the last two World Cups, she found it rather difficult, dealing with setbacks and a “psychological challenge” during the 2025 Six Nations: “I started assuming: ‘Oh I’ll be fine, I’ll be able to get through it.’

“I think the harder her personal life was, the more it affected her performance. I was willing to take time and do the work and speak to the right people to achieve optimal mental state for a global competition. I think, notably in competitive environments, you wait until you hit rock bottom to try and do something about it. Whereas now, accessing support systems and professionals I can rely on as opposed to reacting to issues is important.”