England's World Cup-winning Red Roses have set their sights on achieving a full house at Twickenham for their upcoming Women's Six Nations opener, aiming to harness the incredible momentum from their historic victory.
Building on a Record-Breaking Triumph
The team triumphed on home soil in September 2025, beating Canada in the final in front of a capacity crowd of 81,885 at Twickenham. This attendance shattered the previous record for a women's rugby match in England, which was the 58,498 who watched the 2023 Women's Six Nations game against France.
Now, John Mitchell's side are preparing to return to the same stadium, now known as Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, for their first match since that World Cup win. They will face Ireland on 11 April 2026 to kick off their Six Nations campaign, and are already on track for another huge crowd, with more than 50,000 tickets sold.
A Celebration at Downing Street and Eyes on the Future
The squad's ambitions were voiced at a celebratory reception at 10 Downing Street with the Prime Minister, a customary honour for England's World Cup winners. Lock Abbie Ward expressed the team's desire to capitalise on their success.
"We all said we wanted to capture the momentum of the World Cup," Ward said. "We didn't want it to be this one-off event... Whether we thought we could fill Twickenham as soon as the first game of the Six Nations, I'm not sure, but it's looking like it could head that way."
She added that the potential sell-out would show how the team had captured the nation's imagination, and hoped for a strong Irish contingent to add to the atmosphere.
The Downing Street event capped a week of celebrations, which also included a Champions Ball and a visit to Windsor Castle. The squad has also reconvened for a non-rugby training camp, with head coach Mitchell naming an enlarged group of 47 players to integrate new talent.
Integrating New Talent with a Winning Core
Flanker Sadia Kabeya highlighted the importance of building on the World Cup win within the squad itself. "What better time to come in than after a World Cup cycle that we've just won?" she said, welcoming the uncapped players. "Building off that momentum is not just for the fans... it is for the squad as well."
While the team has seen the retirement of centre Emily Scarratt and wing Abby Dow, and will be without hooker Lark Atkin-Davies for the Six Nations due to pregnancy, the core of the World Cup-winning squad remains. Ward, who joined after the 2014 World Cup win, noted the difference in stability this time, stating the current environment is "pretty special" for new players to enter.
The Red Roses now look to extend their 33-match winning run and turn their World Cup glory into a lasting legacy for women's rugby, starting with a packed-out Twickenham in April.
