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As the match ended, Sadia Kabeya felt immense relief. Before a historic audience, she embraced her Red Roses colleague Lucy Packer and then understood that the England team had secured the Rugby World Cup. The championship match versus Canada had been so “demanding,” Kabeya found it tough to comprehend they were world champions until she heard that sound. “It was amazing,” Kabeya says. “The end-of-game signal was a lot of ease, a moment to exhale and then: ‘Wow, we’ve achieved it.’”

England’s triumph concluded a lengthy winning streak, a unbeaten streak of 33 matches, but the off-field impact is what Kabeya recalls fondly. Specifically, exiting the team coach to be met with throngs of fans and the roar from the 81,885-strong Twickenham crowd after the anthems.

“I find it hard to describe,” the 23-year-old flanker says. “The walk-in was amazing, a unique moment. Just to observe the enormous encouragement, the variety present – parents and children, people who are more youthful, more senior, numerous guys in the stands – it was immense. I absolutely must see recordings to experience it again because I don’t think I captured it enough because I was a bit in awe.

“You gaze upward and you observe the entire crowd. I think of the pointing fingers and being like: ‘See that.’ It was crazy. I instantly reached for my device, I was like: ‘I need to film this.’”

If Kabeya was granted unforgettable moments then she also created memories for supporters, with a award-winning match effort steering England to their 33-13 victory. Thousands sang her well-known slogan at the post-victory event the following day, when the “Sadia Kabeya chant” 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 picked up a rugby ball about a short distance from the stadium, at the a local institution in the London borough of Croydon. Starting out with male peers, she was motivated by an instructor and retired athlete Bryony Cleall to follow her passion. When she became part of a new squad, away from south London, she felt she had to change parts of herself to belong.

“It was in another part of town, which is a largely homogeneous neighborhood,” Kabeya says. “I was young and I aimed to blend in so culturally I changed the songs I enjoyed, my way of talking. I no longer talk like I did when I was in secondary school but I was a typical resident 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 encouraged my authentic personality that I am finding [my] personality. I am true to who I am.”

While encouraging future athletes, Kabeya has created an item which will reduce hurdles preventing participation. Teaming up with a brand, she has produced a unique rugby cap to shield different styles from rubbing, irritation and damage.

“It’s been a process because we had to identify perfect textiles with how it can perform without causing discomfort as it has to be something you can wear in rugby, where you’re sweating 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 revolutionary idea. But to include this feature, it is such a tiny detail but it can create substantial change. In my younger days I used to use makeshift protection because I wanted to keep my hair neat but I was passionate about rugby so it didn’t bother me.

I was a typical resident when I moved to the area and I attempted to suppress that and hold back

“However, for other players that would be enough. 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 equipment that encourages participation or have people join the game is important.”

The conclusion of the tournament has been golden for Kabeya. Her next appearance in an England jersey will be in the Six Nations in next season, while in the meantime her priorities include the forthcoming domestic league for her club, Loughborough Lightning. In the time before the championship, she found it quite challenging, experiencing injuries and a “emotional struggle” during the previous competition: “I entered believing: ‘Oh I’ll be alright, I’ll be able to ride it out.’

“I think the worse it got off pitch, the poorer she played. I was able to go away and address the issues and speak to the right people to get myself in the best head space for a World Cup. 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 experts I can consult regularly instead of waiting to hit a bump in the road is important.”