ENGLAND WIN RUGBY WORLD CUP ON OUR DOORSTEP IN A MAGNIFICENT CELEBRATION OF SPORT ……BUT NO ROYALS AND NO PM
England won the Women’s Rugby World Cup today beating Canada 33-13 in a historic, magnificent and celebration of the spirit of sport at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
The biggest ever crowd for a women’s rugby fixture, 81.885 packed Allianz Stadium and rocked the Red Roses to victory with cowboy hats and flags.
I was fortunate to be amongst those on the touchline of English sporting history but I admit to being baffled by the absence of any member of the Royal family or the Arsenal-loving PM or any senior ministers.
This was England at its best. Raw, full hearted, passionate, hungry to win, noisy and colourful. No place perhaps for a mere politician on a glorious Saturday afternoon.
The St George’s flag was on sale as part of the merchandise offering on the way to the famous England stadium and kids and older fans waved their patriotic flags with the refreshing innocence and authenticity of pride in their country as opposed to the twisted and confusing abuse of our flag recently.
A clever banner behind me read ‘Kildunne and Dusted’ in reference to the mercurial England and Harlequins full back Ellie Kildunne, who yet again notched up another try today reaffirming her status as World player of the year.
Female guitarist Sophie Lloyd warmed up the crowd in the minutes before kick off with a rock star and rousing version of Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer.
My analysis of the quality of the rugby in this fantastic match is next to worthless but the free flowing, running the ball, no ping-pong kicking between teams made for a brilliant and exciting match with warrior like defence from England when under pressure. It was in stark contrast to the men’s game… which can be as dull as ditchwater.
‘Rose your game, men’ and wait for cheeky jeers of ‘bring on Hannah’ or ‘bring on Ellie’ if England’s men stumble or bore in the Autumn internationals.
The crowd-funded Canadians, who had beaten previous World Cup winners New Zealand in the semis were worthy opponents, and showed their generosity of spirit by walking around the pitch and thanking the fans with their medals around their necks and tears in their eyes.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England was in the crowd and later on the pitch in a Canadian rugby shirt to console the team.
The victorious England players, coach and backroom team, soaked up their unique moment and 90 minutes after referee Holly Davidson’s final whistle they were still mingling with fans and family, posing for photos and rolling in the golden tinsel of their triumph and sipping the champagne.
As the fans drifted home through a vibrant Twickenham ‘Reach for the Skies’ blared out from the rugby pub the Cabbage Patch as the trademark cowboy hats and their bouncy owners saddled up for a big night.
My own short trip home on the R68 bus from York Street to the Landmark Arts Centre and the pub was largely uneventful apart from a sharp voice behind me from a fellow passenger – a man – asking: “where was our royalty – they should have been there – that’s wrong.’
By all accounts Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge and Royal Patron of the RFU had a personal committment but did send a good luck message and she did attend a previous Red Roses match in Brighton. Both Prince William and Prince Harry were in Sydney in 2003 when England’s men won the World Cup, beating Australia.
This was a truly memorable and historic moment for sport generally, but women’s rugby specifically, capturing a spirit of positiveness and inspiration that those in corridors of power and influence would do well to look at and understand and respect as the fans do.
Well done Red Roses. You made England stand up today.