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As the game concluded, relief washed over. In front of a record crowd, she embraced her Red Roses colleague Lucy Packer and finally grasped that the England team had secured the Rugby World Cup. The clash with Canada had been so “exhausting,” Kabeya found it difficult to accept they were world champions until she the whistle blew. “It was amazing,” Kabeya says. “The full-time whistle was a lot of relief, a chance to breathe out and then: ‘Wow, we’ve done it.’”

England’s victory concluded a lengthy winning streak, a 33-game winning run, but the off-field impact is what Kabeya cherishes deeply. In particular, stepping off the squad vehicle to be met with throngs of fans and the cheers from over 81,000 spectators after the anthems.

“I find it hard to describe,” the 23-year-old flanker says. “The walk-in was amazing, a once in a lifetime experience. Just to see the amount of support, the mix of people – families, people who are less mature, older, many male attendees – it was immense. I definitely have to watch videos back to experience it again because I don’t think I captured it enough because I was a bit in shock.

“You look up and you observe the entire crowd. I remember everyone pointing up and being like: ‘Check it out.’ It was unreal. I instantly reached for my device, I was like: ‘I have to record this.’”

If Kabeya was provided lasting recollections then she also gave spectators something to remember, with a starring display in the final steering England to their 33-13 victory. Crowds chanted her now-familiar chant at the post-victory event the following day, when the “Do, do, do Sadia Kabeya” was sung by her England teammate Hannah Botterman. These are all occasions she couldn't foresee could be a possibility a in her younger days.

Kabeya first started playing rugby 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 supported by her coach and ex-international player Bryony Cleall to continue with rugby. When she became part of a new squad, in a different locale, she felt she had to change parts of herself to belong.

“It was in Richmond, which is a mostly white community,” Kabeya says. “I was young and I aimed to blend in so I adjusted my habits what music I was listening to, my speech patterns. I don’t speak how I used to speak when I was in high school but I was a true local when I joined the club and I attempted to suppress that and suppress myself.

“It’s only as I have advanced in my career and met other people who look like me and have helped me rediscover myself that I am discovering my true self. I am myself now.”

While encouraging future athletes, Kabeya has developed a product which will eliminate obstacles blocking some from taking up the sport. Collaborating with a partner, she has developed a specialized headgear to shield different styles from friction, chafing and dehydration.

“It’s been a journey because we had to find the right material with how it can function while allowing airflow as it has to be suitable for athletic use, where you’re sweating and facing physical demands but also maintaining hair health.

“A protective cap is something that has been around for a long, long time, it’s not a novel invention. But to add this layer, it is such a minor adjustment but it can have significant impact. In my younger days I used to use makeshift protection because I aimed to maintain my hairstyle but I was passionate about rugby so it didn't deter me.

I was a proper south London girl when I joined the club and I felt the need to adjust 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 have people join the game is huge.”

The completion of the competition has been triumphant for the player. Her upcoming international matches will be in the international tournament in April, while in the period before her attention turns to the upcoming Premiership Women’s Rugby season for her team, Loughborough Lightning. In the time before the championship, she found it quite challenging, dealing with setbacks and a “psychological challenge” 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 willing to take time and address the issues and seek appropriate help to achieve optimal mental state for a major tournament. I think, especially in sport, you wait until you hit rock bottom to try and do something about it. Whereas now, having the resources and professionals I can rely on as opposed to reacting to issues is huge.”